6 key benefits of EcoVadis certification

1. Builds trust with stakeholders 

The truth is, these days, most people know about greenwashing, and trust in unsubstantiated green claims is seemingly at an all-time low.

What does this mean exactly? Quite simply, it means that it’s no longer enough to say you care about sustainability. Your customers, partners, clients, and investors need to be able to know that you do.

Preferably, they want to see your sustainability claims backed up by a third party they actually trust. And as few options are trusted more than EcoVadis, if you can achieve an impressive EcoVadis score, you can fill your stakeholders with confidence that you’re not just paying lip service to sustainability.

As skepticism around sustainability claims continues to grow, that kind of confidence and trust can go a long long way.

2. Enhances your brand reputation

Speaking of going a long long way; in the crowded, noisy marketplace nearly all companies operate in today, having a reputation for sustainable leadership can be an incredible asset.

And although the ability to display EcoVadis certification throughout your marketing efforts doesn’t guarantee that people will see you as a sustainability leader, it is certainly a huge help.

The credibility it brings will inevitably boost your image, and can be used as a foundation to build long-term brand value.

As far as reputations go, you can think of achieving an EcoVadis certification as the equivalent of attaching a massive green flag to your brand. In more ways than one! (Wink)

3. Opens up new business opportunities

For many companies, one of the biggest reasons they pursue EcoVadis certification is because it makes them far more attractive to potential buyers.

Due to intense regulatory pressure and stakeholder scrutiny, companies today are expected to not only improve their own sustainability performance, but also ensure high standards across their entire supply chain. This has led more and more large companies to demand that their suppliers provide credible proof of their sustainability efforts. In some cases, buyers can go as far as refusing to work with a supplier unless they’ve been assessed by a trusted third party like EcoVadis.

So, if you’re a supplier looking to boost your appeal and maximize your business opportunities, getting certified really is a no-brainer. 

4. Drives internal sustainability improvements

So far, we’ve only really mentioned how EcoVadis certification can help companies appeal to external stakeholders. But this is no empty certification! There is a reason why it’s so widely respected, and why stakeholders actually find it appealing.

The reason? Because going through the EcoVadis assessment process can help companies actually improve their sustainability performance. The assessment gives companies a clear snapshot of their current sustainability performance, and highlights specific strengths and areas for improvement. 

This opens up the opportunity to set focused goals, prioritize actions, and track/continue progress over time. (As the assessment can be repeated annually, it helps turn sustainability into a structured, ongoing journey, as opposed to just a one-off effort). 

If your company really is serious about improving from the inside out, that kind of guidance can be an absolute game-changer.

5. Helps meet regulatory and reporting requirements

Even for companies that aren’t so serious about improving, as new regulations and reporting requirements build up, they are going to have to whether they like it or not!

From the EUDR to the EU Taxonomy to the ESPR and beyond, regulations are getting stricter, and the range of business practices they encompass widens by the day. While companies are increasingly expected to provide detailed, transparent data on their sustainability efforts.

As you probably well know, the sheer breath and complexity of these regulations combined can all get a little bit confusing and overwhelming. But EcoVadis can offer you a serious helping hand here. 

The assessment is aligned with leading international standards and frameworks, so the insights it provides can feed directly into your sustainability reports and regulatory disclosures. And as we already mentioned, it can also help to identify any weak spots that could become compliance risks down the line. Giving you time to address them before they become a serious (and legal) issue.

6. Reduces questionnaire fatigue

Possibly one of the less obvious benefits of EcoVadis certification is, well, the blessing of time (and sanity). More specifically, the time saved from not having to fill in endless sustainability questionnaires from clients or partners. 

Maybe this is something you have already had to deal with before. As more businesses seek to manage their own value chain impacts, they are increasingly bombarding suppliers and partners with detailed sustainability-related questionnaires. And usually, each business has their own internal questionnaire with a slightly different set of questions. 

Now as fun as it does sound to spend hours and hours answering slightly different questionnaires from multiple partners, EcoVadis certification can offer a much more efficient alternative.

As because it is so widely recognized and trusted, many companies now accept an EcoVadis scorecard in place of their own internal questionnaires.

So instead of repeating yourself again and again (and again), you can just let your scorecard do the talking for you. 

But of course, this — and all the other benefits discussed above — is only possible if you achieve an impressive EcoVadis score. And to do that, you need to really know what you’re doing throughout the complex EcoVadis assessment process. A process that involves carefully gathering and presenting specific documentation, aligning with globally recognised sustainability standards, completing detailed questionnaires, and providing credible evidence across multiple key performance areas. (Among other things)

No doubt (probably with a lot of effort involved) you can figure this all out by yourself. But if you want to guarantee the best result possible with minimal stress, look no further than Dazzle.