Certified sustainable. The jungle of certificates, norms and standards.

In CHOICE Webinar #12, Christian Hechler-Wien from TÜV Rheinland and Jona Nelson from the Center for Sustainable Leadership (ZNU) presented the ZNU standard. This combines various sustainability standards and provides a fundamental building block for the continuous improvement of companies in the area of sustainability.

“Sustainability certificates are not the first step in the climate strategy, but they can be the first milestone.”
Jona Nelson

Here is a summary of the most important points and application criteria. Below you will find the recording of the entire webinar with all further information.

The latest insight into the jungle of sustainability certificates

A wide range of different certificates in the areas of product standards, management system standards and reporting standards makes it difficult for both consumers and companies to maintain an overview.

Product standards: Blue Angel, Fair Trade, FSC, UTZ Certified and RSPO are just a few examples of product standards. These focus on the quality of raw materials and compliance with minimum social requirements.

Reporting standards focus on the qualitative reporting of sustainability measures. The most common national standard here is the German Sustainability Code, while the Global Reporting Initiative is internationally recognized.

Management system standards ensure sustainable corporate management. In the area of the environment, for example, there is ISO 14001 or EMAS, in the area of energy efficiency there is ISO 50001 and in the area of social affairs there is SAI or SA800.

Where does the ZNU standard fit in?

The ZNU standard describes itself as a management system standard, but combines various areas of sustainability. This standard reviews 23 subject areas from the environmental, social and economic fields.

Source: ZNU

It also addresses the standard aspects of reporting and product quality. It therefore covers a broad spectrum of different sustainability and quality assurance topics.

It should also be emphasized that this standard ensures the continuous improvement of companies, so the certificate is issued annually.

Requirements for certification according to the ZNU standard

The basic prerequisite is successful sustainability management. An initial self-check is recommended to verify this. The focus here should be on 3 areas:

The company level: How sustainable is the company management?
The product level: Review of products in the context of sustainability (raw materials and supply chain), starting with the top-selling or “most critical” product.
Stakeholder level: Surveys and screenings of stakeholder surveys can set priorities and reveal what is important to skateholders, but internal surveys are also recommended.

Source: ZNU

Each company has different priorities for certification in accordance with the ZNU standard, for which the materiality matrix is used. Here you will find the exact requirements for certification and thus for an initial self-check.

5 Advantages of the ZNU standard

Ganzheitliche Betrachtung: Inbegriffen sind die drei Säulen der Nachhaltigkeit Umwelt, Wirtschaft und Soziales sowie die dazugehörigen Unterkategorien.
International und Branchenübergreifend anwendbar.
Externe Zertifizierung: Jährliche Überprüfung durch aktuell siebn unabhängige Zertifizierungsstellen.
Integration weiterer Nachhaltigkeitsrichtlinien: z.B. SDGs, DNK, ISO 50001, ISO 14001, EMAS, GRI, UN Global Compact u.v.m.
Aktualität und Bezug zu politischen Zielen durch angebundene universitäre Forschung.

Holistic approach: Includes the three pillars of sustainability - environmental, economic and social - as well as the associated sub-categories.
Applicable internationally and across industries.
External certification: Annual review by currently seven independent certification bodies.
Integration of other sustainability guidelines: e.g. SDGs, DNK, ISO 50001, ISO 14001, EMAS, GRI, UN Global Compact and many more.
Topicality and reference to political goals through associated university research.