Assessing Corporate Sustainability: What is EcoVadis Certification?

Everyone is talking about sustainability. It is the new buzzword that has been getting more attention in recent years, especially for brands and businesses. What is EcoVadis certification? How does EcoVadis assessment provide an integrated sustainability rating service for organisations? Let’s take a closer look at this blog!

For businesses, sustainability rating is essential in assessing and improving their economic, environmental and social values and performance. Meanwhile, it gives consumers the opportunity to make informed choices about what types of products and services they want to buy.

EcoVadis

Founded in 2007, EcoVadis is one of the most comprehensive sustainability rating tools in the world, evaluating private and public companies according to their social, ethical and environmental impacts.

It operates as an evidence-based platform to ensure transparency across the supply chain, providing supplier sustainability ratings and allowing companies to assess their global suppliers through a paid assessment.

What is EcoVadis Certification?

Companies can earn their own EcoVadis certification through a rigorous process that involves assessing their environmental performance against an extensive set of best practices.

They can also request their suppliers to undergo the EcoVadis assessment by sending them an invitation, after which they will receive notifications on the process and results.

EcoVadis certification covers a broad range and has defined 21 CSR criteria built and continuously updated based on international sustainability standards. These criteria are grouped into four pillars:

Environment

Ethics and Human Rights

Ethics

Sustainable Procurement

The Importance of EcoVadis Rating

1. Boost sustainability performance.

Sustainable development is an emerging paradigm that has gained momentum in recent years.

It focuses on the sustainable use of natural resources, generation of renewable energy, conservation of biodiversity and improvement of human health.

By taking the EcoVadis assessment, companies and suppliers can show their clients how effective they are in meeting their needs and further improve their organization by learning and applying appropriate improvements and innovation.

2. Add value to products and services.

Implementing sustainability ratings will help businesses and manufacturers make better choices about the products and services they offer, which would ultimately lead to a positive impact not just on their company image but on our environment as well.

On top of that, a good sustainability rating adds value to products and services by providing consumers with information about their impact on the environment.

This can help them make informed decisions about their purchasing choices and the businesses they would like to support.

3. Industry benchmarking opportunities.

Companies can use sustainability ratings as a benchmark for their own operations, allowing them to identify opportunities for improvement or comparison with other businesses.

By benchmarking themselves against other companies in their niche market, they can see what kinds of changes are needed in order for them to stay competitive with their competitors. If possible, this can also encourage other companies in the same industry to adopt similar practices.

Consequently, this helps them to stay ahead of the competition and remain relevant in today’s world of commerce.

4. Retain customers and maintain brand integrity.

A sustainability rating ensures that the company is committed to sustainable business practices.

It also helps customers keep an eye on the environment and know how their purchases impact the environment.

Moreover, a high sustainability rating helps companies maintain brand integrity and build trust with consumers.

It can be a useful tool for developing a positive image as well as a key element in establishing a company’s position and value within its industry.

How to Get Certified?

Step 1: Registration

The first step in getting an EcoVadis certification is to register on the EcoVadis website.

You have to create a profile, state your business activity and provide your contact information.

This information is then used by EcoVadis to build a customised questionnaire for your business based on your industry sector, country of operations and organisation size.

Step 2: Questionnaire

You will receive an email containing your username, the instructions and the link to create a password to access the platform after completing the registration.

Upon entering the platform, you will land on the Dashboard page where you can check the progress you made, the latest news from EcoVadis and where you can start completing the questionnaire as well as uploading the necessary documents.

As mentioned, the questionnaire is tailored according to your organisation.

Step 3: Expert Analysis

After completing and submitting your questionnaire, an EcoVadis expert will start evaluating the answers and the documents you uploaded to check whether your answers are supported by the right documents and respect Ecovadis criteria.

The process takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks.

Step 4: Results

Once your answers have been analysed and the results are published, you will be notified via email.

Your answer will be distilled into a Scorecard which will show your:

1. Your overall score with the average industry score;

2. The scores across the four sustainability themes and average industry score per theme;

3. Each pillar’s weight (from 1 to 4).

Step 5: Recognition

Once you receive your score, you might also receive your EcoVadis medal.

You will be able to share the results on the EcoVadis website with other companies in your supply chain network.

EcoVadis’ sustainability scorecard is valid for 12 months after publication.

Once the 12 months have passed you will still be able to access your scorecard but will no longer be able to share the results. publicly.

A company can receive a bronze medal (45>), silver medal (56>), gold medal (67>), or platinum medal (75>).

The medal reports the year in which the assessment was completed and can be used on your company’s website and in communications.

Top 50% 47 – 55

Top 25% 56 – 66

Top 5% 67 – 74

Top 1% 75 – 100

The Role of ODM

Sustainability is our core value. As a company that values transparency in everything we do, the ODM Group has always been committed to using sustainable materials and processes as much as possible.

The ODM Group, together with its POS design agency, Mindsparkz, strives to be a trusted partner for businesses seeking consumer product design that is made sustainably and responsibly.

To learn more about our actions, we encourage you to look at our Sustainable Marketing page, which highlights a wide range of eco-friendly merchandise and materials to help power your business in an environmentally and socially responsible way.

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