We won our first EcoVadis medal at Six Continents in 2022. But why has this CSR certification become important?
EcoVadis certification has become essential in a world where companies care about their societal and environmental responsibility. But what is EcoVadis certification and what exactly is it for? In this article, we’ll introduce you to the fundamental principles of this approach, as well as the benefits it offers to companies that adopt it. You’ll discover how this certification makes it possible to assess and improve Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance while meeting the growing expectations of customers, partners and investors regarding sustainable development.
Understanding EcoVadis certification: definition and objectives
EcoVadis certification is an assessment of how companies perform on sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. Its goal is to help organisations improve their environmental, social and ethical impact by assigning an overall score based on a set of specific criteria.
Definition
Its goal is to help organisations improve their environmental, social and ethical impact by assigning an overall score based on a set of specific criteria. La certification EcoVadis se base sur 21 indicateurs regroupés en quatre grands thèmes :
Environment: managing natural resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preventing pollution.
Social: working conditions, health and safety at work, respect for human rights.
Responsible procurement: integrating sustainability in the supply chain.
Achats responsables : intégration du développement durable dans la chaîne d’approvisionnement.
These indicators are weighted using their relative importance for each business sector.
Objectives
EcoVadis certification has several objectives:
Continuous improvement: to encourage companies to move their approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) forward by regular monitoring and benchmarking with their peers.
Transparency: to provide customers and business partners with a clear view of a company’s degree of commitment to CSR, so they can take informed decisions when choosing with whom to work or invest.
Collaboration: promote dialogue between companies and their stakeholders on sustainable development issues, facilitating the communication of results and implementation of practical actions.
Risk reduction: help companies identify and manage sustainability risks in their supply chain.
In summary, EcoVadis certification is a valuable tool for assessing and improving companies’ CSR performance. It enables customers, business partners and investors to ensure that the company takes its environmental, social and ethical responsibilities seriously. Elle permet de garantir aux clients, partenaires commerciaux et investisseurs que l’entreprise prend ses responsabilités environnementales, sociales et éthiques au sérieux.
Assessment criteria for EcoVadis certification
EcoVadis certification assesses a company’s environmental, social and ethical performance. It aims to promote responsible and sustainable practices in the global supply chain. To determine a company’s performance level, EcoVadis uses a precise set of assessment criteria split into four main themes. Elle vise à promouvoir les pratiques responsables et durables dans la chaîne d’approvisionnement mondiale. Afin de déterminer le niveau de performance d’une entreprise, EcoVadis utilise un ensemble précis de critères d’évaluation répartis en quatre thèmes principaux.
Environnement
Environmental assessment considers several factors such as managing natural resources, preventing pollution and using materials sustainably. Companies are assessed on their ability to minimise their environmental impact throughout the life cycle of the product or service they provide. Les entreprises sont évaluées sur leur capacité à minimiser leur impact sur l’environnement tout au long du cycle de vie du produit ou du service qu’elles fournissent.
Social
The social component encompasses aspects related to human rights and working conditions within the company as well as in its supply chain. The criteria include compliance with local and international labour laws (pay, hours, health and safety), as well as internal policies to ensure fair treatment for all employees.
Éthics
Ethical practices are also taken into account during the EcoVadis assessment. This includes, among other things, combating corruption in all its forms (bribery, extortion), complying with trade regulations (fair competition) and protecting sensitive data belonging to the company or its partners. Cela inclut entre autres la lutte contre la corruption sous toutes ses formes (pot-de-vin, extorsion), le respect des régulations commerciales (concurrence loyale) et la protection des données sensibles appartenant à l’entreprise ou à ses partenaires.
Responsible Supply Chain
Finally, particular attention is paid to relationships with suppliers and subcontractors. Companies are assessed on their ability to select partners sharing the same values in terms of sustainable development, as well as to implement control mechanisms to ensure these commitments are met throughout the supply chain. Les entreprises sont évaluées sur leur capacité à sélectionner des partenaires partageant les mêmes valeurs en matière de développement durable, ainsi qu’à mettre en place des mécanismes de contrôle pour s’assurer du respect de ces engagements tout au long de la chaîne d’approvisionnement.
EcoVadis certification is based on a rigorous procedure to establish an overall score reflecting the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) performance of the company assessed. This certification is now recognised by a large number of organisations and is a major asset for companies wishing to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development. Cette certification est aujourd’hui reconnue par un grand nombre d’organisations et constitue un atout majeur pour les entreprises souhaitant afficher leur engagement en faveur du développement durable.
The EcoVadis certification process
EcoVadis certification is a rigorous and methodical assessment process enabling companies to measure their performance in terms of social and environmental responsibility. This certification is awarded by EcoVadis, an independent organisation recognised worldwide for its expertise in the field of CSR. Here are the key steps of the process to obtain EcoVadis certification.
Step 1: Registration and submission of information
First, the applicant company has to register on the EcoVadis online platform. Once registered, they must complete a detailed questionnaire with several sections related to their environmental, social, ethical and responsible procurement practices.
Step 2: Examination of documentation
After submitting the completed questionnaire as well as the requested supporting documents (CSR reports, existing certifications, etc.), the EcoVadis team conducts an in-depth documentary analysis. This step aims to verify the relevance of the information provided by the applicant company and its compliance with the criteria defined by EcoVadis.
Step 3: Scoring
Based on the information collected during the first two steps, EcoVadis assigns an overall score out of 100 points to each company assessed. The scoring covers four key areas:
- Environnement
- Social
- Éthics
- Supply Chain
Each area is assigned a specific score, which then contributes to the overall score.
Step 4: Assessment Report
Once scoring is completed, EcoVadis issues a detailed assessment report for each company. This report contains information on the company’s strengths and weaknesses in each of the key areas, as well as recommendations to improve its CSR performance.
Step 5: Certification
Depending on the score obtained, the company may be awarded an EcoVadis medal (bronze, silver or gold) and thus appear on the list of the best-performing companies in terms of CSR. Companies that have obtained EcoVadis certification can then use this accreditation to promote their responsible commitment to their customers, partners and investors.
As a result, obtaining EcoVadis certification is a rigorous process that enables companies to measure and improve their performance on social and environmental responsibility. This certification is a guarantee of quality and transparency sought by stakeholders concerned about sustainable development.
The benefits and impact of EcoVadis certification on companies
EcoVadis certification is an independent assessment that measures performance on corporate social and environmental responsibility. Obtaining this certification has several benefits for organisations, as well as a positive impact on their image and activities. Here are a few of the main benefits of EcoVadis certification.
Benefits for businesses
Enhanced reputation: EcoVadis certification enables companies to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development and display a globally recognised accreditation, thus boosting their credibility with customers, partners and investors.
Access to new markets: More and more companies are requiring their suppliers to be EcoVadis certified as part of their responsible purchasing policies. Obtaining this certification can therefore open the door to new business opportunities.
Reduced risk: The assessment process helps companies identify potential environmental, human rights or work ethics issues within their operations and supply chains. This therefore contributes to minimising the associated legal, financial and reputational risks.
Optimised costs: Good practices implemented to obtain certification can also lead to better resource management (raw materials, energy) and reduced waste, thus generating significant long-term savings.
Impact on businesses
Employee engagement: EcoVadis certification can foster a sense of pride and belonging within the company, encouraging employees to adopt responsible behaviours and to become more involved in the approach to CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).
Innovation: The environmental and social requirements of certification can stimulate innovation by pushing companies to develop new, more sustainable products, services or processes.
Attractiveness for investors: EcoVadis certification is often used as a criterion by investors wishing to incorporate ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) aspects in their investment strategy. A certified company can thus attract more investors focused on a responsible portfolio.
In fact, EcoVadis certification offers multiple benefits to companies that are committed to it. It not only strengthens their image with customers and partners, but also generates a real internal dynamic around sustainable development.
At Six Continents, we began the certification process in 2022 and have gained our first medal. We intend to improve our score every year, especially through social actions.
