EcoVadis methodology update 2026

Raising the Bar: Why EcoVadis Keeps Getting Harder 

The expectations for EcoVadis performance continue to increase year after year. Relying on last year’s approach is no longer sufficient to achieve the same outcome. To retain your current medal, you must demonstrate clear, measurable improvement, while progressing to a higher medal requires substantial advances across multiple performance indicators. By raising the bar every year EcoVadis creates a race to the top.  
EcoVadis is gaining significant momentum as an increasing number of stakeholders, including suppliers, customers, and financial institutions, request EcoVadis ratings to assess the strength and credibility of companies’ sustainability management systems. 
In 2024, the EcoVadis network expanded rapidly, with a 29% increase in completed ratings (i.e. approx.49.000 assessments) compared to the previous year and an impressive 167% growth since 2020. 
Beyond responding to rising expectations for transparency and sustainability performance, EcoVadis provides companies with valuable insights into their environmental, social, and ethical practices. It also enables benchmarking against industry peers and organizations across sectors, supporting continuous improvement and stronger sustainability performance. 
At the same time, EcoVadis continuously evolves its methodology, introducing new questions to reflect changing global sustainability standards and to strengthen the quality and relevance of its assessments. Below, we highlight the most important EcoVadis updates for 2026. 

 

Key EcoVadis Updates for 2026 

The following key changes for 2026 are based on EcoVadis quarterly methodology updates.  

1. VSME Recognised as a Valid Reporting Standard 

For companies with fewer than 1,000 employees, EcoVadis has introduced a new question recognising reporting aligned with the VSME standard. 
Companies can now receive points if they publish: 

• A report aligned with the VSME Basic Module (75/100 points), or 
• A report aligned with both the Basic and Comprehensive Modules (100/100 points) 

This is an important step in recognising VSME as a credible and practical reporting standard that provides meaningful sustainability information. It is particularly helpful for SMEs that do not have an extensive sustainability report aligned with reporting standards such as GRI or CSRD. For many small and mid-sized organisations, now is the perfect time to explore the VSME standard and prepare a first VSME-aligned report. 

2. Young Workers and CSDDD Alignment 

A new question has been added to identify whether companies employ workers under the age of 18 who are above the legal working age. If a company answers “yes,” it will be asked to provide evidence of measures in place to protect these young workers, such as: 

• Restrictions on night work 
• Additional health and wellbeing protections 

This update aligns the EcoVadis questionnaire with the upcoming Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). 

3. Updates to the EcoVadis 360° Watch Methodology 

The EcoVadis 360° Watch assessment is based on four key scoring principles: scale, scope, remediability, and mitigating and aggravating factors (including proportionality, responsibility, finality, and probability). 

EcoVadis has introduced a new mitigating and aggravating factor: stakeholder consensus. This reflects the degree of certainty among relevant and reliable stakeholders regarding the negative nature of an identified impact. The stronger the consensus, the higher the severity assigned to a 360° Watch finding. 

This change addresses a previous gap in the methodology, where severity assessments were less clear in more ambiguous cases. Incorporating stakeholder consensus allows EcoVadis to more accurately assess the severity and potential impact of controversies on a company’s overall score. 

In addition, a new functionality has been added to the EcoVadis scorecard. Through the Live News feature in the EcoVadis portal, companies can now see whether potential 360° Watch findings may be attributed to them before they submit their questionnaire. If a finding has been incorrectly linked to your company, you can submit documentation or an explanation directly to EcoVadis. 

We strongly recommend actively monitoring this feature to prevent incorrectly assigned incidents from negatively affecting your score. 

4. Physical Climate Risks 

EcoVadis has also introduced a new evidence-based question focused on physical climate risk assessments and recovery or adaptation plans. This update allows companies to demonstrate preparedness for climate-related risks by providing evidence of: 

• Physical risk and impact assessments 
• Recovery and adaptation planning 

While this question does not yet affect the overall score, related strengths or areas for improvement will appear on the EcoVadis Rating scorecard based on the evidence submitted. 

 

How We Can Help 

To support clients in achieving strong EcoVadis results, 2impact has developed a structured four-step approach. We help you meet questionnaire requirements while using the assessment process to strengthen your broader sustainability management system. 
Contact us to learn how we can support you in achieving a strong sustainability rating and improving your ESG performance. 

 

Our EcoVadis Services 

We offer the following support: 

• Gap Analysis: Identify key improvement areas for this year’s EcoVadis assessment 
• Documentation Support: Coordinate, review, and ensure all required documentation is complete and correctly uploaded 
• Strategic Roadmap: Develop a multi-year plan to strengthen ESG management and steadily improve your EcoVadis score 

Learn more about our EcoVadis approach and services here.