EcoVadis Assessment Guide for Indian Companies - How to Improve Your Score

EcoVadis is a sustainability rating platform that scores companies from 0 to 100 across four themes - Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. Over 130,000 companies have been rated, and more than 1,000 buying organizations use EcoVadis scores as a procurement filter. Indian companies supplying to EU and US multinationals increasingly need a strong EcoVadis rating to retain and win contracts.

If a global buyer has asked your company to complete an EcoVadis assessment, you are not alone. Thousands of Indian suppliers across manufacturing, chemicals, textiles, IT services, and pharmaceuticals are receiving these requests every year. The assessment is not a formality - a low score can mean losing your place on a preferred supplier list.

This guide explains what EcoVadis is, how the scoring works, what the questionnaire looks like, and - most importantly - how Indian companies can improve their scores with practical, actionable steps.

What Is EcoVadis?

EcoVadis is a third-party sustainability rating platform founded in 2007, headquartered in Paris. It provides evidence-based assessments of companies' sustainability management systems across environmental, social, and governance dimensions.

Key facts about the platform:

• 130,000+ companies rated across 220+ industries and 180+ countries
• 1,000+ buying organizations use EcoVadis to evaluate supplier sustainability, including Nestle, L'Oreal, Johnson & Johnson, Schneider Electric, and BASF
• Average score is 44 out of 100 - meaning most companies fall below Bronze medal level
• Only 5% of rated companies achieve Gold or above
• Assessments are renewed annually and results are shared through a centralized platform accessible to all requesting buyers

Unlike frameworks such as BRSR or GRI, EcoVadis does not just collect disclosures - it scores and benchmarks companies against industry peers. This comparative element is what makes it powerful for procurement decisions.

Why Indian Companies Need EcoVadis

EcoVadis is not a regulatory requirement. No Indian law mandates it. But the market reality is different from the legal reality.

Global supply chains are tightening sustainability requirements. EU regulations like CSRD and due diligence directives are pushing European buyers to evaluate and report on their suppliers' ESG performance. EcoVadis has become the de facto tool for this evaluation.

For Indian companies, this translates to several concrete scenarios:

• Procurement prerequisite: Many multinationals now require an EcoVadis score before onboarding new suppliers or renewing contracts
• Minimum score thresholds: Some buyers set minimum score requirements (often Silver or 45+) to remain on approved vendor lists
• Competitive differentiation: In a crowded supplier market, a Gold or Platinum medal sets you apart from competitors with lower or no ratings
• Risk management: Buyers use EcoVadis to identify and mitigate supply chain sustainability risks - a low score flags your company as higher risk

"Companies that proactively manage their sustainability performance are better positioned to meet the growing expectations of global supply chains. EcoVadis provides a standardized way to demonstrate that commitment." - Pierre-Francois Thaler, Co-CEO, EcoVadis

How EcoVadis Scoring Works

EcoVadis evaluates companies across four themes, each weighted based on industry and company size. The total score ranges from 0 to 100.

The Four Themes

Medal Levels

With the average score sitting at 44, many companies fall just below Bronze. The gap between "no medal" and "Bronze" is often a matter of documentation and reporting - not actual performance. This is where Indian companies frequently leave points on the table.

The EcoVadis Questionnaire

The EcoVadis assessment is based on a questionnaire covering 21 sustainability criteria across the four themes. The questionnaire is customized based on your company's industry, size, and geography - an Indian chemicals manufacturer will get different questions than a German IT services company.

For each criterion, EcoVadis evaluates three management layers:

1. Policies: Do you have formal, documented policies addressing the topic? (e.g., environmental policy, code of conduct, human rights policy)
2. Actions: What concrete measures have you implemented? (e.g., energy audits, safety training programs, supplier screening processes)
3. Results: Can you demonstrate measurable outcomes? (e.g., GHG reduction percentages, injury rates, audit findings)

Documents to Prepare

EcoVadis requires supporting evidence for every claim. The most commonly requested documents include:

• Environmental policy and environmental management system (ISO 14001 certificate if available)
• GHG emissions inventory - Scope 1, 2, and 3 data
• Energy consumption data and reduction targets
• Occupational health and safety policy (ISO 45001 certificate if available)
• Code of conduct or code of ethics
• Anti-corruption and anti-bribery policy
• Supplier code of conduct
• CSR report or BRSR report
• Training records (safety, ethics, environmental awareness)
• Materiality assessment documentation
• Water and waste management data
• Diversity and inclusion policy

How to Improve Your EcoVadis Score

Improving your EcoVadis score is not about overhauling your entire sustainability program overnight. It is about documenting what you already do, filling specific gaps, and presenting evidence in the format EcoVadis analysts expect.

Environment Theme

• Policy: Create a formal environmental policy signed by senior management. Reference specific commitments - GHG reduction, water conservation, waste minimization
• Actions: Conduct an energy audit, install energy-efficient equipment, track Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, implement waste segregation. Even small steps like LED retrofits and rainwater harvesting count
• Results: Report year-over-year data showing improvement. A 5% reduction in energy intensity is more valuable than a vague commitment to "going green"
• Certifications: ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) is a strong signal. If certification is not feasible immediately, show that you are working toward it

Labor & Human Rights Theme

• Policy: Formalize health and safety, non-discrimination, and human rights policies. Ensure they explicitly address child labor, forced labor, and freedom of association
• Actions: Track safety training hours per employee, conduct regular safety drills, implement a formal incident reporting system, offer diversity and inclusion programs
• Results: Report LTIFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate), training hours per employee, and any improvement trends. Zero fatalities should be explicitly stated if applicable
• Certifications: ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety) and SA8000 are highly valued

Ethics Theme

• Policy: Publish a code of conduct covering anti-corruption, anti-bribery, conflicts of interest, data privacy, and fair competition
• Actions: Implement a whistleblower mechanism (anonymous reporting channel), conduct ethics training for all employees, establish a gifts and hospitality policy
• Results: Report the number of ethics training sessions conducted, percentage of employees trained, and any disciplinary actions taken (aggregated, not individual)

Sustainable Procurement Theme

• Policy: Create a supplier code of conduct that covers environmental and social requirements for your own suppliers
• Actions: Screen suppliers on sustainability criteria, conduct supplier audits (even a simple questionnaire counts), integrate ESG into procurement decisions
• Results: Report the percentage of suppliers assessed, number of audits conducted, and any corrective action plans implemented

EcoVadis vs BRSR vs CDP

Indian companies often navigate multiple sustainability frameworks simultaneously. Here is how EcoVadis compares to BRSR and CDP:

The key insight: these frameworks are complementary, not competing. Data collected for BRSR can feed directly into the EcoVadis questionnaire, and EcoVadis documentation can support CDP disclosures. Build one integrated data collection process rather than three separate ones.

Common Mistakes Indian Companies Make

After working with dozens of Indian companies on EcoVadis assessments, these are the most frequent mistakes we see:

• No policies uploaded. This is the single biggest score killer. Many Indian companies have strong sustainability practices but no formal, documented policies. EcoVadis cannot score what it cannot see. A two-page environmental policy signed by the CEO is worth more than a verbal commitment
• Generic, copy-paste answers. EcoVadis analysts review thousands of questionnaires. They can spot boilerplate text instantly. Provide specific, company-relevant answers with concrete examples from your operations
• Missing certifications. If your company holds ISO 14001, ISO 45001, or SA8000 certifications, upload them. If you have completed a materiality assessment, include the results. Many companies simply forget to attach these documents
• Ignoring the Sustainable Procurement theme. Indian companies often focus heavily on Environment and Labor but neglect Sustainable Procurement entirely. Even a basic supplier code of conduct and a simple supplier questionnaire can significantly boost this theme score
• No quantitative results. Policies and actions earn partial credit, but results with numbers earn full credit. Track KPIs - energy consumption per unit of output, waste diversion rates, training hours per employee, LTIFR - and report year-over-year trends
• Submitting in the wrong language. Documents in Hindi or regional languages without English translations slow down the review process and risk misinterpretation
• Treating it as a one-time exercise. EcoVadis assessments are annual. Companies that treat the first assessment as a checkbox often see scores stagnate or decline in subsequent years. Build ongoing data collection processes

Frequently Asked Questions