Last year Minc was the first incubator in the world to be verified for its sustainability work according to the international sustainability standard ISO26000. Now they have taken it one step further and have re-verified its sustainability work. It is their goal that all startups within their programs contribute positively to Agenda 2030 by 2024.
Minc was established by the City of Malmö in 2002 as one of Scandinavia’s first startup incubator programs. With several award-winning programs, they are today one of Sweden’s most successful incubators. Their vision is to be one of the leading startup houses in Europe.
A given thing to do
Working with sustainability and getting their sustainability work verified was a given thing to do for Minc. They say that since they provide support to new innovative companies that will be the companies of the future it is their responsibility to make sure that the new companies become sustainable and profitable. And if Minc is to be credible in that work, they need to be sustainable as well, which they now through the verification of their sustainability work can show that they are.
Strengthens your competitiveness
ISO26000 is an international standard focusing on an organisation’s societal responsibility, including social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Sweden has, as the first country in the world ratified the standard and included the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG:s) with a self-declaration.
– We notice a great interest among companies to get their ISO26000 self-declaration, and thus their sustainability work, verified since it makes them transparent and trustworthy which strengthens their competitiveness and contributes to future proof of their companies, says Eva Vati founder and CEO of VERIFY Agency of Sweden, who has issued the verification.
The new CSRD requires verification
The interest is also expected to increase due to the new CSR-Directive from the European Union that will be released this autumn and will enter into force on 1 January next year, since that requires companies to verify, not only their financial reports but also their sustainability work.
– Once you have verified your sustainability work you need to re-verify it once per year to keep being transparent and trustworthy, and that is what Minc has done now, Eva Vati explains.
Accredited to verify organisation’s statements
VERIFY Agency is the first company in the world to have been accredited to verify organisation’s statements according to the international standard ISO17029. ISO17029 is the first standard in the world that can be used to verify and confirm the accuracy of statements from organisations and companies. Examples of statements can be self-declarations and different kinds of reports.
– VERIFY Agency is thereby also the first company in the world to offer verification of the ISO26000 self-declaration, which is our first program, and more will come, says Eva Vati.
