EcoVadis Medals Explained: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze Percentiles (2026 Guide)
EcoVadis medals are a percentile, not a pass mark
Most companies treat their EcoVadis medal like a fixed grade: score well, get Gold, done. That is not how it works anymore.
Since 2024, EcoVadis medals are based on percentile rank. Your company is compared with every company EcoVadis rated in the previous 12 months, across every industry - not just your own sector.
Here is what each medal actually means:
- Platinum - top 1% (99th percentile and above)
- Gold - top 5% (95th percentile and above)
- Silver - top 15% (85th percentile and above)
- Bronze - top 35% (65th percentile and above)
Because the bar is relative, it moves. A flat score can lose its medal if the rest of the database improves. Keeping a medal is an annual effort, not a one-time win.
The rule that quietly disqualifies companies
Total score is not the only gate. If any single theme scores below 30, the company is ineligible for a medal - no matter how high the total is.
The four themes are: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement.
This is where many otherwise strong submissions fail. A company can pour effort into Environment, hit a high overall score, and still walk away with no medal because Ethics documentation was thin. Balanced preparation across all four themes matters more than one brilliant theme.
One more thing: medals expire
A medal is valid for 12 months, in line with the scorecard it sits on. Buyers who ask for your EcoVadis rating expect a current one. Assessment work is an annual cycle - evidence refreshed, gaps closed, scorecard renewed.
Preparing for an assessment this year?
This scoring logic - percentiles, theme gates, evidence expectations - is exactly what we break down step by step in our live EcoVadis workshop, with real documentation examples.
September cohort: Sep 19, 20, 26 & 27, 2026 | 6:30-9:30 PM IST | Live online. Registration closes 18 September.
Register here: https://www.sustainability101.in/ecovadis-workshop
Source
EcoVadis - Understanding EcoVadis Medals and Badges: https://support.ecovadis.com/hc/en-us/articles/210460227-Understanding-EcoVadis-Medals-and-Badges
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