Code Consultation Offers Opportunity To Shape the Future of Sustainability Solutions

November 21, 2022 /3BL Media/ - From fighting poverty to tackling climate change and nature loss, sustainability standards and similar systems are playing an increasingly important role in addressing the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges – so it’s essential that they deliver effective solutions. To support these efforts, ISEAL is running a consultation on its revised Code of Good Practice, offering the chance to help set the global benchmark for credible sustainability systems and shape the solutions they offer.

The draft Code revises and integrates ISEAL’s three existing Codes of Good Practice on Impacts, Standard-Setting and Assurance. Reflecting recent developments in the sustainability landscape, the Code aims to be more robust, relevant, efficient and effective. As well as standards and certification schemes, it aims to promote good practice across other models that work to improve sustainability performance, such as jurisdictional or landscape-level verification schemes, enterprise-level certification, ratings systems and improvement monitoring programmes.

Among other changes, the revised Code:

• Applies to a wider range of sustainability systems to ensure a broad range of approaches are held to the same high standards
• Equips systems to be more focused on impacts and performance monitoring, making them more effective at driving improvements in the areas that matter
• Widens the scope to include best practices in due diligence, credible claims, and good governance
• Reduces the burden on sustainability systems wishing to demonstrate that they comply with best practice, without diluting the rigorous requirements.

The Code also connects more closely with ISEAL’s revised Credibility Principles, which define the core values of credible, effective sustainability systems. The best practices outlined in the Code are designed to put these principles into operation.

ISEAL’s Executive Director, Karin Kreider, commented: “The range of market-based sustainability systems is growing all the time, and so are the expectations placed upon them. ISEAL’s Code of Good Practice will provide a vital reference on credible practice for sustainability systems, and a tool to help businesses, governments and others identify systems that can help them achieve their goals. We believe this more robust, holistic code will drive more effective solutions to pressing sustainability challenges.”

Share your views

ISEAL is keen to hear from all stakeholders to ensure the Code meets your needs and remains fit for the future. For more information and to take part in the consultation, please visit www.isealalliance.org/iseal-code-consultation.