Frequent Challenges and Practical Remedies for Sustainable Leadership
EcoVadis has rapidly become one of the most influential sustainability ratings globally. With more than 49,000 companies assessed worldwide in 2024, and EcoVadis ratings now frequently embedded into supplier selection, tender requirements, and ESG governance frameworks, large organisations are under growing pressure to perform well and continuously improve.
Yet despite having more resources, large companies often face structural and organisational barriers that directly impact their EcoVadis performance. Fragmented data, global‑local misalignment, unclear ownership, and overly qualitative strategies remain recurring challenges across industries and regions.
This article explores the most frequent EcoVadis gaps observed in large companies and outlines practical, proven remedies to close them.
Why EcoVadis Matters for Large Organisations
Large companies rarely engage with EcoVadis purely on a voluntary basis. Their participation is typically driven by three interlinked factors:
- Supplier and tender requirements → EcoVadis ratings are increasingly mandatory to remain eligible for contracts with major customers.
- Sustainable procurement strategies → EcoVadis plays a central role in monitoring supplier ESG performance at scale.
- ESG and CSRD readiness → The platform supports structured data collection, documentation, and gap identification aligned with emerging ESG regulations.
EcoVadis also provides benchmarking across regions and company sizes. Interestingly, large companies do not consistently outperform small and medium‑sized companies globally, which is true especially outside of Europe (according to EcoVadis’s 2024 data study). This highlights that size alone does not guarantee maturity - governance, clarity, and execution matter far more.
The Organizational Reality of Large Companies and Its Impact on EcoVadis
Large organisations usually operate with:
- Global operations
- Decentralised teams
- Multiple reporting systems
- Corporate‑level policies designed to be “one‑size‑fits‑all”
While this structure supports scale, it often works against EcoVadis performance, which requires:
- Clear and traceable evidence
- Specific, time‑bound quantitative targets
- Localised data
- Clearly defined ownership of actions
The following sections outline the six most common EcoVadis gaps in large organisations, together with concrete actions to address them.
GAP 1: Numerous KPIs but No Clear Quantitative Targets
The Challenge
Large companies often report a wide range of KPIs. However, EcoVadis places strong emphasis on time‑bound, quantitative targets linked to material topics.
Common issues include:
- Targets stated only qualitatively (e.g. “we aim to reduce”, “we promote”)
- Targets that are not measurable or time‑bound
- Indicators not aligned with EcoVadis materiality expectations
This frequently results in lost points, especially in the Labour & Human Rights and Environmental pillars.
The Remedy
- Identify EcoVadis material topics specific to your industry and company size (the list of material topics relevant to your organisation is available in your EcoVadis account under My Performance and is based on your company’s size, sector and organisational structure).
- Define SMART targets (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time‑bound).
- Ensure that at least 50% of criteria have quantitative targets (percentage depends on topic and scoring weight), while all criteria should ideally include qualitative objectives.
Examples:
- Employee Health & Safety: Reduce work‑related accidents by 20% by 2030 compared to a 2020 baseline.
- Training: Increase average training hours per employee by 20% by 2030 compared to a 2025 baseline.
GAP 2: Lack of Data Alignment with EcoVadis Requirements
The Challenge
Large organisations typically collect ESG data for multiple purposes - financial reporting, internal dashboards, CSRD preparation, and investor disclosures. However, this data often does not align directly with EcoVadis criteria.
This can lead to:
- Missing evidence for material topics
- Rejection of submitted documentation
- Lower scores despite existing initiatives and strong ESG performance
The Remedy
- Map existing ESG data against EcoVadis questionnaire requirements.
- Identify gaps where data exists but is not captured in the required format.
- Adjust internal data collection templates to better reflect EcoVadis logic.
It is important to recognise that in large organisations, this alignment cannot always be achieved immediately. Implementing new data collection processes may take 1–2 years to approve, roll out, and embed across business units. Be realistic with expectations: meaningful score improvements take time unless major structural changes are implemented from the outset.
GAP 3: Group‑Level Reporting Without Localised Data
The Challenge
Many large companies rely almost exclusively on group‑level sustainability reports. While these are valuable, EcoVadis expects evidence of local implementation and local data reporting.
Typical red flags include:
- Global data reporting with no localisation or region‑specific content
- No evidence that policies or specific measures (e.g. Code of Ethics training or environmental initiatives) are implemented at the local level
This issue is particularly common in multinational organisations with regional headquarters.
The Remedy
Supplement group reports with local annexes covering:
- Regional data localisation
- Local processes
- Applicable regulations and risks
Localisation does not mean reinventing the strategy, it means demonstrating execution.
GAP 4: Insufficient Detail in Sustainable Procurement
The Challenge
Sustainable procurement is a high‑impact scoring area for large companies (although weighting may vary by sector). However, many submissions remain vague:
- High‑level commitments
- Limited or generic KPIs
- No evidence of supplier engagement outcomes
EcoVadis expects process maturity and measurable results, not just intent.
The Remedy
- Clearly describe your sustainable procurement strategy.
- Provide KPIs linked to quantitative objectives.
- Report supplier engagement outcomes (e.g. percentage of spend assessed, percentage of suppliers rated by EcoVadis).
Without results and supporting documentation, even well‑written strategies score poorly.
GAP 5: Limited Coverage of Environmental Material Topics
The Challenge
Environmental sections often lack depth, particularly when climate topics are addressed only generically:
- No climate risk assessment
- Missing invoices, audits, or reports
- Strong focus on one major environmental topic while only briefly addressing or ignoring others
The Remedy
- Identify environmental material topics specific to your company/industry (if unsure, consult the clickable sector link in the My Performance section of your EcoVadis account).
- Provide detailed documentation such as energy data, audits, and action plans, including clear measures and actions linked to your environmental goals.
- Demonstrate understanding of climate risks and mitigation measures.
EcoVadis rewards transparency and completeness, not perfection.
GAP 6: Missing Endorsements and Certifications
The Challenge
Large organisations sometimes underestimate the importance of external endorsements, such as:
- ISO certifications or other industry-specific certifications
- Industry standards
- International initiatives
These elements directly influence EcoVadis scoring.
The Remedy
- Consider relevant ISO certifications (e.g. ISO 14001, ISO 45001).
- Join initiatives such as the UN Global Compact.
- Clearly document certifications and memberships in your submission and link them to the relevant questionnaire questions.
These actions can deliver high impact. For organisations with more than 1,000 employees, coverage across the group is critical. Ideally, certifications should apply to all subsidiaries; otherwise, lower coverage may result in lost points.
Final Thoughts: Turning EcoVadis into a Strategic Advantage
For large companies, EcoVadis should not be treated as a compliance burden. When approached strategically, it becomes:
- A catalyst for internal collaboration
- A bridge between ESG strategy and execution
- A powerful tool for sustainable procurement and risk management
The companies that succeed are those that translate complexity into clarity.
And that’s exactly where we’re happy to help. We’re an accredited EcoVadis partner, and in recent years we’ve guided numerous companies through the entire process, leading to measurable improvements in their scores. We know where large organizations most often lose points, and we know how to change that.
If you want to know where you’re falling short in your assessment and what to do about it, get in touch with us. We’d be happy to take a look at your case.
And that’s exactly where we’re happy to help. We’re an accredited EcoVadis partner, and in recent years we’ve guided numerous companies through the entire process, leading to measurable improvements in their scores. We know where large organizations most often lose points, and we know how to change that.
If you want to know where you’re falling short in your assessment and what to do about it, get in touch with us. We’d be happy to take a look at your case.
