| Sustainability Certificate | How it works? | What the business needs to do? |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Neutral Certification by the Carbon Trust | The PAS 2060 is the internationally recognised specification for Carbon Neutrality. Must meet the Scope 1,2 requirements of PAS 2060 to be ‘Carbon Neutral’ with scope 3 encouraged. Carbon Neutral is not the same as ‘Net Zero’ meaning there is still net amount of greenhouse gases being emitted. To be ‘Net Zero’, scope 3 requirements must be fulfilled which would mean the net emissions are zero i.e., carbon capture = carbon emissions | To obtain the certificate the business must follow a 4-step process: – Assessment of GHG emissions based on accurate measurement data – Reduction of emissions through a target-driven carbon management plan – Offsetting of excess emissions, often by purchasing carbon credits – Documentation and verification through qualifying explanatory statements and public disclosure |
| B Corp Certified | The business must complete an impact assessment which gives a score on different areas of the business. These areas are: – Governance: code of ethics; financial information disclosure; whistle-blower policy; mission and engagement – Workers: career development; health, wellness and safety; tracking satisfaction and engagement – Environment: environmental management system; recycling materials; water, waste and energy usage – Community: civic engagement and giving; diversity, equity and inclusion; supply chain management – Customers: customer feedback or complaint mechanisms; regularly monitoring customer outcomes and wellbeing Impact assessment of businesses can be seen on their website. Benefits of being a B Corp: – Improving Impact – Collaboration with other B Corps – Networking and attending exclusive events – Alignment with the B Corp community – More Employee engagement and retaining talent – Articulating the company’s mission externally – to investors, clients, customers and suppliers According to Surveys of UK SMEs, B Corps have: – Faster growth in turnover and employee headcount and higher expectations about future growth – Greater levels of employee retention, engagement and diversity – More robust governance processes – Greater focus on civic and community engagement – Higher levels of innovation The same likelihood of success at securing external finance | To become a B Corp business, a business must: – Complete the B Impact Assessment and achieve a verified total score of 80+ points. – Meet the B Corp legal requirement – amending Articles of Association to embed a commitment to consider the impact of decisions on all stakeholders. – Sign the B Corp Agreement and the Declaration of Interdependence (see below). Pricing is £700 to £35,000 depending on the business |
| Planet Mark Sustainability Certification | Planet Mark aims to reduce the carbon footprint and give businesses insight into their carbon emissions. Requirement being every business must reduce their emissions by 2.5% each year. They also aim to grow the businesses credibility as a trusted brand. Members are also supported in contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with an average of 5 goals per member. Benefits Include: – Certification makes bids stronger to customers, stakeholders etc by showing the business is committed to the environment – Attract and retain more talent – Tools to communicate your story and progress as a business – Join the Planet Mark community – Future proofs the business by relying on more sustainable solutions – Access to exclusive planet fitness events A Planet Mark certification will provide environmental assessments and evidence for compliance with carbon-related legislation targets, such as Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting | To become certified all a business must do is sign up and have a planet mark team collect data from the business. The business pays each year to become certified and is committed to reducing their carbon footprint by 2.5% each year for certification renewal. Planet Mark have a flat yearly fee for the certification: – £1,500 for small organisations – £3,750 for medium-sized organisations – £6,000 for large organisations |
| The good shopping guide (The Ethical Company Organisation) | Products in shops can be scanned by the good shopping guide app or have the good shopping guide accreditation on the product packaging. The accreditation is quite rigorous and covers impact across 4 different categories: environment, people, animals, other. These categories cover these areas: – An Environmental Report – Nuclear Power usage – Genetic Modification of food – Organic produce – Fossil fuel usage – Sustainable material usage – Toxic chemical policy – Eco-Schemes and Labels – Timber Sourcing – Energy mix usage – Reusable cup scheme – Pollution – Environmental destruction – Carbon reduction targets – Better Cotton sourcing – Animal Welfare – Sustainable Fishing – Human Rights – Code of Conduct – Political donations – Armaments – Fairtrade – Responsible Marketing – Responsible lending – Ethical Trading schemes – Public criticism – Responsible investment policy – Company/Brand/Product ethics | Businesses or brands must apply through an online form and a research team will analyse the company and give it a score on up to 15 different criteria. Those receiving high scores will be accredited. |
| UN Global Compact | Not a certification but a community with over 10,000 business participants. The UNGC goals are to do business responsibly by aligning their strategies and operations with Ten Principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Theses 10 principles are: 1. Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights 2. make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. 3. Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining 4. the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour 5. the effective abolition of child labour 6. the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation 7. Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges 8. undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility 9. encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. | Must apply for a form with our local UNGC Network (UK) to get more information. https://www.unglobalcompact.org.uk/how-to-join/ |
| Good Business Charter | Simple Accreditation, across a range of industries, that measures behaviour across 10 components: 1. real living wage 2. fairer hours and contracts 3. employee well-being 4. employee representation 5. diversity and inclusion 6. environmental responsibility 7. paying fair tax 8. commitment to customers 9. ethical sourcing 10. prompt payment Benefits: – Guidance for businesses to improve performance across all 10 components – Cheap for businesses £1 per employee with minimum of £25 annually – Recognition as a responsible business | To become accredited a business must fill in a self-certification questionnaire for its business. If the business fulfils the 10 requirements, then they will be certified Signing up fee is free and after the first year will have to pay £1 per employee or £25 if under 50 employees |
| Green Business Bureau | Enable businesses to understand, prioritize, implement and certify green initiatives and sustainable business practices. They provide businesses with an official seal to validate and promote their green commitment and accomplishments. Benefits: – Global Recognition and local trust – Buyer preference for Green Business Bureau certified products – Entirely online and offers tools for the business such as its GBB eco planner and GBB Carbon footprint calculator to manage sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives | Become certified online. Business will have to complete a GBB assessment form which will earn the business points. With enough points and verification, the business will receive a tiered GBB status (platinum, gold if the business is fulfilling many initiatives) and certificate. GBB will then send guidance to help the business optimize its initiatives and points. Annual fees are: – £350 – £600 for 1-50 employees – £800 – £2000 for 51 – 1000 employees – £3000 – £6000 for 1000 – 3000 employees – Call for 3000+ employees More info available when signing up |
| Leather Working Group | Leather Working Group (LWG) is a non-profit organisation pushing for responsible and sustainable leather production. The Leather working group has 4 audit standards to meet for different operations in the leather production chain: – Leather Manufacturer – Leather Trader – Commissioning Manufacturer Subcontractor | For a business to join it must: 1. Complete online registration form 2. Take Tannery of the Future Survey 3. Implement feedback from Tannery of the Future Survey 4. Book an audit with an LWG Approved Auditor |
| Cradle to Cradle | Cradle to Cradle is a rigorous certification for products that focuses on 5 aspects: – Material Health: Safety for people and the environment – Product Circularity: The ability of the business to regenerate/reproduce product – Clean Air & Climate Protection: protecting clean air, promoting renewable energy, and reducing harmful emissions – Water & Soil Stewardship: safeguarding clean water and healthy soils – Social Fairness: respecting human rights and contributing to a fair and equitable society Benefits: – More sustainable product lifecycle – Buyer Preference for products – Global recognition for products Businesses that use the c2c certification on their products are Amazon, Google, Walmart | For a product to become certified the business must: 1. Check its product is eligible on the c2c Product Standard User Guidance form 2. Contact a certified assessment body for testing, analysis and evaluation 3. Work with the assessment body and pay the product certification and community annual fee for the business 4. After receiving the certification, the business must continue providing data and reassessing every 2 years for recertification Product certification costs $3,600 with re-certification at $2,000 every 2 years. Annual fee for the business $1,800 to $15,000 depending on annual revenue of the business. An alternative certification the business can take is the material health certification which is a component of the c2c certification if the product does not meet the standards of the c2c certification. |
| Global Organic Textile Standard | GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. GOTS certified final products may include fibre products, yarns, fabrics, clothes, home textiles, mattresses, personal hygiene products, as well as food contact textiles and more. GOTS is a certification that checks the quality assurance of the entire textile supply chain, from first-step processing to end customer trading. Certification Benefits: – Credibility for products carrying the GOTS logo – Risk management tools for buyers of products – Cost effectiveness through sustainability – GOTS goods reach technical quality standards such as colourfastness, shrinkage – Protection of health, safety and rights of employees. | 2 types of certificates: – Scope Certificates (SCs) which prove that a supplier meets all criteria to be allowed to process GOTS goods – Transaction Certificates (TCs) which prove that the goods themselves meet all GOTS product criteria How to become certified? – Contact an approved certified body for more info. They may also bring in a GOTS approved consultant Consultancies may also apply to become a certified body |
| Better Cotton Initiative | The Better Cotton Standard System is a holistic approach to sustainable cotton production which covers all three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. Each of the elements – from the Principles and Criteria to the monitoring mechanisms which show results and impact – work together to support the Better Cotton Standard System, and the credibility of Better Cotton and BCI. The system is designed to ensure the exchange of good practices, and to encourage the scaling up of collective action to establish Better Cotton as a sustainable mainstream commodity. | There is a several step application process to become a member that starts with completing an application form, passing a review and subscribing to paid membership. Please note that the entire process can take 6 weeks from receipt of a completed application form, not including the 12-week consultation period. https://bettercotton.org/membership/bcis-retailer-and-brand-membership/ |
| OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS | OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS is an independent certification system for brands, brand groups, retailers and traders of the textile and leather industry. With the independent certification, you demonstrate that you responsibly address human rights and environmental due diligence in your own business activities, in your supply chains, and in your wider business relationships. | Apply via their digital form. The duration of the certification process is dependent on the individual conditions of the respective facility. You can expect a period of at least 3 months between the time of application to the issue of the RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS certificate. The costs for RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS certification comprise the certificate fee and the costs for the certification process. This includes reports as well as the implementation and documentation of audits. The independent RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS certification is specifically tailored to all companies in the textile and leather industry. The prerequisite is that particular minimum requirements must be met. fter successful RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS certification, you receive a 3-year certificate and a detailed final report. You can extend the certificate for a further 3 years with recertification. |
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