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You need to obtain or improve your score Ecovadis ? Save time and secure your results: book a meeting to prepare your appraisal.
97% of customers of Mon Entreprise Durable say they have carried out their CSR projects without slowing down their business operations.
If you’d like to learn more about EcoVadis, we recommend reading this article: EcoVadis: Beyond the Questionnaire, Continuous Improvement.
Filling out a questionnaire may seem like a simple formality, but completing an EcoVadis questionnaire is an entirely different matter. That’s because the goal behind these questions is to obtain EcoVadis certification. This certification is valuable for at least two fundamental reasons. First, it recognizes your efforts in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); and second, it strengthens your company’s brand image.
Follow our tips below to prepare your team for the EcoVadis assessment and earn your EcoVadis certification with flying colors.
What is EcoVadis?
Let’s start by unpacking what lies behind this term so dear to Latin scholars. EcoVadis is a CSR assessment platform whose goal is to analyze companies’ performance in the area of sustainable development. The assessment process covers several key areas: the environment, social issues, ethics, and responsible procurement. This certification was created in 2007 to help companies, both large and small, improve their CSR practices. How? By referring to international standards and using robust management systems.
EcoVadis certification is recognized worldwide and is divided into four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. For each level, your company’s score is compared to those of all other certified companies.
- EcoVadis Bronze: top 35%—this is the entry-level rating, indicating that the company has begun to incorporate CSR practices but still has significant room for improvement.
- EcoVadis Silver: Top 15%; this level demonstrates solid performance and a serious commitment to CSR.
- EcoVadis Gold: Top 5%—a high-level recognition for companies with advanced and well-integrated CSR practices.
- EcoVadis Platinum: Top 1%, the highest level, reserved for companies that are leaders in CSR, with exemplary practices and full integration of sustainability principles.
Source : https://ecovadis.com/
Prepare the necessary documents
Before you begin filling out the EcoVadis questionnaire, gather all documents related to your CSR practices. For example, documents that refer to internal policies, audit reports, certificates of compliance, and any other evidence of your commitments to sustainable development.
Here are some examples of the most frequently used documents to help you organize this information:
| Document | Description | Manager |
|---|---|---|
| CSR Policy | Document describing your CSR commitments | CSR Director |
| Audit reports | Results of internal and external audits | Internal auditor |
| Certificates of Conformity | ISO 14001, ISO 26000, ISO 45001, etc. | Quality Manager |
| Environmental reports | Data on Co2 emissions, water and electricity consumption, etc. | Environmental Manager |
| Social programs | Employee and community initiatives | Human Resources Director |
These documents form the basis of your dossier and will help you provide detailed and accurate answers. Check that all information is up-to-date and well documented. The stronger your evidence, the more positive your assessment will be.
Register your company on the EcoVadis platform
To begin the certification process, you must register your company on the EcoVadis platform. Here are the steps to follow:
- Create your account: you’ll be asked to provide basic information, such as your business sector, number of employees and contact details. You can create your account here.
- Select the certification level you wish to achieve: from the standard certification to the in-depth assessment—choose based on your commitment to CSR
- Access the questionnaire: you can now start filling in the various sections.
- Pay the evaluation fee to see your results: the cost depends on the size of your company and the level of evaluation chosen.
Structuring your answer
Complete the EcoVadis questionnaire as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The questionnaire is divided into several sections, each of which addresses a specific aspect of CSR. Be sure to fully understand the evaluation criteria and provide detailed responses. Use numerical data and examples to illustrate your practices. For example, if you have reduced your energy consumption, indicate the percentage reduction and the actions taken to achieve it. The system asks you to include supporting documents whenever possible.
Here is an example to help you structure your answers:
| Section | Evaluation criteria | Sample answer | Document to be supplied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environment | Management of greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, waste management, etc. | 20% reduction in emissions over 3 years | Environmental reports, ISO 14001 |
| Social | Working conditions, employee rights, social initiatives, etc. | Employee wellness programs | HR policies, employee testimonials |
| Ethics | Anti-corruption, fair trade practices, etc. | Code of conduct, annual training courses | Training certificates |
| Responsible purchasing | Selection and management of sustainable suppliers based on their CSR practices | 50% of suppliers ISO 14001 certified | List of suppliers, certificates |
Complete the EcoVadis questionnaire
Let’s take a closer look at the content of each of the four sections of the EcoVadis questionnaire: environment, social, ethics, and responsible procurement.
Environment section
This section assesses your environmental management performance. Here are some tips on how to fill it in.
Managing CO2 emissions
Provide precise data on your greenhouse gas emissions. Indicate the sources of these emissions (transport, production, etc.) and the actions taken to reduce them. For example, the use of renewable energy sources, improving the energy efficiency of your facilities and setting up carbon offset programs.
Reduced water consumption
Provide data on your water consumption. Indicate the main sources of consumption (production, cleaning, etc.) and describe your water-saving strategies. This may involve installing water-saving equipment, adopting water recycling practices or setting up employee awareness programs.
Waste management
List the types of waste generated by your company (solid, liquid, hazardous, etc.) and what you do to manage them. What reduction programs have you adopted? How do you reuse and recycle waste? If you participate in hazardous waste management programs, please specify.
Social Section
This section evaluates your performance in human resources management and community relations.
Working conditions
Enter the main measures taken to improve your employees’ working conditions (safety, well-being, etc.). Provide details of these actions: training programs, employee wellness initiatives, actions to improve workplace safety, etc.
Employee rights
What are you doing to protect your employees’ rights in terms of anti-discrimination, harassment prevention and equal opportunities? Mention all this, and don’t forget to add any training programs on social rights that you offer your employees.
Social initiatives
Do you support your local community? If so, how? Through employee volunteer programs, donations to local organizations, partnerships with NGOs and associations? Complete this section with details of all your social initiatives.
Ethics Section
The Ethics section of the EcoVadis questionnaire evaluates your performance in the areas of ethical management and business practices.
Fighting corruption
If you’ve introduced a code of conduct and integrated anti-corruption into your training programs, that’s a big plus. Don’t hesitate to describe your strategies in this area, emphasizing the strict policies you’ve implemented and the mechanisms you’ve set up to report corrupt behavior.
Fair trade practices
You’re probably transparent in your business practices. Highlight this. Show that you’re working on it regularly through audits, employee training and compliance policies.
Responsible Purchasing Section
Finally, it’s your performance in supply chain management and supplier selection that is examined here.
Supplier selection
Please explain how you select responsible suppliers. Some companies rely on CSR certifications. Others conduct regular audits. Still others require a formal commitment from their suppliers to comply with their own CSR policies and charters. What about you?
Supply chain risk management
Responsible companies identify and mitigate risks along the supply chain. It’s your turn to define your strategy in this area. Typically, this ranges from regular audits to risk awareness programs and supplier performance evaluations.
Source : https://support.ecovadis.com/
Monitoring and continuous improvement
What happens once you’ve completed your EcoVadis questionnaire? You will receive a detailed report within two months at the latest, including your score and recommendations for improving your CSR practices. Be sure to review it carefully to identify your strengths and areas for improvement.
Prioritizing measures
Use the recommendations in the EcoVadis report as a guide to implement the most urgent measures. In other words, prioritize the areas that have the greatest impact on your overall score.
Drawing up an action plan
Develop a detailed action plan for each recommendation. Define clear objectives, deadlines and responsibilities for each procedure.
Tracking progress
Set up a monitoring system to measure progress and adjust your actions if necessary. This involves regular meetings, follow-up reports and internal audits.
Communicate your results
That’s it—you’ve earned the prestigious EcoVadis certification! Let your employees, customers, suppliers, partners, and others know about it. More generally, develop a communication plan to highlight this certification. Here are a few ideas on how to do that:
Display the EcoVadis logo
Your website, social media, emails, and other digital communications: display the EcoVadis logo on each of these platforms. Also include it on your written communication materials and your company’s annual reports. This demonstrates your commitment to CSR and strengthens your brand image. Please note: To use your EcoVadis rating logo externally, you must have an appropriate subscription.
Communicating internally
This is an important point that shouldn’t be overlooked. Even if your employees are already aware of your efforts to improve workplace well-being, be sure to keep them informed. They’ll be happy to know they work for a company that values their well-being. Encourage them to actively participate in the company’s CSR initiatives. We’re confident they’ll do so with enthusiasm, and that this will boost their motivation at work. It’s a great way to retain top talent!
External communications
Finally, highlight your achievement of the EcoVadis logo by launching a marketing campaign centered on this news. Share your results with your customers, business partners, and any other parties with whom you wish to do business. Use social media and press releases to do so. Better yet, you can organize a corporate event to share your successes and raise awareness of your CSR efforts.
Any examples?
For Swiss companies such as Implenia, TSG Group, and ISS Switzerland, EcoVadis certification serves as external validation of their efforts in the areas of social and environmental responsibility. Like many others, these three companies know full well that a good EcoVadis score can make the difference between winning and losing a contract. Moreover, they demonstrate that EcoVadis certification is not merely an end in itself, but a catalyst for continuous improvement. By leveraging EcoVadis assessments to identify weaknesses and areas for improvement, they are able to strengthen their CSR strategies and maintain—or even enhance—their leadership positions in their respective sectors. Here are some examples:
Implenia: EcoVadis Certification as a Cornerstone of Leadership
As the Swiss leader in construction and real estate services, Implenia is constantly working to strengthen its position. With an EcoVadis score of 75 points, the company not only retained its gold medal in 2024 but also outperformed its results from the previous year, demonstrating continuous improvement despite increasingly stringent rating criteria.
One of the main factors behind this success is Implenia’s commitment to responsible purchasing and human rights. The company has introduced a “Supplier Code of Conduct”, which imposes strict standards of social responsibility on its suppliers. Workplace safety and human resources management are also areas in which the company has made significant progress, contributing to its good score. The company’s ambitious goal for 2025 of achieving twelve sustainability targets demonstrates its determination to stay ahead of the game, while offering its customers reliable, sustainable solutions.
TSG Group: a model of social responsibility and sustainability
TSG Group, for its part, stands out as a shining example of corporate social responsibility by earning EcoVadis Platinum certification in 2024. With this distinction, TSG ranks among the top 1% of the world’s highest-performing companies, according to EcoVadis criteria. This recognition is the result of a deep commitment and a well-defined CSR strategy aimed at supporting the energy transition for mobility. TSG’s seven guiding principles, which govern all of the company’s activities, form the backbone of this effort.
These principles are reflected in rigorous health, safety, and environmental policies. What particularly sets TSG apart is its ability to think globally while acting locally. For example, by promoting responsible supply chains, the company highlights the importance of every link in the chain in the transition toward more sustainable mobility. At the same time, it places great importance on the development of its human resources, which it considers its greatest asset. This comprehensive and integrated approach to CSR is what enables TSG Group to stand out and continue moving forward on the path to sustainable excellence.
ISS Switzerland: excellence in sustainability with Platinum certification
Another exemplary Swiss company, ISS Suisse was also awarded the EcoVadis Platinum Medal in 2024placing it among the top 1% of sustainable companies evaluated by this platform. With a score of 79/100, ISS Suisse is a prime example of how proactive and progressive sustainability management can lead to impressive results. Its commitment to sustainability is evident in every aspect of its business, from environmental management to sustainable procurement.
The company has implemented concrete measures to reduce its carbon footprint, such as converting its vehicle fleet to electric propulsion. Another highlight of ISS Suisse’s approach is its “Green Office Program”, which encourages sustainable office management and contributes to the reduction of CO₂ emissions. This program is part of a broader strategy that aims to achieve zero net CO₂ emissions by 2030 for the company’s direct activities. Better still, it aims to extend this goal to indirect emissions by 2040. But ISS Switzerland doesn’t stop at its own operations; it also offers its customers eco-friendly, climate-friendly services, reinforcing its positive impact beyond its own activities.
To conclude...
Earning EcoVadis certification is an excellent way to demonstrate your commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. Follow our tips above to maximize your chances of success and quickly achieve your CSR goals. You’ll then be able to proudly display your EcoVadis medal—whether it’s bronze, silver, gold, or platinum.
FAQs About the EcoVadis Questionnaire
Here are some frequently asked questions on the subject and their answers:
Your goal is to obtain the EcoEntreprise certification? Put your trust in a company that has been through the same programme. We also support you with the standards B Corpand CSRD and EcoVadis.
