In June 2021 the G7 countries have agreed to move towards mandatory climate-related financial disclosures that provide consistent information for market participants in accordance with the recommendations of the global Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). This further step towards a more green economy puts pressure on small and medium sized businesses which soon will be legally required to set and publicly announce their own targets.

However, the increasing pressure placed on the business community to address their environmental impact comes with an increasing difficulty for the businesses to find the right type of sustainability accreditation. At the moment there is an absence of universal ‘green standards’ and a lack of a central governing agency in charge of regulating and certifying the green practices and claims. This fragmentation leads to the proliferation of a variety of certifications and sustainability certification bodies. As a result, many companies could find it hard to navigate the extremely wide offer.

Here is an overview of some internationally recognised certifications. We hope this list will be useful for your research.

B Corp: (https://bcorporation.uk). More than 4600 businesses in 74 countries are already certified as B corporations. These companies are committed to meeting high standards of social and environmental performance transparency and accountability. To certify as a B Corp, your company has to operate for profit in a competitive market and has to have at least 12 months of operations. 

Planet Mark: (https://www.planetmark.com). Offers Business certifications and Real Estate certifications. Planet Mark is a member of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) and works towards the improvement of sustainability in the real estate sector. Planet Mark works also with charities and not-for-profit industries to measure, report and reduce their carbon footprint, and further their commitment to making a positive impact on the planet and society.

The Ethical Company Organisation: (https://ethical-company-organisation.org).The Ethical Company Organisation is a self-sustaining Limited Company based in the UK. They run the UK’s only cross-spectrum (people, animals and environment) ethical accreditation, which exists to reward ethical companies’ behaviour. Companies that apply for the accreditation should undergo a rigorous review process, in fact, only the highest ethically ranked 33% of any particular product sector are eligible for ethical accreditation.

FutureFit Business: (https://futurefitbusiness.org). For profit businesses can use FutureFit practical and free tools to manage and improve their social and environmental performance. FutureFit Business helps any business understand the SDGs and articulate its contribution to them.

1% for the Planet: (https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org). This organisation was founded in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard and brings together individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations around the world to support people and the planet. The organisation aims to build a community where companies sign up to give the equivalent of 1 percent of their gross sales directly to environmental charities. The 1% for the Planet Organisation facilitates this connection and certifies the companies’ giving, so they can use the seal or logo on their products.