Environmental Standards for Businesses: Certifications, ISO and Sustainability Accreditations
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Read time: 3 minutes
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Environmental standards are frameworks, certifications and accreditation schemes that help organisations measure, manage and improve their environmental performance. They can support compliance, reduce environmental impact, strengthen supply chain relationships and demonstrate sustainability credentials to customers and stakeholders.
Environmental standards help organisations to measure, manage and improve their environmental impact through recognised frameworks, certifications and management systems. Sustainability is an important factor in purchasing decisions, investment strategies and supply chain requirements, and meeting specific standards is a way to demonstrate credible environmental performance.
Implementing recognised environmental certifications can help organisations reduce waste, improve resource efficiency, strengthen environmental compliance and identify opportunities for cost savings. Standards such as ISO 14001, Eco Vardis and FSC Certification provide independent verification of sustainability commitments, helping businesses build trust with customers, investors and other stakeholders.
It isn't just about demonstrating ESG credentials though, it can be a route to new markets, improving competitiveness in procurement processes and ensuring your organisation is prepared for evolving environmental regulations and reporting requirements.
Whether the goal is reducing environmental impact, achieving carbon reduction targets, improving operational efficiency or enhancing brand reputation, environmental standards provide a structured framework for continual improvement and sustainable business growth.
As larger businesses and multinational firms face increasingly vocal calls from consumers and shareholders to take stronger action on climate change, this pressure is being passed through the supply chain. The evidence is clear, stakeholders, investors, customers want to work with with organisatons with a robust sustainability strategy. The UK Net Zero Business Census found that 79 per cent of large organisations view net zero as a medium / high priority, while PwC's Global Investor Survey 2024 found that 71 per cent of investor agree that companies should incorporate sustainability in their corporate strategy.
Third-party environmental standards are one route to demonstrating to your customers that you are committed to continual improvement and social value.
Environmental standards can also improve and protect your brand image. Customers are wise to greenwashing – the act of businesses marketing themselves as ‘green’ without backing up their words with real action. One of the most effective ways to provide proof of green claims is to gain a recognised certification by a trusted third-party. Often these come with a branded logo or mark that is easily recognisable.
Another key driver of adopting environmental standards is to help improve operational performance. As well as demonstrating environmental commitments to stakeholders, internationally recognised management standards like ISO 14001 Environmental Management or ISO 50001 Energy Management help companies to put systems in place to identify opportunities to reduce costs, manage risk and deliver continuous improvement.
Environmental standards can also help businesses prepare for an evolving regulatory landscape. In England, the Environment Act 2021 introduced a range of measures aimed at improving environmental protection, resource efficiency and waste management.
For businesses, key themes include reducing waste, improving resource efficiency, protecting biodiversity and strengthening environmental reporting. Adopting recognised standards such as ISO 14001, ISO 50001 or sector-specific certifications can help organisations establish the systems and processes needed to respond to changing expectations from regulators, customers and supply chains.
Envair technology needed support validating their carbon footprint. Green Economy helped the business categorise emissions into Scope 1, 2 and 3, and identify which elements and data were needed to be incorporated into their footprint to meet the NHS requirements.
Not only did this meet the demands of their supply chain, it also led to operational and cost savings.
Unpicking the variety of standards on the market and understand which is right for your business, will depend on your priorities. Some standards provide frameworks for ways of working, others validate what you do, while others are required by customers, investors and supply chains.
Our comprehensive guide to standards is a great starting point.
Environmental Management standards provide businesses with a route to measure and reduce carbon footprints, improve operational efficienc and identify cost savings. The are also a requirement or highly beneficial for public sector procurement including NHS contracts and frameworks, as well as lucrative commercial contracts within construction, facilities, manufacturing, transport, logistics industries.
Every responsible business leader has concerns about how their company’s activities are impacting on the environment. Water use, energy use, pollution and waste are some factors that may negatively affect your local, national and international environment. These factors may also reduce your profitability and reputation if not managed effectively.
ISO 14001 is a framework to help your organisation address these issues. It prescribes controls that should be in place for you to have an Environmental Management System (EMS) that is right for your business.
ISO 14068-1:2023 is an international standard providing a framework for organisations to claim and demonstrate carbon neutrality.
This certification will show that your organisation knows its carbon footprint and has a plan to reduce that footprint and with an open and transparent approach.
ISO 14068-1 replaced the PAS2060 framework in 2025.
Our partners Centre for Assessment are a leading ISO provider, visit their website to find out more.
For organisations committed to improving energy efficiency, the ISO 50001 provides a practical route to improving energy performance through the development of an energy management system
The Carbon Trust standard is not mandated for procurement, but does provide a framework to develop a Carbon Reduction Plan, a requirement for public sector procurement.
Many certifications validate business reporting against international standards including the ISSB and IFRS Sustainability Disclosure standards.
The UK Sustainability Reporting Standards draw upon the IFRS standards providing a framework for businesses to report sustainability-related risks and opportunities that could affect cash flow, access to finance, and long-term growth. Complying with these standards enables investors and stakeholders to make better-informed decisions about the company’s resilience and performance.
This standard aligns with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, but businesses operating within the EU should understand the differences.
The Science Based Targets Initiative provides carbon reduction frameworks and validation services with a dedicated Corporate Net-Zero Standard.
There are a number of recognised certifications that validate company performance against reporting standards, with some providing broader holistic benefits for the business. Providers include The Planet Mark 1% For The Planet and B Corp.
It’s also increasingly considered good practice for businesses to integrate the UN Sustainable Development Goals into their business strategy.
Businesses that produce consumer-facing products can also benefit from voluntary product and packaging labelling schemes including:
Mandatory standards are those that are required in order to have a license to operate in a given market.
UK organisation's looking to work with the public sector will need to adhere to the Public Procurement Act 2023with a compliant Carbon Reduction Plan.
NHS suppliers must also comply with the NHS Evergreen Score.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is often a pre-requirement to operate in timber supply chains where environmental credentials are vital, such as construction, education and the public sector.
Fairtrade certification is often a pre-requisite for some product categories. Some large businesses may also require a recognised standard like ISO 14001 as a minimum to enter their supply chain.
There are many third-party standards that are required for installers in this sector, particularly when working on government schemes.
Suppliers of renewable energy technologies like solar panels and heat pumps often require certification to standards like the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) - this is a requirement for installers on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Warm Homes Scheme.
Companies in the construction sector may need to demonstrate the capability to work to strict green building codes like BREEAM.
Manufacturers can employ a range of standards and framewords to manage sustainability for their supply chains. Read our dedicated guide to manufacturing standards.
The above examples are just a few of the huge range of standards and certifications that are out there. So how do you go about choosing the right standard for you?
Start by identifying the key drivers that are relevant to your needs. 1% For the Planet is not going to help you identify environmental risks, but it may help to improve your brand image. ISO 14001 is more applicable to the former, but it may not make a big impact if you want to promote yourself as a green employer.
Green Economy can help guide you through this process and provide independent and impartial advice on the right direction for your business.
We are a social enterprise building a more sustainable economy, powered by local suppliers. We help organisations leverage sustainability to grow, while helping green tech and environmental services business win new business in their local area.
If you're interested in exploring how we can help your business grow, get in touch and one of our expert advisors will be happy to help.
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