In 2019, ISEAL carried out a review of the Standard-Setting and Impacts Codes. Through the review, ISEAL gathered information regarding the usability of the Codes, their effectiveness in delivering against their objectives, as well as their scope and objectives. This document details the activities carried out as part of the review and the findings.
In 2019, ISEAL carried out a review of the Credibility Principles to determine if the Credibility Principles require revision. This document outlines the findings from the review, which determined that there is a need to revise the Credibility Principles.
Global sustainability challenges are complex problems and determining the best strategies to bring about lasting improvements in sustainability performance remains a core challenge for sustainability systems. Many are increasingly experimenting with a wide range of strategies to reach their sustainability goals. However, the effectiveness of these strategies is highly dependent on the context in which they are applied. 
Framework for improving sustainability impacts, draft 0.1 word doc for consultation feedback.
The framework can help sustainability standards and other sustainability initiatives navigate the types and intensity of collaboration and interoperability using the metals, minerals and mining sectors as examples.
A showcase of applied, data-driven solutions within the ISEAL Community
To tackle deforestation, the Peruvian government is promoting sustainable forest management by incentivising certification through reductions in yearly lease payments on concessions. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification has rapidly grown to complement this government regulation, leading to positive impacts on the environment, community relations, and the rights of indigenous peoples.
In 2019, the ISEAL Innovations Fund awarded a grant to Bonsucro to collaboratively develop and test methodologies to help financial service providers improve how they assess their agricultural clients’ sustainability performance, to enable access better financing opportunities for farmers who produce sustainably. Project partners included the Better Cotton Initiative, and the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS).
Bonsucro and Responsible Jewellery Council engaged Business & Human Rights consultancy twentyfifty to conduct a research project into Grievance Mechanisms within Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS). The research investigated how grievance mechanisms have been set up and how grievances are managed and remediated within their memberships.
A brief guidance note for academics, consultants, students and others researching sustainability standards.
Tackling gender inequalities is becoming increasingly important for voluntary sustainability standards and similar systems to address. More and more, sustainability systems are looking to integrate gender into their standards and the management of their organisations. Sustainability systems that are not gender-responsive can result in unnecessary health and safety risks for women and girls, and lead to unequal impacts and unintended consequences.
This guidance document provides guidance for sustainability systems looking to collect or improve the collection of polygon location data. It was developed with the support of experts and ISEAL members with advanced experience, and includes a variety of different options and technologies.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the ability of many sustainability systems to perform on-site audits. Many have had to implement new policies and adapt to new ways of working. In many ways, this forced many sustainability systems to rapidly innovate during the pandemic, by embracing novel technologies and piloting new approaches to assess sites remotely.  
This methodology aims to support national commodity associations and other relevant public bodies to aggregate producer-level data using the Delta indicators to assess and report on the sustainability performance of the commodity’s production at country level.
Guidelines, which have been prepared to serve as the basis for discussion on standardized procedures and protocols for the collection and management of certificate location data with the goal that these data will eventually become part of an ISEAL member Certification Atlas (CA).