Understanding how your sustainability efforts stack up is key to creating meaningful change. At transformacy, we often get asked: how does EcoVadis actually score companies? And what do those badges mean?
In this post, we'll walk through the EcoVadis rating system - how it works, how companies are scored, and what the medals and badges signify.
How does the EcoVadis rating system work?
The EcoVadis methodology is rooted in international sustainability standards, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), ISO 26000, and the UN Global Compact. The evaluation covers 21 sustainability criteria, grouped into four main themes:
Environment
Labour & Human Rights
Ethics
Sustainable Procurement
Each theme is scored out of 100, and those scores are then weighted and combined to create an overall rating.
This system is designed to be flexible and tailored to the company’s size, industry, and geographic location. That means a small tech company in Europe and a large manufacturing firm in America won’t be measured by the same criteria, making the EcoVadis score fair and meaningful across industries.
What does EcoVadis base its assessment on?
Each assessment is evidence-based. Companies submit documentation, policies, certifications, and reports, which are reviewed by a team of sustainability analysts. The team checks for:
The quality of the company’s sustainability management system
Concrete actions and results
Public and third-party data, where applicable
The result is a score from 0 to 100. But it's not just the number that matters - it's what comes with it.
What do the EcoVadis badges mean?
To help companies benchmark and communicate their performance, EcoVadis awards medals and badges based on score thresholds:
Platinum: Top 1% (score of 75 or higher)
Gold: Top 5% (score of 70-74)
Silver: Top 15% (score of 59-69)
Bronze: Top 35% (score of 50-58)
These medals are valid for 12 months and are a tangible way to showcase sustainability leadership.
EcoVadis also introduced a "Committed" badge for organisations that complete the assessment process but do not yet meet the minimum criteria for a medal. It's a recognition of effort and a signal that the company is on the path to improvement.
Why does the EcoVadis badge system matter?
Badges and medals help simplify sustainability for stakeholders. For procurement teams, they offer a quick way to screen suppliers. For investors, they provide a snapshot of risk and performance. And for customers, they build trust and brand value.
For businesses aiming to improve, the scorecard also includes insights and suggestions for each theme, helping to focus your next steps.
How can a company become EcoVadis certified?
If you're considering an EcoVadis assessment or want to improve your current score, we can help you prepare, gather evidence, and respond effectively. Our sustainability consultants bring clarity to the process and ensure you get the most out of your results.
Whether you're aiming for your first Bronze or trying to hold onto Platinum, transformacy will help you embed sustainability into your operations in a way that’s credible and measurable.