CertumHub emerges as a transformative digital solution in this landscape. By moving away from fragmented spreadsheets and manual tracking, this digital platform, created by Sprinta in collaboration with Verify Agency, provides an AI-powered ecosystem that streamlines the ISO 26000 verification process, ensuring sustainability claims are meticulously evidenced and verified.

Streamlining Cross-Departmental Collaboration

One of the greatest hurdles in ISO 26000 reporting is that the required data lives in silos. Sustainability is not the job of a single person; it requires input from Human Resources for labour practices, Procurement for supply chain ethics, Operations for environmental impact, Legal for governance, and many other departments, depending on the size of the organization and the scope of the Sustainability Declaration.

CertumHub serves as a centralized digital bridge, facilitating seamless data gathering and sharing across these departments. As such, it provides the undertaking with:

• Unified Data Repository: Instead of chasing colleagues via email for documents, departments can upload evidence—such as policy documents, energy invoices, or training logs—directly into a shared environment.
• Real-Time Progress Tracking: Management can monitor the status of the declaration in real-time. This visibility eliminates bottlenecks, as it becomes clear which answers have been completed and which require support.
• Version Control and Consistency: The digital nature of the tool ensures that everyone is working on the most recent version of the declaration, preventing the “data drift” that often occurs when files are shared back and forth manually.
• Time efficiency and communication assistance: The use of Certum Hub shortens the time it takes to answer the questions.  With the help of AI, it makes a text recommendation based on the provided documents that have been uploaded by the undertaking. It structures the text in a coherent way and with the support of documented evidence, avoids the risk of greenwashing.

By fostering a collaborative culture through technology, CertumHub ensures that the Sustainability Declaration is a comprehensive reflection of the entire organization’s efforts, rather than a narrow snapshot.

Empowering Auditors for Rigorous Verification

The verification of an ISO 26000 Sustainability Declaration requires a high degree of scrutiny from third-party auditors. For these professionals, CertumHub provides a structured, high-efficiency workspace that fundamentally changes the auditing experience. The following are some of the benefits this digital platform provides to the Certified Impact Auditors.

1. Accessibility and Traceability Auditors no longer need to navigate through disorganized folders or physically visit multiple sites to review paperwork. CertumHub allows auditors to access all uploaded evidence remotely. More importantly, the tool provides a clear “digital trail,” showing exactly when data was entered and by whom, which enhances the integrity of the audit.
2. AI-Powered Analysis CertumHub’s AI-native capabilities assist auditors by highlighting potential gaps or inconsistencies in the data. The platform can map organizational responses directly against the 42 specific questions and seven core subjects of the ISO 26000 standard (or the SIS/TS 2:2025 sustainability-declaration framework). This automated mapping saves hours of manual cross-referencing, allowing the auditor to focus on the quality and authenticity of the social responsibility actions.
3. Efficient Feedback Loops If an auditor identifies a deficiency, they can flag it directly within the platform. The relevant department is notified immediately, allowing for rapid corrections or the submission of additional evidence. This interactive loop accelerates the path to final verification, reducing the total time and cost of the process.

In summary, as sustainability moves from a “nice-to-have” to a regulatory and market requirement, tools like CertumHub are no longer optional. By digitizing the ISO 26000 journey, CertumHub empowers organizations to break down internal silos and provides auditors with the clarity and speed they need to confirm a company’s commitment to the planet and society. The result is a more credible, robust, and impactful Sustainability Declaration that builds lasting trust with stakeholders.

Now that the Sustainability Declaration is available in English as well, companies and organizations outside Sweden can join the front-runners. They can do so by following and adopting this ESG standard, embedded within ISO 26000 standard, one of the international guidelines for sustainability with the broadest international acceptance.

While there is still uncertainty regarding the legal aspects of the Omnibus, mainly the scope of the CSRD, the technical aspects of the ESRS remain unchanged. For all those companies that have already initiated work on CSRD compliance (namely Governance, Strategy & Business Model, Impacts, Risks & Opportunities, and Metrics & Targets), this provides an opportunity to incorporate the findings from their CSRD work into the Sustainability Declaration. Furthermore, if they choose so, they can get their Sustainability Declaration independently verified by a third-party accredited organization. 

Verify Agency is the first organization in Sweden to get accredited to verify organizational sustainability claims. It is accredited by Swedac under the ISO 17029. Given the fact that Swedac, an agency under Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, is a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) and a signatory of the IAF MLA for ISO 17029, Verify Agency’s accreditation extends to all the countries whose accreditation bodies are signatories of the Mutual Recognition Agreements. These are, in effect, more than 100 countries globally and all of the EU countries. 

While some uncertainty about the final text of the CSRD persists, one thing is clear: sustainability is not a regulatory burden but a strategic advantage. The sustainability transition is no longer simply a political ambition and a social and environmental goal; it is the economic reality that drives competitiveness, resilience, and innovation. Therefore, today’s companies’ and organizations’ position is defined by the answer given to the following question:

Do we want to lead or merely comply? 

If the answer is to lead, we encourage you to start using the SIS/TS 2:2025 Sustainability Declaration and systematically structure your sustainability work and reporting. 

If you choose to further enhance the transparency and credibility of your Sustainability Declaration, VERIFY Agency will provide the third-party verification process, an effective means to combat any perception of greenwashing. At the same time, with the help of our digital platform for verification, you can answer the Sustainability Declaration questions in several other European languages. 

Learn more and contact us regarding the third-party verification process. www.verifyagency.com

Future-proof your organization by getting your Sustainability Declaration independently verified.

About the Sustainability Declaration and Third-Party Verification

The sustainability declaration is primarily aimed at all small and medium-sized companies that, based on their business and ambition, want to conduct and report their sustainability work in line with international guidelines and practices.

The aim of the Sustainability Declaration is to:

1. Identify
2. Evaluate
3. Prioritize strategic focus areas for the organization’s social responsibility (social, economic, and environmental impact)
4. Stake out a clear direction for the involvement. 

The Sustainability Declaration can be used by all types of organizations that want support in their sustainability work, and its purpose is to:

• Support internal assessment of the organization’s systematic sustainability practices.
• Enable self-declaration of work aligned with SS-EN ISO 26000:2021, with the option for external verification.
• Communicate sustainability efforts to external stakeholders, such as potential customers in procurement situations.
• Clarify the organization’s approach to identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing strategic focus areas in social, economic, and environmental impact.
• Show contribution to sustainable development in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Simplify sustainability reporting, whether statutory or voluntary, including the organization’s mandatory sustainability report.

VERIFY Agency stands as a trusted partner, officially endorsed to bring clarity and integrity to sustainability reporting. With the help of our digital platform for verification, you can answer the Sustainability Declaration questions in several other European languages. Learn more and contact us regarding the third-party verification process. 

Future-proof your organization by getting your Sustainability Declaration independently verified.

www.verifyagency.com

The first one is: Put € where your impacts are. This graphic expression is often an A-ha moment when working with companies on their impact management and measurement assessment, because it sets a more familiar context: Economic viability is one of the three pillars of sustainability; Without it there is no company; But that does not mean that the financial profit is the company’s sole purpose.

Here is where the second reminder comes into play: Climate change is a consequence of bad accounting. It is a consequence of several centuries of failing to recognize the true cost of doing business. Because, for too long, the negative externalities of economic development have not been accounted for.

Today, they have finally become essential to doing business. In all the world’s leading economies, different policies require information on Environmental, Social, and Governance impacts. Some, like the EU, are extending the requirement onto the entire value chain. This shows how governments are increasingly seeking to align the private sector’s contributions with national priorities and to demand accountability from stakeholders.

Companies that choose to be proactive not only identify their main impacts but also the risks those impacts expose them to. In decarbonizing their activities, they also find opportunities. By lowering the carbon intensity, which is the amount of CO2 emitted per € of their production and services, they not only contribute to achieving the decoupling between economic growth and GHG emissions. They, at the same time, future-proof their organizations by increasing energy and material efficiency. This is a win-win situation we need to see more of, because to limit global warming to close to 1.5 °C, the pace of decarbonization needs to accelerate tenfold by 2040.

A good way to move forward is to apply the Impacts, Risks, and Opportunities (IRO) assessment, which is a central part of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). It is a very good method for getting to a win-win. And here is where the third reminder comes in play: When you dig into the IRO, you will find the ROI. The conclusions from the Impacts, Risks, and Opportunities assessment will inform the optimal Return on Investment (ROI) from the organization’s sustainability work.

Focusing on these three reminders helps companies find a balance between profit and ethics. Additionally, the third-party Sustainability Declaration verification process helps reach that balance in a structured, responsible, and accountable way.

__________________________

About the Sustainability Declaration:

• It is a sustainability report format, created in Sweden and valid throughout the European Union and globally in all countries whose accreditation bodies are signatories to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA).
• The Sustainability Declaration aligns with the ISO 26000 international standard and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, it can also be used in work on sustainability reporting in accordance with Swedish law, as well as the EU´s regulation and practice for sustainability reporting, CSRD. For the same purpose, the Sustainability Declaration includes a digital version of the appendices to clarify and enable the adaptation of an organization’s sustainability work and reporting to Swedish law and European standards developed within the CSRD (ESRS/VSME).
• The Sustainability Declaration allows the ESG reporting process to be adapted to the specific characteristics of the business, sector, and company size.
• VERIFY Agency is accredited to ensure the truthfulness, transparency, and quality of a company’s sustainability work. It is the world’s first accredited company to verify organizational sustainability claims according to the verification program SIS/TS3:2025

Malmö Opera has also been inspired by the Theatre Green Book, which has been and is guiding many activities in the performing arts industry. To take the next step, we have recently undergone a verification process with the external accreditation party Verify Agency of Sweden AB with the ambition of achieving verification according to the international standard ISO 26000.

On 10 October, it was announced that Malmö Opera, as the first opera house in Europe, had been approved after an audit.

“Malmö Opera shows extraordinary leadership by voluntarily and transparently having its entire work with social responsibility verified.”

“As far as we have been able to see in the available databases and publications covering accredited European verification systems, Malmö Opera is the first opera house in Europe to achieve verification according to standards linked to ISO 26000. This positions them as a pioneer in sustainable development in the European cultural sector,”

says Eva Vati, CEO of VERIFY Agency of Sweden AB.

“We are very proud to be the first opera house in Europe to achieve sustainability verification through ISO 26000. The performing arts sector has a lot to do in terms of sustainability and we at Malmö Opera have decided to be involved in driving this work,” 

says Christina Hörnell, CEO and Theatre Director at Malmö Opera, and continues: 

“To have an impact, sustainability must become part of everything we do every day. The verification gives us a systematic way to work with this and shows that we are on the right track. Now the real work begins together with everyone who works at and with Malmö Opera. We look forward to that.”

The audit was conducted by Verify Agency of Sweden AB, under accreditation by Swedac, Sweden’s national accreditation body.

The report is available at https://www.malmoopera.se/om-oss/hallbart-operahus

(Swedish)

ISO 26000 is an international standard for the social responsibility of organizations. The verification is conducted by independent external auditors and is based on seven fundamental principles that together define the concept:

• Accountability
• Transparency
• Ethical behavior
• Respect for stakeholder interests
• Respect for the law
• Compliance with international standards of conduct
• Respect for human rights

The verification is renewed and updated annually.

ISO 26000: https://www.iso.org/iso-26000-social-responsibility.html

Theatre Green Book: https://www.svenskscenkonst.se/theatre-green-book/

For further information, interview requests, etc. please contact Pål Katsler, Head of Communications: pal.katsler@malmoopera.se or +46 (0)708-19 82 46.

️ Watch the video to hear from Malmö FF’s Head of Sustainability, Magdalena Nour, about why the club chose to become verified – and how they work with sustainability in practice.

Third-Party Verification in Practice: Malmö FF and the VERIFY Agency Process

VERIFY Agency was established in 2021 to meet a growing demand for transparent, high-quality sustainability communication. It’s the first organization in the world accredited to verify sustainability claims under ISO 17029 – the international standard that governs how verifications must be conducted. Using ISO 26000 as a framework, VERIFY Agency offers third-party assessments of how well organizations integrate social responsibility into their operations. The company is accredited by SWEDAC, that belongs to the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. For businesses, this ensures that each verification is independent, standards-based, and carried out under strict quality assurance.

For Malmö FF, the decision to get verified was both strategic and cultural.

“We’ve been working with social programs and engagement for almost 115 years, since 1910 when we were founded,” says Magdalena Nour, Head of Sustainability at Malmö FF.

“But for the last five years, at least, we’ve been working more focused also on environmental sustainability and to mitigate climate risks. And to do so, we need a governance structure and standards to help us support the work, to show transparency in all the work and to map the gaps..”

“It’s very valuable for us to be able to show, verified by a third partner, what we’re doing good and what we can do even better.”

Inside the ISO 26000 Verification: What the Process Actually Looks Like

ISO 26000 verification involves a comprehensive review of how an organization embeds social responsibility into its operations and governance. At VERIFY Agency, the process is based on a combination of document analysis, stakeholder interviews, and on-site evaluation of internal routines and structures.

“We conducted in-depth interviews with key personnel, analyzed their governance structures, and scrutinized their adherence to established best practices within their industry and in line with ISO 26000,” says Eva Vati, Founder and CEO of VERIFY Agency. “Our aim is always to provide an objective and independent assessment, culminating in a detailed report and, upon successful completion, the official verification.”

In the case of Malmö FF, this meant reviewing internal policies, risk assessments, and sustainability objectives – as well as engaging in structured dialogue with staff and leadership across departments.

Making Responsibility Visible – On and Off the Pitch

At Malmö FF, social responsibility is embedded in the club’s identity. As a membership-owned organization with 14,000 members, the club is governed by a board elected by its supporters. “That accountability made external verification a logical next step” says Head of Sustainability Magdalena Nour.

That philosophy extends to Malmö FF’s core values.

“One of our basic values in Malmö FF is that we should follow rules on and off the pitch,” says Nour. “The result on the pitch is visible and obvious to everyone, but the results off the pitch need to be verified for transparency, accountability and to be very clear to all our members, our partners and other stakeholders.”

This commitment is also reflected in the club’s work with inclusion and gender equality.

“From this season our women’s team is playing in the Premier League and that means that our focus on gender equality and inclusion is bigger than ever,” says Nour. “We have female top managers, we have female managers and of course a lot of colleagues and about 30% of our members, that is our owners, are women.”

Sustainability is not only a matter of policy, but of everyday decisions. One such initiative involved the club’s pitch supplier: instead of continuing to import turf from abroad, Malmö FF initiated a partnership between the Italian supplier and a local partner in Skåne, reducing emissions from transportation while supporting regional innovation and production.

Independent Verification: A Tool for Trust and Improvement

For VERIFY Agency, Malmö FF’s verification highlights the growing role of independent assessment in helping organizations build trust, evaluate their systems, and increase client’s impact on sustainability.

“Malmö FF’s decision to undergo verification is highly significant,” says Eva Vati, Founder and CEO of VERIFY Agency. “It demonstrates their strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical operation – all solidified by their adoption of ISO 26000 principles.”

For the organization itself, the process also became a way to clarify next steps and involve more people internally.

“It’s a great learning process where you involve the whole organization and it will be quite obvious where the gaps are,” says Nour. “And when you know where the gaps are, you can make conscious decisions on how to continue your work and improve the overall sustainability work in your organization.”

About Malmö FF

Malmö FF is one of Sweden’s most established football clubs, with over 14,000 members and a long history of community engagement. As a membership-owned organization, the club works actively with social and environmental responsibility as part of its wider operations. Learn more about their sustainability work: mff.se/affarsmassig-hallbarhet-och-verksamhetsstyrning

About Verify Agency

VERIFY Agency is the first company in the world accredited to verify sustainability statements under ISO 17029. Founded in 2021 and accredited by SWEDAC, the agency conducts independent verifications using ISO 26000 as its framework. VERIFY Agency’s vision is to ensure transparency in organizations worldwide. More information: verifyagency.com

With this step, the company has advanced in its sustainability work and proven its prominent role in the group’s three-year strategy. At the same time, the verification process has advanced the group’s preparation for compliance with the upcoming EU directives.

“With the document of the verification and the detailed final report, we have received clear feedback on our operation along the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) logic, so we can see the sub-areas where we are lagging and further development is required.”, stated Roland Szabadics, the Chief Operating Officer at SZABADICS Group. Additionally, the groups COO mentioned that “verification is only the beginning; it can provide a basis for further work, which clearly shifts the focus towards continuous internal training, increasing involvement and the formulation of actions, as this verification is repeated annually for five years, and we want to improve continuously.”

Acquiring a certificate has made the results of the company’s sustainability activities effectively tracked and accredited by a third independent party. “This increases the trust of our partners and other stakeholders about our activities and can ensure the sustainable operation and growth of our group – so we can provide a secure future for our employees,” – summarized the results. Orsolya Marics-Kovács, who is the head of the system integration of the SZABADICS Group. In addition to this, Roland Szabadics also highlighted that thanks to the process, the Group can gain a competitive advantage over those market players who do not take action in this area. At the same time, he emphasized that the self-declaration also provides a solid basis for preparing their sustainability report.

SZABADICS Group is a frontrunner who follows the motto, “The future belongs to those who see opportunities before they become obvious.” Verifying their sustainability work by VERIFY Agency is a clear sign of their frontrunning vision.

Source and read more: HERE

The most common way to structure the corporate website is to place the ‘About us’ section on the navigation menu. Instead, Sproud lets its sustainability work speak for itself and its work. Sustainability is Sproud’s ‘About us’ section. Being the first food company to be ISO 26000 verified, it spearheads social and environmental change, pushing the shift to more sustainable eating and drinking habits.

Sproud’s mission is not just about reducing greenhouse gas emissions; it’s about making a significant change. Knowing that food production contributes to over a quarter (26%) of global greenhouse gas emissions, Sproud has made it their urgent purpose to shift to a plant-based diet. This is not a choice they take lightly but consider it a necessity they are determined to address.

This Malmö based company was founded with a sustainability purpose. Although established just six years ago, in 2018, it is already present in 30 markets worldwide. They aim to make available the tastiest, healthiest, most sustainable plant-based dairy products. Therefore, promoting sustainable lifestyles and choices is at the very heart of their mission.

“We want our consumers to be able to make climate-smart decisions in-store with ease, so we are putting the carbon footprint on all of our packaging. Increasing the proportion of plant-based foods is an important contribution to meeting the World’s climate challenges”, Sprouds CEO Sara Berger comments.

In the effort and commitment to reduce its environmental impact, Sproud adopts a collaborative, partnership-based approach to sourcing, producing, and selling goods. Furthermore, the company has assessed and identified relevant Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as sustainable tasks aligned with the seven key underlying principles of social responsibility outlined in ISO 26000. These goals and principles have been integrated into Sproud’s sustainable business model, and a strategic sustainability program has been developed to guide the company in its daily operations and towards its greater vision of contributing to a more sustainable world.

Vati of Sweden has accompanied Sproud throughout this entire journey, and we feel very (S)proud of all their achievements. Ever since their beginnings, our CEO and founder, Eva Vati, has followed and worked closely with Sproud in developing their sustainability strategy, mapping their impacts and those stakeholders affected by them. This is how she has experienced its journey: For many years now, I have lived by the “be the change you want to see in the world” rule, and it is the same rule I can tell Sproud lives by. That same level of sustainability commitment and climate ambition is today perhaps not that common to find, but I am confident we will have many companies getting inspired by Sproud and contributing to a better world. With sustainability and equality leading the way forward, we can combat climate change. That is why it feels so rewarding to accompany Sproud on their journey.

The Sproud’s journey shows how Sustainability and Transparency go hand in hand. Overall, plant-based foods produce half of the climate impact of animal-based ones. And of all plant-based ‘milks’, Sproud has the lowest footprint. That could never have happened if this fast-growing Swedish food company hadn’t talked the talk and walked the walk. If it were not mindful of its impact. To prove it, they place focus on the choices regarding everything from the purchase of raw materials to packaging and carefully measuring their carbon footprint.

This is a company strongly committed to its mission and purpose and has used CarbonCloud to measure the climate footprint of its products. As a result, in February 2022, Sproud Vanilla became the first product to be labeled with its climate footprint directly on the packaging, soon followed by the rest of their assortment. This is why they are the sustainability front-runners we at Vati of Sweden seek to support.

With sustainability deeply rooted in its purpose, Sproud is an example of what the ‘Agenda 2030 company’ should look like. They dare to adventure beyond compliance because the World needs it and because it is where the opportunities emerge. Hence, it was no surprise that they are the first food company to get their ISO 26000 self-declaration verified by an accredited third party in 2023. Furthermore, its commitment to Sustainability and Transparency has been reaffirmed by initiating the process to become B-Corp certified and by getting Sproud’s work re-verified recently this year by Verify Agency.

Faced with the world’s climate challenges, it is often difficult to focus on one’s responsibilities, abilities, and contributions. That is why Sproud is such a good example. It is a company that wants to be involved and create change today, not tomorrow, and it does so with great tasting innovations and the goal of creating a better food system. They are serious about reversing global warming and are very good at doing something about it.

SOURCES:

• ”We believe in transparency to enable climate conscious choices” – Sproud puts actual climate footprint on all consumer packaging
• Sproud Program for Sustainability
• Livsmedel/Fokus/2022 – Intervju Sara Berger
• https://besproud.com/sustainability/

The ISO 26000 re-verification process has shown that sustainability is naturally integrated into FrontPac’s strategy. During the verification process, the company showed that its work creates the conditions for sustainable competitiveness. The process underlined that applying sustainable solutions is natural in their business. It is a natural part of their activities because they seek efficiency in production by reducing waste and energy use. At the same time, they prioritize health and safety and invest significant resources in the continuous training of all their employees.

FrontPac is ambitious in its sustainability goals and lives up to this ambition through efficiency and social responsibility in its operations. This ambition is also part of why the company primarily sees opportunities from the ongoing sustainability transition, where they expect to gain size and market share.

Learn more about FrontPac’s sustainability work from THIS LINK.

Throughout the year, Svenska Aerogel AB intensified its commitment to the Agenda 2030, emphasizing the ongoing sustainability journey. The company constantly shows respect and sensitivity to stakeholders’ interests. It, among others, includes employee well-being initiatives, staff education on sustainability, and setting specific goals to reduce its environmental impact in 2024. In this regard, their main priorities are reducing the carbon footprint throughout the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), specifically focusing on raw materials, decreasing water consumption per produced ton product, and reducing energy usage per produced ton product. At the same time, the business has shown clear management and division of responsibilities. A high degree of transparency prevails, and ethical behavior is evident throughout the organization.

Svenska Aerogel AB manufactures and commercializes the mesoporous material Quartzene. Their business concept is to meet the market’s need for new materials in their main segments: Building and construction, Process Industry, and Transport. Throughout the auditing process, Verify Agency has verified all levels of activities that the organization states in the self-declaration and concluded that Svenska Aerogel AB fulfills the requirements to have its ISO 260000 self-declaration re-verified.

VERIFY Agency is accredited by SWEDAC and is the first in the world to offer verifications of company claims. Examples of claims can be self-declarations and various types of ESG reports.

Hållbarhet är en integrerad del av Krinovas verksamhet. Krinova är nu också verifierad enligt ISO 26000, vilket visar på organisationens samhällsansvar för att maximera bidraget till hållbar utveckling. ISO 26000 är en internationell hållbarhetsstandard som fokuserar på organisationers samhällsansvar; social-, miljömässig och ekonomisk hållbarhet.  

Med basen i det lokala näringslivet har Krinova Incubator & Science Park ett uppdrag att öka attraktionskraften och tillväxten för Kristianstad och nordöstra Skåne. Parallellt har Krinova utvecklat en unik regional och nationell position inom livsmedelsområdet och har ett uppdrag som omfattar utveckling av livsmedelsområdet i hela Skåne och även nationellt.

– Vi är stolta över verifieringen och ser detta som en naturlig och viktig del i vårt hållbarhetsarbete. Hållbarhet är en naturlig del av Krinovas verksamhet och är kopplad till alla de insatser som Krinova gör för företag, organisationer och samhälle. Verifieringen är ett sätt att arbeta systematiserat och strukturerat med ständiga förbättringar som kan följas upp, säger Christian Nyhlén, VD för Krinova Incubator & Science Park.

Då ISO26000 inte är en kravstandard utan en guidande standard så innebär det att företag inte kan certifiera sig mot standarden. I stället kan man verifiera egendeklarationen som är kopplad till standarden, i vilken även de globala hållbarhetsmålen ingår.

– En verifiering fokuserar på att bekräfta påståenden, t ex hållbarhetsrapporter och egendeklarationer. Fördelen med en verifiering, till skillnad från en certifiering, är att företaget kan belysa sina unika styrkor och hållbarhetsarbete, i stället för att enbart fokusera på överrensstämmelser med standarder, förklarar Eva Vati, VD och beslutsfattare på VERIFY Agency som utfärdat verifieringen, och Eva tillägger;

– Genom att bli verifierade kan verksamheters hållbarhetsarbete redovisas på ett mer transparent och tillförlitligt sätt och man undviker grönmålning. Detta kommer bli allt viktigare för företag i takt med en alltmer reglerad marknad, såsom exempelvis EU:s nya hållbarhetsdirektiv ”Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)”.