Many companies in Indonesia first become familiar with EcoVadis after receiving a request from an international customer, parent company, or global business partner. In many cases, this request arises as part of a supplier qualification process, vendor evaluation, or contract renewal requirement.

 

Naturally, this leads to several important questions. What is EcoVadis? Why has our company been asked to complete the assessment? What documents should we prepare? And how can we achieve a strong assessment result?

 

These questions are entirely understandable. EcoVadis is not simply an online questionnaire about sustainability practices. It is a comprehensive assessment that evaluates how effectively a company manages Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues and demonstrates their implementation through policies, procedures, and supporting documentation.

 

This article explains what companies need to know after receiving an EcoVadis assessment request and outlines the practical steps they can take to prepare more effectively.

 

 

What Is EcoVadis?

EcoVadis is one of the world's leading sustainability rating platforms, used by thousands of companies to evaluate the ESG performance of business partners across their supply chains.

Unlike sustainability report or certifications that focus on compliance with specific standards, EcoVadis assesses the maturity of a company's sustainability practices by reviewing its policies, implementation, performance measurement, and supporting evidence.

The resulting sustainability rating provides customers, investors, and business partners with valuable insights into how responsibly a company operates.

Why Are More Indonesian Companies Being Asked to Complete an EcoVadis Assessment?

As sustainability becomes an increasingly important business priority, multinational companies are no longer evaluating suppliers based solely on product quality, pricing, and delivery capabilities. They also want assurance that their suppliers operate responsibly and effectively manage ESG-related risks.

For this reason, many global organizations use EcoVadis as part of their supplier evaluation and supply chain risk management processes.

Indonesian companies may be asked to complete an EcoVadis assessment for several reasons, including:

  • Becoming a supplier to a multinational company.

  • Participating in international procurement or tender processes.

  • Meeting sustainability requirements imposed by global customers.

  • Renewing existing contracts with international clients.

  • Supporting the sustainability objectives of a parent company or corporate group.

In these situations, EcoVadis is more than a procedural requirement—it can directly influence future business opportunities and long-term commercial relationships.

What Does EcoVadis Assess?

EcoVadis evaluates companies across four core ESG pillars.

1. Environment

This area covers environmental management practices, including energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, water stewardship, environmental protection initiatives, and environmental policies.

2. Labor & Human Rights

This category assesses occupational health and safety, employee well-being, diversity and inclusion, equal opportunity, employee development, and respect for human rights.

3. Ethics

EcoVadis evaluates business ethics through areas such as anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies, data protection, whistleblowing mechanisms, conflict of interest management, and corporate governance practices.

4. Sustainable Procurement

This pillar assesses how companies manage ESG risks throughout their supply chains, including supplier selection, supplier evaluation, and ongoing supplier monitoring.

Why Do Many Companies Receive Lower-Than-Expected Scores?

One of the most common misconceptions is that EcoVadis scores depend solely on how many ESG initiatives a company has implemented.

In reality, many organizations already have strong sustainability practices in place but fail to achieve optimal scores because they cannot adequately demonstrate those practices through documented evidence.

Common examples include:

  • Occupational health and safety programs that lack monitoring records.

  • Employee training programs without documented evaluations.

  • Anti-corruption policies that have not been formally communicated across the organization.

  • Waste management activities without consistent documentation.

  • ESG performance indicators that have not been formally established or monitored.

As a result, existing sustainability practices may not receive the recognition they deserve during the assessment process.

EcoVadis Is More Than Completing an Online Questionnaire

Some companies mistakenly believe that EcoVadis is simply an online survey.

In practice, every response should be supported by verifiable evidence demonstrating that ESG practices have been effectively implemented.

Documents such as company policies, operating procedures, implementation reports, performance data, certifications, and monitoring records play a critical role in validating assessment responses.

Companies that invest time in preparing before beginning the assessment generally achieve better outcomes than those that complete the questionnaire without conducting an internal readiness review.

How Can Companies Prepare?

Preparing for EcoVadis should begin well before the official assessment process.

A common first step is conducting an EcoVadis Readiness Assessment or gap assessment to identify differences between the company's current practices and EcoVadis expectations.

Based on the assessment results, companies can develop an improvement plan that may include:

  • Developing ESG policies.

  • Enhancing operational procedures.

  • Strengthening documentation systems.

  • Collecting supporting evidence.

  • Establishing ESG performance indicators.

  • Conducting internal readiness reviews before submission.

This structured approach not only improves readiness for the EcoVadis assessment but also strengthens corporate governance and long-term sustainability management.

How Can an ESG Consultant Help?

Every organization has different business characteristics, ESG maturity levels, and operational challenges. Therefore, preparing for EcoVadis requires a tailored approach that reflects each company's unique circumstances.

Through our EcoVadis Readiness Assessment services, we help companies:

  • Evaluate their readiness against EcoVadis requirements.

  • Identify improvement opportunities and compliance gaps.

  • Develop ESG policies and supporting procedures.

  • Strengthen documentation and supporting evidence.

  • Provide guidance throughout the preparation and assessment process.

This approach enables companies to prepare more systematically and efficiently while building on their existing business practices.

Conclusion

For many companies in Indonesia, receiving an EcoVadis assessment request is a clear indication that customers and business partners are placing greater emphasis on sustainability across their supply chains.

By understanding the assessment process early and strengthening both ESG implementation and supporting documentation, companies can improve their assessment results while enhancing their competitiveness in the global marketplace.

If your company has recently been asked to complete an EcoVadis assessment—or if you would like to evaluate your current ESG readiness—TGS AU Partners is ready to support you through our EcoVadis Readiness Assessment, ESG Gap Assessment, ESG policy and procedure development, documentation enhancement, and end-to-end assessment support.

With the right preparation, EcoVadis becomes more than an assessment—it becomes a strategic opportunity to strengthen ESG performance and build long-term business competitiveness.

[Schedule a Consultation with Our ESG Professionals]

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