You opened your EcoVadis scorecard expecting good numbers. Instead, you got a low score. Don’t panic. A bad EcoVadis rating doesn’t mean your work was useless. It usually means there’s a gap between doing good work and proving it to assessors. The good news? You can fix this. Let’s look at how to turn that low score into a better one.
Why your EcoVadis score might have missed the mark
Here’s something many companies miss: good sustainability work doesn’t always mean a good EcoVadis score. The assessment checks how well you’ve documented and shown proof of your work across four areas: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. If your documents are weak, even great work can go unnoticed.
Several common issues can drag down your score:
- Poor documentation: You may have excellent policies or programmes, but without official written records, audits, or training documentation, assessors have nothing to evaluate.
- Data gaps: The questionnaire requires specific numbers and concrete proof. Blank answers or vague responses automatically lower your score.
- Misalignment of evidence: Submitting general reports when assessors need specific policies on issues like conflict minerals or worker safety creates a disconnect that results in lost points.
- Weak sustainable procurement practices: Companies often score poorly here when they haven’t actively engaged suppliers on sustainability, even if their internal practices are strong.
- Lack of international standards alignment: The assessment uses frameworks like the UN Global Compact and GRI standards, requiring detailed evidence rather than simple answers.
These documentation gaps are the primary culprits behind disappointing scores. EcoVadis assessors can only score what they can see in your submission. Now let’s examine your scorecard to pinpoint exactly where you can improve.
How to analyse your EcoVadis scorecard and identify improvement opportunities
Your scorecard shows exactly where you gained and lost points. Look at each theme and sub-theme to spot patterns. Did you score well on Environment but poorly on Ethics? That shows where to focus.
Read the assessor comments carefully. These aren’t general feedback—they’re specific notes about gaps in your submission. Maybe they said your environmental policy exists but has no targets, or you gave training records but no proof of compliance monitoring. These comments tell you exactly what’s missing.
When you check your EcoVadis performance, sort opportunities into two groups:
- Quick wins: Writing down existing undocumented practices, gathering documents you already have but didn’t submit, and making vague policies clearer with specific language and measurable targets.
- Long-term improvements: Implementing new processes, developing comprehensive supplier engagement programmes, or building better data collection systems.
Link the feedback to your actual work processes. If you lost points on sustainable procurement, identify which teams need to collaborate—typically procurement, legal, quality, and sustainability. Understanding these organizational connections helps you build a realistic plan. With this analysis complete, you can now develop a concrete action plan.
Building an action plan to improve your next EcoVadis assessment
Now you know what went wrong. It’s time to build a plan for improvement:
- Strengthen policy documents: Write missing policies, formalize existing informal practices, and ensure each policy includes clear goals, measurable targets, and defined responsibilities.
- Improve data collection processes: Set up systematic tracking for metrics EcoVadis requires, such as energy use, training hours, supplier audit results, and complaint systems, with clear ownership assigned.
- Engage suppliers on sustainability: Develop a supplier assessment programme, request EcoVadis scores from key suppliers, and provide training to help them improve.
- Establish realistic timelines: Differentiate between quick actions like gathering existing documents and longer-term initiatives like implementing new supplier programmes or achieving targets under frameworks like SBTI or improving CDP reporting.
- Consider expert support strategically: Identify where specialists can accelerate progress, such as CSRD alignment experts for reporting standards or Scope 3 emissions consultants for supply chain improvements.
This approach ensures you’re building comprehensive sustainability infrastructure that will serve you beyond the next assessment. Prioritizing based on both impact and feasibility allows you to demonstrate steady progress while working toward ambitious goals.
Get expert support for your sustainability journey
Improving your EcoVadis rating doesn’t have to be done alone. The assessment is complex, and expert guidance can help you get better results faster.
At Dazzle, we connect organisations with checked sustainability freelancers who specialise in the exact areas you need. Whether you need full support for your next assessment or help with specific weak areas, we can match you with the right professional. Our network includes EcoVadis specialists, CSRD experts, sustainable procurement consultants, and more—all available to start within 48 hours.
Need someone for a short project to sort your documents? We can help. Looking for support to lead your entire sustainability programme? That works too. Our team picks matches based on your situation, ensuring you get the right expert for your challenge.
If you’re ready to turn that low score into a rating you can be proud of, reach out to our team. We’ll help you identify what support you need and connect you with someone who can make it happen.
