Before you start reading
Welcome to Mon Entreprise Durable par Coptain! In a nutshell, our job is to enable CSR managers to multiply their impact! Would you like to be supported by EcoVadis? We’re here to help! Contact us by by clicking here. The whole team wishes you happy reading!
If you have any questions about the EcoVadis questionnaire and how to complete it, we recommend you read this article: I need to fill in an EcoVadis questionnaire: how do I get organized?
From multinationals to SMEs, every company is well aware that corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an essential criterion for judging business performance.
Not only consumers – customers and prospects – but also suppliers, business and financial partners, shareholders and public authorities.
To unify the different measurement methods and effectively compare companies with each other on a global scale, a label has become essential: EcoVadis.
Beyond facilitating comparisons, EcoVadis certification helps you to structure, evaluate and improve your CSR.
It’s a performance indicator that’s essential for anyone wishing to achieve good results in the following four areas: environment, social, ethics and responsible purchasing.
You now know how to organize yourself to complete an EcoVadis questionnaire.
You also know the best practices for improving your EcoVadis score.
Now it’s time to interpret the results with a view to continuously improving your corporate social responsibility.
What is EcoVadis?
A little background: the EcoVadis assessment begins with a personalized questionnaire which is the heart of the process. You must support your answers to the EcoVadis questionnaire with supporting documentation. But that’s not all. The CSR rating organization also uses a 360° watch that includes information from over 10,000 public sources, such as NGOs, the press and trade unions. This monitoring enables us to check the veracity of the information provided and identify elements that could affect your score, whether positive or negative.
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Questionnaire | 20 to 50 customized questions depending on sector and size |
| 2. Submission of documents | Proof of compliance with expected CSR practices |
| 3. 360° monitoring | Search for additional information from external sources |
| 4. Expert analysis | Data compilation and analysis by CSR experts |
How does EcoVadis rating work?
First thing to clarify: the EcoVadis rating is not just a score that we give you, which you can then display publicly.
It’s also a thematic analysis that gives you a clear picture of your CSR performance.
Four key themes for a global assessment
Your EcoVadis assessment is based on the four main themes mentioned above :
| Main topics | Criteria examined |
|---|---|
| Environment | Waste management, CO2 emissions, use of natural resources |
| Social practices and human rights | Working conditions, non-discrimination, human rights |
| Ethics | Corruption, anti-competitive practices, transparency |
| Responsible Purchasing | CSR supplier evaluation |
Each of these themes is evaluated on a scale from 0 to 100.
You are then given an overall score that summarizes your CSR performance.
But don’t stop there.
This score is just a milestone for the future.
Benchmarking: where do you stand?
Armed with this analysis report, you’ll know where you stand in relation to other companies in your sector.
It’s not about competition, it’s about identifying opportunities for improvement.
After all, benchmarking gives you the means to progress.
Trends in your business sector: anticipate for better performance
EcoVadis doesn’t just rate you.
The assessment also includes an analysis of trends in your field of activity.
It is completed by a review of risks and best practices in the sector.
The report is not fixed in time: it must be renewed every year to ensure regular monitoring of improvements.
Why is EcoVadis certification with Mon Entreprise Durable on average 3x faster and 6x cheaper?
Why is EcoVadis certification with Mon Entreprise Durable on average 3x faster and 6x cheaper?
A springboard for improving your CSR practices
Now that you have a clear roadmap, you know which path to take to improve your scores and strengthen your corporate social responsibility.
It starts with a customized corrective action plan.
You identify the improvement measures to be undertaken, the priorities to be set and you can even track the progress of your practices over time.
Examples of corrective actions by theme
| Topics | Example of corrective action |
|---|---|
| Environment | Reducing carbon footprint through energy management |
| Social practices and human rights | Human rights training for employees |
| Ethics | Strengthening anti-corruption policies |
| Responsible purchasing | Selection of CSR-certified suppliers |
Communication, to share your actions
Continuous improvement is also a question of communication. More and more companies are taking an interest in the CSR performance of their business partners. With EcoVadis, you can share your progress with your customersyour suppliers and anyone else who asks. No more repetitive and costly audits! A single EcoVadis assessment is enough to meet the information needs of multiple partners.
Source :https://support.ecovadis.com/
Continuous improvement case study: Hydrex International SAS
Hydrex International SAS specializes in single-use medical devices.
Its area of activity includes France, Switzerland and Belgium.
In 2024, the company won a gold medal for its CSR performance.
However, this success does not mean that everything is perfect. The EcoVadis assessment report highlights a number of areas for improvement.
One of the weaknesses identified was the lack of solid documentation detailing the company’s efforts or results in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).
Here are some of the recommendations made to Hydrex in their assessment report:
- prepare annual reports on social data, equal pay and diversity;
- argue with KPIs such as the number of employees trained to prevent discrimination and harassment, or the percentage of women among employees;
- add an internal database as a benchmark for continuous monitoring of DE&I progress.
We are confident that by taking these steps, Hydrex will be able to improve its transparency and demonstrate its commitment to promoting a more equitable and inclusive working environment.
This improvement process will enable Hydrex to meet the criteria of excellence required to obtain the Platinum Medal, the highest distinction awarded by EcoVadis.
To conclude...
It provides you with the tools, information and means to make progress in your CSR approach.
By doing so, your commitment to corporate social responsibility can become a real lever for performance and market differentiation.
