5 governance standards for businesses to evidence environmental commitment
Prioritising Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards enables your business to enhance reputation, as well as make a real impact on humanity and the planet.
Governance is a key pillar of a business’s strategy to evidence accountability, ethical behaviour, and transparent practices. When it comes to environmental governance, Beyondly recommends considering the following 5 initiatives and standards to evidence commitment for positively impacting the planet, ensuring meaningful action on the journey to meet these.
B Corp
B Corp certification is the gold standard in demonstrating accountability for making businesses a force for good. It is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving, to supply chain practices and input materials. B Corporations are verified by B Lab and in order to become certified, companies must complete and achieve a score of at least 80 in the B Impact Assessment (BIA), alongside some legal requirements.
Read more here about the process to become certified.
Beyondly proudly supports businesses through the B Corp certification process which you can read more about here
EcoVadis
Focused on supply chain sustainability, since its founding in 2007, EcoVadis has grown to become the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, creating a global network of more than 125,000+ rated companies. Throughout the process, businesses are evaluated against Environment, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement criteria, to ultimately receive a score out of 100.
EcoVadis Medals and Badges recognize eligible companies that have completed the EcoVadis assessment process and demonstrated a relatively strong management system that addresses sustainability criteria, as outlined in the EcoVadis methodology. Businesses must complete the process annually to retain an EcoVadis rating.
An EcoVadis medal or badge is an acknowledgement of achievement relative to other assessed companies across the EcoVadis database.
Beyondly is proud to hold a Silver EcoVadis medal since 2024.
ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is the internationally recognised standard for environmental management systems (EMS), offering a framework to help organizations reduce their environmental impact, meet legal requirements, and achieve sustainability goals. It covers areas like resource use, waste management, performance monitoring, and stakeholder engagement, promoting continuous environmental improvement.
Beyondly has held and maintained ISO 14001 accreditation since 2015.
Read more about the standard here.
Zero Waste to Landfill
Zero Waste to Landfill certification evidences a business’s commitment to reducing environmental impact by actively diverting all waste streams from landfill towards more favourable methods such as waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and energy recovery, utilising the waste hierarchy.
Beyondly work towards the industry standard of 99% diversion from landfill, supporting our customers to achieve beyond just landfill diversion, towards improved performance against the waste hierarchy, increased resource efficiency, and maximised circularity.
A Zero Waste to Landfill Certification is a great way for a business to demonstrate environmental consciousness and engagement with the circular economy whilst helping to reduce the costs associated with waste and resource management.
Read more about how Beyondly can support businesses to achieve Zero Waste to Landfill certification here.
Science-Based Target Initiative (SBTi)
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a framework which promotes best practice in emissions reduction and net-zero targets in line with the latest climate science. This offers businesses a clear, actionable path to align emissions reductions with the Paris Agreement goals. Since its establishment in 2015, thousands of companies have joined this global initiative.
The benefits of setting Science-Based Targets include enhanced reputation, improved resilience, increased transparency and supports competitive advantage.
At Beyondly we can help you commit to Net Zero or set Science Based Targets aligned with SBTi. Whether you need to set a baseline or have already measured your emissions, we can support you at any stage of your journey with realistic targets to reduce your emissions over time.
For more information on how Beyondly can help your business set Science-Based Targets, click here
Where to start?
The evolving economy and the fight against climate change is driving businesses to act. Start-ups, SMEs, and Large Corporations are all feeling the pressure as they start to prepare for an uncertain future, whilst driving to become a business for good in a changing world. However, we understand that the question of ‘Where do we start?’ is the main barrier, preventing many businesses from taking the leap.
Beyondly’s team of sustainability experts can help your business assess where to begin based on your current position and your specific goals with our Navigate service; designed to empower decision makers within your organisation to navigate this complex landscape with confidence and help inform your sustainability strategy. For more information, please contact our friendly solutions team who can guide you in the best direction for your organisation, to start, or effectively progress on your environmental journey - https://www.beyond.ly/contact-us/
