# How does EcoVadis grade how reliable my carbon figures are?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/ecovadis-carbon-data-reliability-levels

Each carbon figure you report gets one of four levels: Low, Medium, High or Third-Party Verified. EcoVadis checks evidence first, then accounting rigor, then plausibility against industry benchmarks. High needs documented, GHG Protocol-aligned figures; only figures checked by an independent auditor reach the top level.

## The three checks, in order

1. Evidence: is the figure backed by a document, such as an inventory report, a CDP response or a sustainability report?
2. Rigor: was it calculated in line with the GHG Protocol, and has it been verified by a third party?
3. Plausibility: does it look realistic against benchmarks for your industry, or does it stand out as a statistical outlier?

## What each level tells your buyer

- Third-Party Verified: checked by an independent auditor. Recommended for external reporting and Scope 3.
- High: documented and GHG Protocol-aligned. Also recommended for external reporting and Scope 3, so a buyer can use it in place of an industry average.
- Medium: partly follows good practice. Fit for internal tracking only.
- Low: not enough evidence, or fails the statistical checks. Not for external reporting; needs correction.
- EcoVadis notes it identifies verified data but does not act as the auditor.

## Why an Indian supplier's figure stalls at Low or Medium

- A total with no inventory document behind it.
- No year, boundary or method stated, so rigor cannot be judged.
- Factors not named. Say which grid factor and which fuel factors you used, and where they come from.
- Generator diesel or a second site left out, so the total looks low for your industry and output.
- Scope 2 given as one number. Since May 2026 EcoVadis asks for location-based and market-based separately, and grades the reliability of each.

## Moving a figure from Medium to High

1. Write a short inventory report: year, sites covered, method (GHG Protocol), each fuel and electricity line with quantity, factor and source.
2. Keep the bills behind every line, in case a reviewer asks.
3. Add a sentence explaining anything unusual, such as a new furnace or a month of shutdown, so the plausibility check has context.
4. For Third-Party Verified, have the inventory verified by an independent body and upload the statement.

## Inventory lines that pass evidence and rigor

- Grid electricity: 9,00,000 kWh x 0.675 kg CO2/kWh (CEA, FY 2025-26) = 607.5 t CO2.
- Diesel for generators: 40,000 L x 2.645 kg/L (IPCC) = 105.8 t CO2.
- Piped natural gas: 3,00,000 scm x 2.05 kg/scm = 615.0 t CO2.
- Total Scope 1 and 2: 1,328.3 t CO2, with 24 monthly power bills, 18 diesel invoices and 12 gas bills behind it.

Quantities are invented; factors are the ones Senseible applies.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible's records give the first two checks what they look for: each figure tied to its bill, with the factor and its source. Its Verified status means its rule checks passed; it is not independent verification, so on its own it cannot earn EcoVadis's Third-Party Verified level.

- [How Senseible checks each figure](https://senseible.earth/trust)
- [Carbon evidence EcoVadis asks for](https://senseible.earth/answers/ecovadis-carbon-questions-what-evidence)
- [Location and market-based Scope 2](https://senseible.earth/answers/buyer-asks-location-and-market-based-scope-2)
- [Questionnaire support](https://senseible.earth/esg-ratings)

Sources: [EcoVadis, Carbon Data Reliability Levels](https://ecovadis.com/solutions/ecovadis-carbon-data-reliability-levels/), [EcoVadis Help Center, Methodology Updates Q1 2026 (Scope 2 split and reliability levels)](https://support.ecovadis.com/hc/en-us/articles/34621845310994-Methodology-Updates-Q1-2026), [CEA, CO2 Baseline Database for the Indian power sector](https://cea.nic.in/cdm-co2-baseline-view?mappingId=234&lang=en)

Last reviewed 2026-10-30.