Doing all the right things sustainability-wise does not automatically equal EcoVadis success.
Why do we make this statement so confidently? Because we know from experience that no matter how much effort you put into your sustainability initiatives, policies, and KPIs, these initiatives can fall short on the EcoVadis scorecard without proper insight into how analysts actually assess them.
That’s why we focused our recent webinar, ‘How to think like an EcoVadis analyst’, on revealing the inner workings of the assessment process. Led by certified EcoVadis consultant and Dazzle freelancer, Elisa Gómez González, the session explored what analysts look for, how materiality drives scoring, and which documentation practices make the biggest difference.
In this blog, we’ve distilled the most important findings from what was the fourth edition of our Making Sustainability Work webinar series, into clear, actionable takeaways. We hope they help you approach your next EcoVadis assessment with clarity, and confidence.
1. EcoVadis materiality ≠ your materiality (yet)
Many companies get tripped up by the difference between their own materiality assessment and that of EcoVadis. As Elisa explained, EcoVadis activates criteria based on sector, company size, and country risk, and these activated topics directly shape your score.
This means you may need to report on areas that your CSRD double materiality assessment views as low priority. In those cases, still upload the evidence and, if helpful, note the difference in the comments.
EcoVadis does plan to align more closely with CSRD in the future, but this is not yet reflected in the current methodology.
Key takeaways:
- If EcoVadis activates a topic, you must address it, even if CSRD doesn’t flag it as material.
- Explain the discrepancy briefly if needed, but always provide evidence.
2. Understanding activated criteria is step 1 of any good strategy
Knowing which criteria are “activated” in your EcoVadis profile is the first step to an effective strategy. Before starting the questionnaire, companies should log into their portal, navigate to Performance → Sector Risk Profile, and check which topics are marked low, medium, or high priority.
Understanding your activated topics will help you focus on scoring areas, avoid wasting effort on non-scored topics, and make sense of why different companies may receive different questionnaires or scorecards.
Key takeaways:
- Your EcoVadis questionnaire is not one-size-fits-all. Start with your risk profile, as it determines everything.
- Concentrate evidence and efforts on activated topics to maximize scoring efficiency.
3. Policies matter more than most companies realize
Policies account for around 20% of your score, yet many companies struggle with them. During the webinar, Elisa highlighted that a valid EcoVadis-ready policy must include a logo and date, clear commitments, quantitative targets, governance, responsibilities, scope, review mechanisms, and alignment with activated criteria.
Timing is also worth noting. Although new rules introduced in 2025 have removed any formal minimum timeframe, it’s still best practice to have new policies established at least a month before submission. Also, revised policies are valid if the creation date is old and revision date is new, and policies remain valid for up to eight years.
Key takeaways:
- Well-structured, clearly written policies can unlock points quickly.
- Align policies with activated criteria and keep them up to date to maintain long-term validity.
4. “Document quality” is now a major scoring factor thanks to AI
EcoVadis now uses AI as the first reviewer, which makes document formatting, wording, and evidence presentation critical. Documents lacking logos, dates, or proper KPI names can be rejected automatically, and analysts only review grey areas after the AI scan. It’s also crucial to remember that evidence must be in the document itself, not just the comments box.
Key takeaways:
- Ensure your documents literally match what EcoVadis is scanning for.
- Remember that information included only in the comments box won’t earn points, because EcoVadis does not consider comments as part of the scored evidence.
5. KPIs and reporting: three years of data required
Results (reporting & 360º) account for 35% of your score, but points are only awarded if you provide exactly what EcoVadis requests. And that means the correct KPI names, three consecutive years of data, materiality analysis, alignment with external reporting initiatives, your scope aligned with policies and actions, and external publication where possible. For 2026 submissions, the earliest acceptable year for data is 2024, as 2023 data will be rejected.
Key takeaways:
- Match KPIs exactly to EcoVadis naming and reporting requirements.
- Provide three years of consistent data aligned with your policy commitments.
6. Certificates and management measures carry significant scoring weight
Certain certifications carry significant weight in EcoVadis scoring, including ISO 14001 (Environment), ISO 45001 (Labour & Human Rights), ISO 27001 (Ethics/IT compliance), ISO 9001 (Quality), and ISO 20400 (Sustainable Procurement). They show that key processes are formalized and independently verified.
But certification isn’t the only way you can score well. Companies can still earn points by documenting strong procedures, demonstrating consistent application, and providing clear evidence of coverage.
Key takeaways:
- Certifications help significantly, but strong internal processes with documented evidence can also achieve points.
- Focus on coverage and consistency across all activated criteria.
7. The most common score losses are preventable
From both the polls we ran during the webinar, and Elisa’s experience with clients, it became clear that the biggest reasons companies lose points are missing or invalid policies, poor document structure, inconsistent wording, only one year of reporting, not uploading evidence to tick-boxes, and ignoring activated criteria. We think it goes without saying, that these score losses are almost entirely avoidable with careful planning and attention to detail.
Key takeaway:
- Most common score losses are preventable. Focus on thorough, well-structured documentation and follow activated criteria closely.
8. Best practices shared by Elisa
To wrap up the webinar, Elisa offered five practical best practices for sustainable success with EcoVadis. So we guess your 8th key finding is actually 5 expert key findings. Enjoy!:
- Start with your activated criteria, it drives everything.
- Keep documentation simple and structured: 4-5 master documents updated annually.
- Make sure your policies, actions, and the results you report are aligned and consistent. Misalignment quickly costs points.
- Coordinate early with internal departments, especially HR, H&S, Procurement, and IT.
- Double-check everything before submitting, ideally with a second pair of eyes.
Conclusion: EcoVadis success is about systems, not stress
Overall, we would say this webinar made one thing clear: EcoVadis rewards companies that are structured, consistent, and documentation-driven.
And with this in mind, when you start understanding things from the analyst’s perspective, and you build a repeatable system around policies, KPIs, evidence, and governance, the assessment can actually become far more predictable.
Need help predicting? Contact us today, and within 48 hours, we can put you in contact with Elisa, or one of our other certified EcoVadis consultants.
That way, you can be sure you’re aligned with best practices from start to finish.
