Article

How do emission efforts contribute to your EcoVadis score? GHG baseline foundations

In brief

Expert insight — François Dequenne: start with your GHG baseline. In most cases, a low Environment score reflects limited Actions and Results evidence on GHG management, not a fundamental performance problem. Measure your Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, document the process and set an internal reduction target. That single intervention typically moves the needle more than any other.

The typical scene: your largest customer says your score must reach Silver by Q3; you are the sustainability manager — and the sustainability team. The first thing to figure out is what data EcoVadis actually wants on greenhouse gas emissions.

Why are GHG emissions central to the Environment score?

Within the Environment theme, energy consumption and GHG emissions is a primary criterion for most rated companies (activation depends on country, sector and size). The theme can also cover materials, chemicals and waste, water, biodiversity, product use and end-of-life, customer health and safety, and environmental services and advocacy — but GHG management carries the highest commercial visibility and is what buyers scrutinise most. For manufacturing, chemicals, packaging and logistics companies, Environment typically carries the highest weight in the overall score: GHG management is a core determinant of Silver, Gold or Platinum.

Assessors look at GHG through P-A-R: Policy (a formal climate/GHG policy endorsed by senior management), Actions (reduction initiatives, energy or carbon audits, certifications), Results (actual reductions, verified data, third-party recognition). A GHG policy with no supporting measurement data scores at Policy level only — companies that write a policy but never complete the baseline consistently fail to break through to Silver, however good their other submissions.

What is a GHG baseline, really?

A quantified measurement of your emissions across three scopes:

Scope 1 — direct emissions from sources you own or control: gas boilers, company vehicles, on-site processes. Typically the easiest to measure.
Scope 2 — indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat or steam. Since 2026, EcoVadis requires reporting both location-based and market-based figures; renewable certificates (RECs, Guarantees of Origin) lower the market-based figure, but both must be documented.
Scope 3 — everything in the value chain: purchased goods and services, commuting, business travel, distribution, waste, use of sold products. Typically the vast majority of a manufacturer's footprint.

For EcoVadis, a reliable Scope 1 + 2 baseline is the minimum for credible GHG management; adding the most material Scope 3 categories significantly strengthens Actions and Results evidence.

Which data do you actually need?

No large team required. Scope 1: natural gas or heating oil consumption (invoices or meter readings, full calendar year); company vehicle fuel (fuel cards, fleet records); sector-relevant process emissions. Scope 2: electricity by site, full year (utility invoices); renewable certificates for the market-based calculation. Scope 3 starters: business travel; an employee commuting survey (acceptable as a starting point); freight and logistics data; purchased-goods spend for a Category 1 screening estimate.

Emissions = activity data × emission factors. The GHG Protocol Corporate Standard (WRI/WBCSD, ghgprotocol.org) is the globally accepted methodology, recognised directly by EcoVadis assessors.

How does the baseline feed your score?

Policy level: reference the baseline methodology in your environmental policy — "we measure and manage emissions in line with GHG Protocol methodology" beats a generic commitment.
Actions level: upload the inventory results and document specific initiatives — efficiency upgrades, renewable procurement, fleet electrification. Each documented action adds.
Results level: reported emissions data earns Results credit; one reporting year is enough to be scored, and three or more years in the same document earns a bonus. Remember: EcoVadis assesses the management system, not environmental performance — the size of the reduction does not add points; quantified, documented reporting does.
Third-party recognition: CDP submissions, SBTi commitments or ISO 14001 certification lift the Results score across multiple criteria at once.

What is this work worth beyond EcoVadis?

The same baseline is the foundation of the wider programme: CSRD (ESRS E1 requires Scope 1, 2, 3 disclosures — same data structure), SBTi (validation starts from a clean multi-year inventory), CDP (the climate questionnaire centres on inventory, targets and initiatives). One investment, four compliance and disclosure pathways — the efficiency that matters most to a resource-constrained sustainability manager.

"The Environment theme gap between average and Silver performers is rarely about what companies are doing. It's about what they can prove. A GHG baseline is how you bridge that gap."

ESGIM's EcoVadis and GHG support typically covers: a gap analysis of current GHG data against assessor expectations, guided data collection across Scope 1, 2 and material Scope 3, inventory preparation using GHG Protocol methodology, drafting of GHG policy and management documentation, and a pre-submission review. Across more than 100 projects, 87% of ESGIM's EcoVadis clients improved their score, with an average improvement of 13.8 points.

Key takeaways

GHG is the Environment criterion buyers scrutinise most; for industrial sectors, the theme usually weighs heaviest overall.
Policy without measurement scores at Policy level only — the baseline unlocks Actions and Results.
Scope 1 + 2 is the minimum (with both location- and market-based Scope 2 since 2026); material Scope 3 strengthens the file.
One year of reported data is scoreable; three years in one document earns a bonus; third-party recognition (CDP, SBTi, ISO 14001) multiplies.
The same baseline serves CSRD, SBTi and CDP — build it once, use it four times.

Frequently asked questions

What GHG data does EcoVadis ask for?

Whether you measure GHG emissions, which scopes you cover and whether you have reduction targets. Scope 1 and 2 reporting is expected for most rated companies; a 2026 update requires both location-based and market-based Scope 2 where applicable; material Scope 3 categories strengthen the score further.

Do I need a consultant to build a GHG baseline?

Not necessarily for smaller companies with simple operations. With multiple sites, complex supply chains or no existing data, specialist support saves time and reduces the risk of errors leading to resubmission. The baseline needs to be defensible, not just documented.

Our Environment score is low. Where should we start?

With your GHG baseline. A low Environment score usually reflects limited Actions and Results evidence on GHG management, not a fundamental performance problem. Measure Scope 1 and 2, document the process, set an internal reduction target.

Will the baseline serve CSRD too?

Yes. ESRS E1 requires Scope 1, 2 and 3 disclosures; the data structure built for EcoVadis is the same foundation — a dual-purpose asset rather than two separate exercises.