ISEAL welcomes four new Community Members

ISEAL is delighted to announce that the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, Sustainable Biomass Program, Sustainable Fibre Alliance, and trustea have met the requirements of ISEAL Community Membership. 

ISEAL members are sustainability systems and accreditation bodies dedicated to delivering benefits for people and planet. They are committed to continually improving their systems and impacts through learning and innovation; collaborating with stakeholders and peers; and are transparent and truthful about how their systems work and how they measure their impacts.

In becoming ISEAL Community Members, these organisations join a growing number of well-respected sustainability systems that are driving positive social and environmental change across multiple sectors. They will be working alongside these mission-driven sustainability organisations to continuously improve the effectiveness of their systems and demonstrate impact.

ISEAL encourages any organisation developing or operating a sustainability system with a multi-stakeholder approach and a commitment to credible practices to consider joining ISEAL. 

Find out more on our membership page.

About the Global Sustainable Tourism Council

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria. There are two sets: Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, and Industry Criteria for any tourism business but with specific performance indicators for hotels and tour operators. These are the guiding principles and minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources, while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.

About the Sustainable Biomass Program

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) is a certification system designed for woody biomass, mostly in the form of wood pellets and woodchips, used in industrial, large-scale energy production.

SBP has developed a certification system to provide assurance that woody biomass is sourced from legal and sustainable sources allowing companies in the biomass sector to demonstrate compliance with Standards that, as a minimum, align with regulatory requirements. Our certification system is designed as a clear statement of principles, standards, and processes necessary to demonstrate such compliance.

We seek to avoid duplication and to be consistent with other standards that have overlapping scopes, while not limiting innovation and improvement. 

About the Sustainable Fibre Alliance

Founded in 2015, the Sustainable Fibre Alliance is a global multi-stakeholder initiative with a mission to ensure the long-term viability of the cashmere sector through its SFA Cashmere Standard. In Mongolia the SFA works with nomadic herders to produce cashmere in a way that protects biodiversity and ensures the wellbeing of their animals. The SFA’s expansion into China marks the world’s first global cashmere standard.

About trustea

trustea is a sustainability program for the tea sector anchored on the three pillars of environment, safety and livelihoods. The program enables producers, buyers and others involved in the tea supply chain to obtain tea that has been produced sustainably according to agreed, credible, transparent and measurable criteria.  

trustea is working with smallholder tea growers, bought leaf factories, estates and packers to address issues such as working conditions, health and safety of tea workers, water pollution, food safety, soil erosion and contamination, gender issues, sustenance of biodiversity and adverse effects of climate change.