EcoVadis is one of the world’s largest providers of sustainability assessments. It evaluates companies across four themes: environment, labor & human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement, based on international sustainability standards.
Jaakkoo-Taara achieved the EcoVadis Silver rating in the 2025 assessment. Achieving Silver status requires a company’s sustainability performance to be better than 85% of all companies assessed by EcoVadis.
Jaakkoo-Taara’s overall score was 71. The best results were achieved in environmental performance and labor and human rights, which also are the most important areas in the EcoVadis assessment. The score improved compared to the previous evaluation and was achieved under the stricter criteria that came into effect at the beginning of 2024.
– In recent years, EcoVadis requirements have clearly become more demanding. It is no longer enough to simply have systems in place; companies must be able to demonstrate with documented evidence how sustainability work is reflected in their targets, operations, and monitoring, says quality engineer Irmeli Saarinen.
EcoVadis as a tool for developing sustainability
The company’s sustainability efforts are particularly visible in environmental and occupational safety matters. Jaakkoo-Taara has achieved its Scope 2 emissions targets and committed to the Science Based Targets initiative in 2025. Occupational safety is developed through the ISO 45001 system, supported by the company’s commitment to the principles of the UN Global Compact.
– The EcoVadis assessment has required us to examine themes that may not be visible in the daily operations of a Finnish SME. What matters is not whether a particular risk is currently relevant, but how the company identifies and manages potential risks proactively, Saarinen explains.
For Jaakkoo-Taara, EcoVadis is not a one-time goal or certificate, but a tool for continuous improvement in sustainability. The silver rating reflects a strong foundation on which the company can continue building toward the next level.