The Transparency Bottleneck: Why Supply Chain Sustainability Stalls

The report, which analyzed nearly 200,000 scorecards from 2021 to 2025, reveals a stark disconnect between corporate intent and supplier capability. While 46% of rated suppliers now procure renewable energy, 78% lack science-based carbon reduction targets. The failure is most pronounced in procurement: only 20% of firms conduct on-site audits, and fewer than 1% report granular, decision-grade sustainability data to their buyers. This lack of transparency creates a significant hurdle for organizations attempting to deploy AI-driven supply chain analysis, as nearly one-third of suppliers provide no carbon data at all.

Sylvain Guyoton, Chief Rating Officer at EcoVadis, argues that software upgrades cannot compensate for a fundamental lack of primary data. The measurement problem resides within the supply base itself, requiring structured assessments and long-term engagement rather than one-time compliance checks. Evidence suggests that sustained oversight works; companies undergoing multiple EcoVadis assessments outperform first-time participants by an average of 12 points. By shifting from static questionnaires to ongoing performance verification, firms can begin to bridge the gap between their sustainability goals and the reality of their extended supply networks.