FAQ

For large multinationals, environmental and social risks associated with its supplies are critical issues. The complexity of regulations, as well as rapidly evolving Environmental and Social standards, makes CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) evaluations too demanding to handle internally. For this reason your clients use the EcoVadis CSR evaluation solution. In addition, choosing an evaluation solution pooled between you and your customers makes the process faster, cheaper, whilst at the same time helping to improve the reliability of information.

2. Why is my company assessed by EcoVadis?

• One or several of your clients have asked for the assessment: either because you are one of their most strategic suppliers, or because of the amount of contracts, or else because of the importance of the products or services you provide
• Are you a new supplier? Your client asks for an EcoVadis SP evaluation as a pre-requisite for signing a contract. Are you an existing supplier? Your client asks for an EcoVadis SP evaluation as part of the overall performance management review of your company.
• You may want to anticipate your clients’ needs, understand the position of your CSR practices and obtain a tool to communicate with all your customers and partners.

3. How will my company benefit from the EcoVadis SP evaluation?

Understand
•Obtain a clear picture of your CSR performance, with a scoring of four CSR themes (environment, social, ethics, suppliers), that highlight your strengths and possible areas for improvement
• Know your positioning compared to your competitors: on which theme are you more efficient than your competitors? How are you positioned in comparison to your sector average? Etc.
• Master your industry specific CSR practices: what are the main regulations specific to your activity sector?
Communicate
• Meet your clients’ needs: more and more of your clients raise questions about their suppliers’ environmental and social performance
• Use a unique communication tool: directly share the assessment results with all your clients online

4. Will the results of my evaluation be kept confidential?

• The questionnaire you fill out and the documents you provide will be kept strictly confidential and will not be shared or distributed. They will only be used as a support to conduct your CSR assessment, unless specifically authorized by yourself.
• No one will be able to access your information without your written authorization (as stated in the general Terms and Conditions of usage). If another one of your clients wishes to access your evaluation results, your authorization will be required before the information is shared.


5. How much does the EcoVadis SP evaluation cost?

The cost of the EcoVadis SP evaluation is shared between the Client and its suppliers. We deliberately set affordable prices that depend on the size of your business, so that cost is not an obstacle to the CSR evaluation. However, it is possible for companies unwilling to subscribe to our service to pay only for a contribution to assessment costs (if they simply want to meet the requirements of a single customer). In this case, the supplier will only get an access to a limited content, only available for internal use.

6. What technical resources do I need for the assessment?

No software installation is required: EcoVadis SP is a web-based solution, available via a secure platform. EcoVadis provides updates and technical support. All that you need is an internet connection.

7. What is the EcoVadis SP evaluation comprised of?

The evaluation is comprised of 4 steps:
• EcoVadis analyses your specific CSR issue so that you will receive a customized questionnaire, tailored to your industry sector, your size and your geographic implementation.
• You then answer to the online questionnaire directly on the platform (20 to 50 questions), and you will provide supporting documents if necessary.
• Our CSR experts analyze your answers and supporting documents and other evidence of your CSR policies. Criteria used in the EcoVadis evaluation is based on international standards such as the Global Reporting Index (GRI), ISO 26000 and the Global Compact principles.
• You can access, consult and share with your clients your CSR scorecard on-line.

8. How to use my evaluation results?

• Share your assessment results with your clients to promote your Sustainable Development involvement
• Use your scorecard details (strengths and weaknesses) to identify your priority actions and improve your performance by implementing corrective action plans

9. How will the EcoVadis SP Evaluation results be used by my clients?

The EcoVadis evaluation scorecard comprises an overall CSR rating along with a detailed description of strengths and weaknesses of each company’s practices. The EcoVadis evaluation is neither a label nor a certification, and each customer decides on the minimum performance level requirements for its suppliers. For suppliers with good environmental and social practices and a high score, the EcoVadis evaluation, due to its high standard, can be used as a tool to demonstrate the quality of your practices to your customers. In case you do not meet the minimum criteria required, your client might ask you to submit a corrective action plan.