ESG Certification

For organizations looking for long-term commitment to their ESG strategies through established, auditable internal processes, we have developed ESG certification, a non-accredited certification scheme, to assess the management of environmental, social and governance issues in an organization. An ESG certificate is issued to an organization that complies with the defined criteria.

Why do you need ESG certification?

We have developed our criteria based on ESG insights and audit data built up over the last three decades. The criteria summarize the requirements of popular ESG best practices and sustainability standards.

Complying with our ESG criteria not only leads to an ESG certificate but also established, auditable internal processes, which are the foundation of continual improvement. These will enable your employees and suppliers to commit to their ESG metrics and targets and, in turn, enhance your ESG credentials over time.

An ESG certificate can demonstrate the truth of your ESG credentials to stakeholders, reducing the perception of greenwashing. ESG certification gives you competitive advantages for new market entry, particularly in the tendering and financing stages.

What are the benefits of ESG certification?

Demonstrate your ESG commitment
Create mechanisms for continual improvement
Avoid greenwashing
Prepare for new market entry
Go beyond the minimum standards
Consistently achieve ESG targets

How is it done?

This is a three-year certification scheme which consists of 1 main audit and 2 surveillance audits. Certification activities include:

Materiality assessment
Documentation/record check
Interviews
Physical/remote site visits

ESG-related ISO Certification

In addition to ESG certification, based on your needs, you can implement and be certified against other ESG-related ISO standards, including:

ISO 14001 Environmental Management
ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety
ISO 50001 Energy Management
ISO 14064 Greenhouse Gases
ISO 26000 Social Responsibility
ISO 20121 Sustainable Events
ISO 37001 Anti-bribery Management

Why SGS?

We are a leader, not only in providing ESG services for over 30 years but also as an active participant in demonstrating best practices.

Our ESG experts actively contribute to developing international standards, frameworks, schemes and regulations, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) Assurance and EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

We also lead by example. Our sustainability leadership has been recognized internationally. SGS was rated PRIME by ISS ESG Corporate Rating and AAA in the MSCI ESG Ratings assessment. Our ESG practices are further reinforced by SGS Sustainability Ambitions 2030, which set ambitious targets across our whole value chain and foster a culture of sustainability.

With extensive experience in all major industries, we understand each sector’s pain points and have the technical expertise and logistical capabilities across the globe to ensure realistic sustainability outcomes.