EU ETS: what you need to know about the EU carbon market
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In this article, we'll explore the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), a European initiative for reducing greenhouse gases through a cap-and-trade scheme.
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How Greenly Helps Your Company Get an EcoVadis Label
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By Stephanie Safdie, US Copywriter, on 02/10/2022
Updated by Kara Anderson, on 19/05/2026
Companies are facing growing pressure from customers, investors, and procurement teams to demonstrate credible sustainability and ESG performance. As a result, many organisations are turning to sustainability frameworks, certifications, and assessment platforms to measure and communicate their environmental and social impact.
One of the most widely used sustainability assessment platforms is EcoVadis, which evaluates companies across key areas such as environmental impact, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. EcoVadis assessments are commonly used within global supply chains to support supplier evaluation, risk management, and ESG transparency efforts.
What is EcoVadis, why does it matter, and how can Greenly help companies prepare for an EcoVadis assessment?
In this article, we’ll cover:
What EcoVadis is and how the assessment works
Why EcoVadis matters for businesses and supply chains
Common challenges companies face during EcoVadis preparation
How Greenly can support EcoVadis reporting and readiness
Best practices to improve your EcoVadis score
What Is EcoVadis?
EcoVadis is a globally recognised sustainability ratings platform that assesses companies on the quality of their environmental, social, and ethical performance. Businesses across a wide range of industries use EcoVadis to evaluate suppliers, strengthen procurement decisions, and improve transparency throughout their supply chains.
The EcoVadis assessment framework is based on international sustainability standards, including:
Global principles
United Nations Global Compact
A voluntary framework helping companies align with responsible business principles.
Reporting standard
Global Reporting Initiative
A widely used framework for sustainability and impact reporting.
Guidance
ISO 26000
International guidance on social responsibility and sustainable business conduct.
Human rights
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
A reference framework for respecting human rights across business operations.
Companies are assessed across four key themes:
Environment
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Environment
This category evaluates how organisations manage environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, waste management, biodiversity, and climate-related commitments.
Labour & Human Rights
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Labour & Human Rights
EcoVadis assesses workplace policies and practices related to employee wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, working conditions, health and safety, and human rights protections.
Ethics
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Ethics
This section focuses on business conduct, including anti-corruption measures, data privacy, compliance processes, and responsible governance practices.
Sustainable Procurement
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Sustainable Procurement
Companies are evaluated on how they assess and manage sustainability risks within their supplier networks and procurement activities.
EcoVadis uses a scorecard system to benchmark sustainability performance and provide companies with actionable recommendations for improvement. Depending on a company’s overall score and percentile ranking, organisations may also receive EcoVadis recognition medals such as Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.
For many businesses, EcoVadis has become increasingly important due to growing ESG disclosure requirements, supply chain due diligence expectations, and procurement standards from enterprise customers.
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Why does EcoVadis matter for businesses?
As sustainability expectations continue to expand across global supply chains, EcoVadis has become an increasingly important benchmark for companies seeking to demonstrate credible ESG performance. Many large organisations now use EcoVadis ratings as part of their supplier onboarding, procurement, and risk management processes.
For businesses operating in enterprise supply chains, a strong EcoVadis score can help:
Strengthen credibility with customers and stakeholders
Improve eligibility for procurement opportunities and RFPs
Support ESG disclosure and reporting efforts
Identify operational and supply chain risks
Benchmark sustainability performance against industry peers
In some sectors, suppliers may even be required to complete an EcoVadis assessment before entering or renewing commercial partnerships. As a result, companies are increasingly expected to provide structured evidence of sustainability initiatives, emissions reduction strategies, labour policies, and ethical business practices.
EcoVadis is also becoming more relevant as sustainability regulations evolve globally. Frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in Europe and broader supply chain due diligence requirements are increasing pressure on organisations to improve transparency and accountability across their operations and supplier networks.
Common challenges you might face when preparing for EcoVadis
Preparing for an EcoVadis assessment can be challenging, particularly for companies managing sustainability data across multiple teams, suppliers, or locations.
One of the biggest obstacles is collecting and organising the documentation required to support sustainability claims. Businesses are often expected to provide evidence related to environmental performance, labour policies, ethics practices, and sustainable procurement initiatives.
Many organisations also struggle with:
Measuring Scope 1, 2, and especially Scope 3 emissions
Gathering reliable supplier sustainability data
Coordinating ESG reporting across departments
Keeping up with evolving sustainability regulations and reporting standards
Because of these challenges, many companies choose to use carbon accounting or ESG reporting platforms, like Greenly's, to streamline data collection, improve reporting accuracy, and simplify EcoVadis preparation.
How Greenly supports EcoVadis readiness
Preparing for an EcoVadis assessment often requires companies to centralise sustainability data, measure emissions accurately, and organise supporting documentation across multiple business functions.
Greenly helps companies streamline this process through carbon accounting, automated data collection, and sustainability reporting support. The platform is designed to help organisations prepare the environmental data and documentation commonly requested during EcoVadis assessments.
Greenly supports companies by helping them:
Measure Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions
Gain visibility into direct and indirect emissions across business operations and supply chains.
Automate parts of the data collection process
Reduce manual reporting workloads by streamlining emissions and sustainability data gathering.
Centralise sustainability and reporting data
Organise key ESG information in one place to simplify reporting and assessment preparation.
Track supplier-related emissions activity
Improve oversight of supplier emissions and support sustainable procurement initiatives.
Generate reporting outputs for sustainability assessments
Prepare structured sustainability reports and documentation to support EcoVadis submissions.
How can you improve your EcoVadis assessment readiness?
Improving EcoVadis readiness often requires companies to take a structured and consistent approach to sustainability reporting, emissions tracking, and documentation management.
While every organisation’s assessment will differ depending on its size, industry, and operations, several best practices can help simplify the preparation process and strengthen reporting outcomes.
1
Organise Sustainability Documentation Early
EcoVadis assessments require supporting evidence across environmental, ethical, labour, and procurement categories. Keeping policies, reports, certifications, and sustainability records organised can help streamline the submission process.
2
Improve Visibility Into Emissions Data
Having accurate Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions data can help companies better understand their environmental impact and support sustainability reporting efforts. Centralised carbon accounting tools can also reduce manual data collection and improve reporting consistency.
3
Strengthen Supplier Engagement
Because sustainable procurement forms part of the EcoVadis assessment, companies may benefit from improving communication and visibility across their supplier networks. This can include tracking supplier-related emissions activity and encouraging suppliers to share sustainability data.
4
Maintain Ongoing Reporting Processes
EcoVadis assessments are designed to evaluate continuous improvement over time. Maintaining regular sustainability reporting processes and tracking environmental initiatives throughout the year can make future assessments easier to manage.
5
Involve Multiple Teams
Preparing for an EcoVadis assessment often involves collaboration across sustainability, procurement, HR, legal, operations, and leadership teams. Establishing clear internal responsibilities can help improve reporting efficiency and documentation accuracy.
By taking a proactive approach to emissions tracking and sustainability reporting, companies can simplify EcoVadis preparation and build stronger long-term ESG reporting practices.
EcoVadis FAQs
What score is considered good on EcoVadis?
EcoVadis scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating stronger sustainability performance. Many companies aim to achieve Silver, Gold, or Platinum recognition, although score expectations can vary depending on industry, company size, and customer procurement requirements.
How long does an EcoVadis assessment take?
The EcoVadis assessment process can take several weeks depending on the complexity of the organisation, the availability of supporting documentation, and the responsiveness of internal teams and suppliers. Preparing documentation in advance can help reduce delays.
How long is an EcoVadis score valid?
EcoVadis scorecards are generally valid for 12 months from the date of issue. Companies are encouraged to continuously improve their sustainability practices and update documentation ahead of reassessment.
Is EcoVadis a certification?
EcoVadis is not a traditional certification body. Instead, it is a sustainability ratings platform that evaluates companies across environmental, social, and ethical criteria and provides a scorecard based on performance.
What documents are required for an EcoVadis assessment?
EcoVadis assessments typically require supporting documentation such as sustainability policies, emissions reports, supplier codes of conduct, ethics policies, certifications, training records, and evidence of sustainability initiatives or reporting processes.
Does EcoVadis assess Scope 3 emissions?
EcoVadis may consider how companies measure, manage, and report Scope 3 emissions as part of its environmental assessment criteria, particularly for organisations with significant supply chain impacts.
Why do customers request EcoVadis assessments?
Many organisations use EcoVadis as part of their supplier evaluation and procurement processes. A strong EcoVadis rating can help businesses demonstrate ESG performance, improve supply chain transparency, and meet customer sustainability expectations.
Can small and medium-sized businesses complete an EcoVadis assessment?
Yes. EcoVadis assessments are used by companies of various sizes and industries. The assessment scope and expectations may vary depending on the size, sector, and operational complexity of the organisation.
How can companies improve their EcoVadis score?
Companies can improve their EcoVadis performance by strengthening sustainability policies, improving emissions tracking, increasing supplier engagement, maintaining consistent reporting practices, and providing clear supporting documentation during the assessment process.
Does Greenly provide EcoVadis certification?
Greenly does not issue EcoVadis certifications or ratings. However, Greenly provides carbon accounting and sustainability reporting support designed to help companies prepare for EcoVadis assessments and improve emissions visibility.
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What About Greenly?
Unmatched Data Accuracy — Your foundation for confident climate action
We deliver the most precise & auditable carbon assessment so your GHG data is bullet-proof from ingestion to reporting.
📊 Scope 1, 2 & 3 analysis using activity-based & spend-based data
🗂️ Dynamic database of 350k+ Emission Factors (sector- & location-specific)
🤖 Automated EF matching via an evolving algorithm
🧠 AI-powered data categorisation covering over 100+ languages
🔎 Granular analytics (BU, scope-specific, corporate, division, facility…)
📄 4000+ GHG reports delivered (for 3000+ clients)
🛡️ Built-in data quality controls with automated ingestion & validation
🧾 Internal visibility & ready-to-export audit trails
🌍 Aligned with global standards (GHG Protocol, ADEME, Bilan Carbone, SBTi, etc.)
Gain Expertise & Lead Your Decarbonisation In-house
Empower your team to become autonomous climate experts with workshops, in-app training and granular insights to manage projects confidently.
🗺️ Roadmap workshops: targets & action pathways
🎓 In-app training & stakeholder buy-in incl. supplier onboarding
📚 Full climate e-learning library with employee challenges
🧩 Project & task manager tailored to your company (owners, budgets, timelines)
🤝 Scope 3 supplier portal with automated reminders & autonomous workflows (GHG assessment, LCA, etc.)
Personalised & Actionable Decarbonisation
We turn your data into an action plan with impact & financial analysis so you can prioritise the most effective and feasible levers.
📚 Action Plan Library: 200+ quantified actions (reduction potential & steps)
📈 Decarbonisation Trajectory Builder: real-time simulation, scenarios & industry benchmarking
🎯 Personalised suggestions linked to targets (corporate/division/site)
🔗 Supplier integration: modelled supplier trajectories & contribution to targets
✅ End-to-end SBTi module (from commitment letter to expert review)
Save Time & Focus on Action, Not Admin
We streamline your entire carbon workflow to cut admin burden and give you real-time visibility on progress.
🔗 100+ API integrations (ERP, accounting, logistics, cloud, HR…)
🤖 AI-powered data harmonisation (ETL)
🧾 1-click, audit-grade exports (CSRD, SEC, GHG Protocol, etc.)
📆 Annual footprint tracking & automatic EF updates
🎯 Yearly target recalibration
📊 Live dashboards & monthly progress reporting (Gantt-style monitoring)
🌱 Offset portfolio via Patch (vetted projects)
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