Social and environmental standards to strengthen credibility criteria
24 June 2009
Twenty social and environmental standards systems agreed to strengthen criteria for standard-setting and verification at the ISEAL Alliance Annual General Meeting this week.
The set of rules will comprise codes of good practice for standard-setting, impacts assessment and verification. Standards systems meeting the criteria will be able to credibly claim that their standards have been developed through a balanced multi-stakeholder process, that the standard measurably contributes to sustainability objectives and that both producer and supply chain of the final product are regularly audited for compliance.
The ISEAL Alliance - the global association for social and environmental standards systems - is currently revising the existing Code of Good Practice for Setting Social and Environmental Standards. Systems in compliance include the Forest Stewardship Council, the Marine Stewardship Council, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, Fairtrade, the Rainforest Alliance, Social Accountability International and the Marine Aquarium Council. Additional good practice guidance on impacts assessment and verification is in development.
Covering sectors ranging from agriculture, forestry and fisheries to energy and manufacturing, the participating standards systems also discussed means to reduce overlaps between their respective initiatives and to scale up their impacts on ecological sustainability and social justice. Other joint activities include the development of recommendations for governments on the use of ethical labels in public procurement and an increased focus on the contributions of standards systems to address climate change.
Following the annual meeting, the ISEAL Board approved the membership applications of the Global Footprint Network, the Common Code for the Coffee Community and the Alliance for Water Stewardship. These organisations now have three years to demonstrate compliance with the ISEAL Standard-Setting Code. The Union for Ethical Biotrade and Social Accountability Accreditation Services were already seen to be in compliance with the full membership conditions and approved as full members of the ISEAL Alliance.
Member organisations of the ISEAL Alliance (all present at the ISEAL Annual General Meeting)
