In today’s highly competitive supply chain market, the right EcoVadis score can be the difference between securing a contract and being disqualified. But before displaying your organization’s EcoVadis badge, it’s important to understand the scores and their significance. Here’s the blunt truth: if your score is below 40, you’re not just lagging, you may already be losing business. Most major buyers and multinationals now view a score under 40 as a red flag, with scores under 30 as disqualifying in many cases.
Use a Low Score to Fuel Your Success
At one point, any score above 40 was considered “good enough.” Today, that isn’t the case. If a company’s EcoVadis score lands below 40, procurement teams tend to shift their focus elsewhere. Why? A low rating may indicate a deficient management system that doesn’t account for a full spectrum of risk events, leaving ESG opportunities on the table, and doesn’t align with the objectives and expectations of major brands. This baseline is now table stakes for global sourcing.
Why the Bar Is Rising
Here’s the controversial punchline: a “good” EcoVadis score isn’t just measured by what it is, but by what it isn’t: “not bad.” By today’s definition for many companies we work with, “fine” starts around 55, and “good” starts around 65, which is increasingly where procurement teams are allocating full supplier scorecard points for the EcoVadis category.
EcoVadis scores are graded on a curve, so staying “good” means beating the crowd, not just showing up. Brands don’t want to be held hostage to laggards who drag down supply chain resilience or expose them to regulatory fines and increase their Scope 3 carbon emissions. Those living in the 50–60 zone may be in the safe zone, but it’s only temporary security as the benchmark for scoring in Bronze, Silver, or Gold often increases, and incremental improvement is needed just to keep your score from slipping.
Pushing Past “Good Enough”
If the only thing separating “good” from “bad” is a stack of lightly branded policies and generic goals, then your submission isn’t enough. To really move the dial with ratings and rankings like EcoVadis, you need verified results—actions, audits, supplier engagement, evidence—and year-to-year progress. Otherwise, your score can drop, and your badge can be revoked – indeed we’ve seen it happen!
Key Takeaways
- Below 30: Risk failure—potentially disqualifying
- 30–49: Survival mode—not good enough
- 50: “Improvements are expected”—increasingly (but not always), the minimum for serious consideration, with the expectation of improvement on the next EcoVadis submission
- 65+: The new “good”—proactive firms reach this level, helping them win lasting client trust (and business)
In other words, don’t just ask what score is “good.” Ask: Is my score contributing to my competitive supply chain advantage? Does my score prove I’m not a risk? Because in 2025, “bad” is dead weight—and “good” means winning more contracts.
Ready to learn more? Book your free consultation today and let our experts guide you every step of the way!
