What are the most important sustainability certifications?
"More and more companies are actively involving their suppliers in achieving objectives, including in the areas of sustainability, circularity, social return, but also data privacy and security", says Eric Westdorp, Business Development Manager and Senior Consultant at Fleet Support.
He is right, and there’s a good reason for it: modern regulations are no longer about isolated obligations for a company, but instead focus on the chain supplier > company > customer. As such, a company needs to buy from sustainable suppliers in order to become a sustainable supplier to its customers. All the links of the chain need comply.
"Suppliers must demonstrate that they can meet all these requirements and expectations," Westdorp says. But he advises not to focus blindly on a certificate but also to be open to alternatives by identifying the needs of directly and indirectly involved stakeholders. It’s reasonable however to predict that certifications will become increasingly important.
Top sustainability ratings
| EcoVadis | elps to benchmark and improve sustainability over 21 criteria in four categories: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. Over 75,000 companies use EcoVadis. |
| B Corp Certification | A holistic approach to setting high standards for an organisation's business activities. Over 5,000 companies have received it. |
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) | A non-profit charity running a global disclosure system, helping companies to track and benchmark their environmental performance. Over 13,000 companies disclose to CDP. |
| ISO 9001 | Aims to improve the quality management system of an organisation and support continual improvement. |
| ISO 14001 | An international standard determining the requirements for a robust environmental management system (EMS). |
| ISO 20400 | An international guideline on sustainable procurement, supporting organisations to improve their social, economic and environmental goals. |
| ISO 27001 | Represents an organisation's continued effort to protect sensitive data and information assets. |
| ISO 14064 | The base guideline for calculating the corporate carbon footprint, helping to implement an emission reduction project. |
| ISO 50001 | Ensures an effective energy management system for organisations, supporting environmental and quality management systems. |
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