EcoVadis for Heavy Industry: How Manufacturers Can Improve Their Sustainability Rating

EcoVadis assessments in heavy industry — steel, cement, chemicals, paper and pulp, and industrial manufacturing — are calibrated with the highest environmental weighting of any sector category. This reflects the objective reality that industrial production accounts for a disproportionate share of global greenhouse gas emissions, water extraction, hazardous waste generation, and chemical pollution. For a steel manufacturer or chemical producer seeking to improve its EcoVadis score, the environmental theme is where the most significant improvements are possible — and where the most common gaps are found.

How EcoVadis Scores Heavy Industry Differently

EcoVadis adjusts the weighting of its four assessment themes based on industry sector. For heavy industry, the Environment theme typically carries a weighting of 35 to 40 percent of the total score — compared to 20 to 25 percent for service-sector companies. Within the Environment theme, the sub-criteria with highest materiality for heavy industry are energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous substances management, and water use. Companies that invest in ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) certification — and can demonstrate active use of the system to drive continuous improvement — see the most consistent score improvements in this theme.

The Sustainable Procurement Theme: A Frequent Weak Point

Heavy industry companies frequently achieve reasonable scores on Environment (where their internal management systems are often well-developed) but score poorly on Sustainable Procurement — the theme covering how they manage the ESG performance of their own supply chains. EcoVadis expects companies to have a written sustainable procurement policy, to have communicated ESG requirements to suppliers, and to have conducted some form of supplier ESG assessment or audit. Many heavy industry companies have complex supply chains but have not yet formalised these requirements. Closing this gap — through a supplier code of conduct, a supplier self-assessment questionnaire, and evidence of follow-up action — is typically the highest-return area for score improvement.

Labour and Human Rights in Manufacturing Operations

The Labour and Human Rights theme is particularly important for heavy industry companies with large manufacturing workforces. EcoVadis assesses policies and actions on working conditions, health and safety, social dialogue, and human rights. For manufacturing sites, the health and safety evidence is critical: companies should upload their ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System) certification, their most recent LTIR and TRIR data, and evidence of structured hazard identification and risk assessment processes. Companies with operations in non-EU jurisdictions must also demonstrate that human rights due diligence extends beyond European sites.

Practical Steps to Improve Your EcoVadis Score

1. Run a gap analysis against the EcoVadis scorecard for your specific sector code — the assessment criteria vary by NACE code
2. Obtain ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification if not already in place — these are the single highest-impact document submissions
3. Draft and publish a Sustainable Procurement Policy and supplier ESG code of conduct
4. Collect and disclose energy consumption, GHG emissions, water use, and waste data in a formal report
5. Set quantitative reduction targets for energy, emissions, and water — and show progress in annual data
6. Conduct a supplier ESG self-assessment for your top 20 suppliers and document the results
7. Engage EcoVadis analysts proactively during the submission window — their feedback identifies specific evidence gaps