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Improve Your EcoVadis Sustainable Procurement Score

Updated: July 12, 2026

 

A low Sustainable Procurement score usually means EcoVadis did not see enough evidence that supplier sustainability is managed systematically. A supplier code is useful, but it is only one part of the picture.

EcoVadis also looks for how supplier expectations are built into purchasing decisions, contracts, screening, supplier assessments, audits, corrective actions, coverage and reporting. This page explains how to diagnose the theme and prepare stronger evidence for your next assessment.

Quick answer: how to improve your EcoVadis Sustainable Procurement score

  • Use Policies, Actions and Results as the structure for your improvement plan.
  • Start with supplier expectations, such as a Supplier Code of Conduct or Sustainable Procurement Policy.
  • Show how those expectations are applied through supplier screening, contract clauses, questionnaires, audits, corrective actions or supplier engagement.
  • Track results with supplier sustainability KPIs, such as supplier coverage, suppliers screened, supplier audits and corrective action closure.
  • Make sure the evidence applies to the assessed scope, is current, and clearly supports the questionnaire answers you select.

Are you in the right place?

1. What the Sustainable Procurement Theme Covers

The EcoVadis Sustainable Procurement theme looks at how your company manages sustainability in its supplier base. It is not only about whether you have a supplier document. It is about whether supplier sustainability is part of the way procurement works.

In practice, the theme can include evidence around:

  • supplier sustainability expectations
  • supplier code of conduct or supplier charter
  • sustainable procurement policy
  • supplier onboarding and screening
  • sustainability clauses in contracts or purchasing terms
  • supplier sustainability questionnaires or assessments
  • supplier audits and follow-up
  • supplier corrective action tracking
  • supplier engagement, training or communication
  • supplier KPIs and coverage reporting

The practical question

Can you show that supplier sustainability expectations are defined, applied, followed up and tracked across the assessed supplier base?

That question is useful because it pushes you beyond document collection. A Supplier Code of Conduct can support the theme, but only if it connects to real procurement activity.

2. Why Companies Lose Points in Sustainable Procurement

Many teams lose points in this theme because the supplier evidence is incomplete. The company may have good intentions, but the documents do not prove a managed supplier sustainability process.

Common gap Why it weakens the evidence
Supplier code exists, but no rollout evidence EcoVadis may not see whether suppliers received, accepted or signed the expectations.
Policy is generic A broad statement does not prove how procurement decisions, supplier risk or follow-up are managed.
Supplier screening is informal If buyers use judgement but keep no records, the action is difficult to prove.
Audits do not cover sustainability topics Quality or delivery audits may not support Sustainable Procurement unless they include relevant environmental, labour, human rights or ethics topics.
No supplier KPIs Without reporting, it is hard to show coverage, progress or whether supplier actions are tracked.
Evidence is out of scope A group-level supplier programme may be weak evidence if it does not clearly apply to the assessed entity or site.

A useful first diagnosis is to ask whether the gap is about policy, action, coverage, results or evidence quality. The answer tells you what to fix.

3. Policies: Supplier Expectations and Procurement Governance

Policy evidence sets the foundation. It shows what your company expects from suppliers and how procurement is supposed to manage sustainability issues.

Three document types are often confused:

Document Main purpose What to show
Supplier Code of Conduct Sets supplier-facing expectations. Environmental, labour, human rights, ethics and responsible sourcing expectations, plus acknowledgement or sign-off process where relevant.
Sustainable Procurement Policy Explains how your company manages sustainability in purchasing decisions. Scope, procurement responsibilities, supplier selection, supplier evaluation, risk screening, engagement and escalation.
Contract Clauses or Purchase Terms Shows how expectations enter supplier agreements. Clauses on legal compliance, labour standards, health and safety, environment, anti-corruption, audits, information requests and corrective actions.

Policy evidence rule of thumb

A credible supplier policy does not only say "we expect suppliers to be sustainable." It explains who is responsible, which suppliers are covered, how expectations are communicated, and how problems are followed up.

For a broader policy foundation, read Essential EcoVadis Policies. That page explains how policy evidence fits into the wider EcoVadis management-system logic.

Need supplier policy foundations?

The EcoVadis Starter Kit includes practical policy templates and guidance you can adapt to your own scope, responsibilities and evidence base. Use templates as a starting point, then customise them to your company.

Review the EcoVadis Starter Kit

4. Actions: Screening, Clauses, Audits and Follow-Up

Actions show how supplier expectations are used in practice. This is where Sustainable Procurement often becomes weak. A policy says what should happen. Action evidence shows what actually happens.

Useful Sustainable Procurement action evidence can include:

  • supplier onboarding checklist with sustainability questions
  • supplier ESG risk assessment procedure
  • supplier sustainability questionnaire
  • supplier segmentation or risk classification
  • contract clause template or standard purchasing terms
  • supplier audit report with sustainability topics
  • supplier corrective action tracker
  • supplier engagement or training records
  • procurement team training on sustainability requirements
  • supplier review meeting records

Strong action evidence is specific. It shows the process, the responsible function, the supplier group covered and the output that was created.

Good action evidence is boring in the right way

A simple supplier screening procedure, a dated supplier questionnaire and a tracker showing follow-up can be more useful than a polished statement that does not show implementation.

5. Results: Supplier KPIs, Coverage and Reporting

Results evidence shows whether your supplier sustainability system is tracked. This does not need to be perfect, but it should be measurable enough to prove progress or coverage.

Supplier sustainability KPIs can include:

  • percentage of suppliers screened on sustainability
  • percentage of spend covered by the Supplier Code of Conduct
  • percentage of tier-1 suppliers that accepted supplier expectations
  • percentage of high-risk suppliers assessed
  • number of supplier sustainability audits completed
  • number of supplier corrective actions opened and closed
  • corrective action closure rate
  • number of suppliers engaged or trained on sustainability topics
  • procurement team training completion rate

Coverage matters because one supplier example may not prove a management system. A stronger submission shows how much of the supplier base or spend is covered by the process.

Simple KPI example

"72% of tier-1 supplier spend is covered by signed Supplier Code of Conduct acknowledgement. 18 high-risk suppliers were assessed in 2025. 11 corrective actions were opened and 8 were closed by year-end."

6. Sustainable Procurement Evidence Examples by Management Layer

The table below gives a practical way to organise your evidence before uploading documents or planning a reassessment.

Evidence layer What it should prove Example documents Weak version
Policy Supplier expectations, scope, responsibilities and procurement governance. Supplier Code of Conduct, Sustainable Procurement Policy, supplier clauses. A generic supplier statement with no owner, scope or rollout evidence.
Action How expectations are applied in supplier selection, evaluation and follow-up. Supplier screening process, supplier questionnaire, contract clause template, audit reports, CAP tracker. Informal buyer judgement with no records or follow-up trail.
Coverage How much of the supplier base, spend or high-risk supplier group is covered. Supplier segmentation, signed supplier list, spend coverage report, high-risk supplier register. One supplier example with no evidence of scale.
Results Whether supplier sustainability is measured and improved over time. Supplier KPI dashboard, audit results, corrective action closure rate, supplier engagement report. No supplier sustainability KPIs or only anecdotal progress.

Before uploading, test each document with one question: what exact answer does this prove? If the answer is unclear, the evidence may need context, a better file, or a different question match.

7. Relevant Standards and Frameworks for Sustainable Procurement

Standards and frameworks are useful on this page, but they should be used carefully. They are reference points for building a stronger supplier sustainability system. They are not a substitute for your own evidence.

The strongest use is to show how your supplier expectations, procurement process, supplier screening, audits, reporting or certifications connect to recognised practice.

Standard or framework Why it is relevant Evidence caution
ISO 20400 The most directly relevant reference for sustainable procurement. It gives guidance on integrating sustainability into procurement decisions and processes. ISO 20400 is guidance. It is not a certification standard. Use it to shape your policy, process and supplier evidence.
ISO 26000 Useful for social responsibility principles that can inform supplier expectations, responsible sourcing and stakeholder thinking. ISO 26000 is guidance. It can support the logic of your programme, but you still need company-specific documents and records.
UN Global Compact Ten Principles A helpful basis for supplier expectations across human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. If your company is a participant, keep evidence of the commitment and communication. If you use the principles in a supplier code, show how suppliers receive and accept them.
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct Useful for responsible business conduct, supplier due diligence and risk-based follow-up in global value chains. Use the guidelines to shape due diligence and supplier risk processes. Upload evidence of your process, records and follow-up, not the framework alone.
GRI Standards Useful when supplier sustainability is reported publicly through procurement, supplier assessment, human rights, labour, environment or supply chain disclosures. A sustainability report can support reporting evidence when it is current, relevant and includes supplier-related data.
SA8000 Relevant where labour conditions, worker rights and supplier social performance are material to your supply chain. A valid certification can be useful evidence when it applies to the assessed scope. Supplier certificates can support supplier screening or expectations, but they do not replace your procurement process evidence.
ISO 14001 Relevant when environmental management is part of supplier screening, supplier requirements or your own environmental management evidence. Do not rely on the standard name alone. Show the certificate, scope, validity and how environmental requirements are used in supplier management.
ISO 45001 Relevant where supplier health and safety risk matters, especially for contractors, labour providers or high-risk operational suppliers. Use it as part of supplier risk criteria or certification evidence where relevant. It should connect to your supplier selection, evaluation or monitoring process.

How to use these references in your EcoVadis evidence

Do not upload a standard or framework as proof by itself. Use it to improve your own documents, then upload evidence that shows your policy, supplier process, implementation records, coverage or KPIs.

8. What to Do If Sustainable Procurement Is Your Weakest Theme

If your EcoVadis scorecard shows Sustainable Procurement as the weakest theme, avoid starting with a long list of random supplier actions. Start with the reason the theme is weak.

Five-step diagnosis

  1. Read the theme score and improvement areas. Note whether the comments point to missing policy, weak action, low coverage, missing reporting or document quality.
  2. Map existing evidence. List supplier policies, codes, clauses, screening tools, audits, corrective actions and KPIs.
  3. Find the missing layer. Decide whether you have policy without action, action without reporting, or reporting without clear scope.
  4. Choose three evidence fixes. Focus on documents you can actually create, improve or formalise before the next assessment.
  5. Plan the next review point. Decide when procurement, sustainability, legal and operations will review progress together.

For wider improvement planning, read How to Improve Your EcoVadis Score. If you already have a scorecard and need help diagnosing what held the theme back, a Scorecard Review can help you turn the scorecard into a practical improvement plan.

Unsure whether your supplier evidence is strong enough?

If your assessment is underway, Submission Support can help you check whether your supplier evidence supports the questionnaire and work through priority gaps before submission.

Get Help Preparing Your Submission

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About the Author

Rutger founded Double Your Sustainability to help companies work through EcoVadis assessments with more clarity and less wasted effort. He draws on 15 years of corporate sustainability experience, direct lessons learned from achieving EcoVadis Platinum medals, and practical client work helping companies prepare submissions, review evidence and understand scorecards.

As a certified EcoVadis Solutions Practitioner with an MSc. in Strategic Sustainable Development, his focus is on turning sustainability work into clearer evidence, better decisions and scorecards you can interpret and act on.

Connect with Rutger on LinkedIn.