5.7 Verify Your Efforts Using Established Third-Party Business Certifications
Business certifications can fill the gaps left by incomplete sustainability legislation. Ensuring a business complies with third-party certifications will help verify and apply an objective level of rigor to an organization’s sustainability efforts.
Criteria
- Certification Achievement: The organization has achieved one or more business sustainability certifications and incorporated operational policies and practices to support them.
- Certification Maintenance: The organization maintains its certification through evolving policies and practices over time.
Impact
Medium
Effort
Medium
Benefits
- Operations:
These types of certifications can make it easier for organizations to align operational practices with their mission, vision, and values and communicate these decisions to organizational stakeholders. - Economic:
Business certifications, which are overseen by impartial governing bodies, help organizations operationalize sustainability principles and achieve higher verified levels of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. These certifications can also help an organization differentiate itself from others in its industry. However, organizations should be sure to vet the certifying entity so no conflicts of interest exist.
GRI
- materials: Medium
- energy: Medium
- water: Medium
- emissions: Medium
Example
- A common form of certification in the Web development field for individuals valuing inclusive design is the Certified Professional in Web Accessibility.
Resources
- A Complete Guide to Starting a B Corp
- B Corperation Certification
- B Corperation Standards
- Blue Angel (German)
- Improving your BIA score
- ISO 14000 Family – Environmental management
- ISO 14067:2018 – Greenhouse gases
- ISO 27001 – Information security management
- ISO 50001 – Energy management
- ISO Guide 84:2020 – Guidelines for addressing climate change in standards
- Label numérique responsable (French)
- PlanetMark