Environmental and sustainable accreditation schemes
Demonstrating your business's green credentials can be enhanced by undergoing more formal accreditation.
This is a process where an independent organisation assesses your business against a recognised standard, such as ISO 14001 for environmental management or Carbon Trust accreditation schemes.
According to British Business Bank research (PDF, 210 KB), smaller businesses are estimated to account for half of all UK's business-driven emissions.
As such, undertaking the steps required to achieve an internationally recognised certification could be a valuable path to net zero.
From reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions to implementing an effective waste management system, environmental certification schemes can deliver operational efficiency, lower costs, and boost your business's reputation (PDF, 581 KB).
According to the British Business Bank report, 94% of small businesses have already taken at least one action to reduce emissions.
Environmental standards such as ISO 14001 are created by independent standard organisations such as the International Organization for Standardization.
Third-party organisations such as the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the British Assessment Bureau offer certification services designed to help you implement an environmental management system and comply with ISO 14001 standards.
There are many environmental and Sustainability standards to investigate, and it's worth comparing different standards to choose the right one for your organisation.
Further resources
To help get you started, we've rounded up a sample of accreditation schemes:
Tags related to content:
Disclaimer: We make reasonable efforts to keep the content of this article up to date, but we do not guarantee or warrant (implied or otherwise) that it is current, accurate or complete. This article is intended for general information purposes only and does not constitute advice of any kind, including legal, financial, tax or other professional advice. You should always seek professional or specialist advice or support before doing anything on the basis of the content of this article.
Neither British Business Bank plc nor any of its subsidiaries are liable for any loss or damage (foreseeable or not) that may come from relying on this article, whether as result of our negligence, breach of contract or otherwise. “Loss” includes (but is not limited to) any direct, indirect or consequential loss, loss of income, revenue, benefits, profits, opportunity, anticipated savings, data. We do not exclude liability for any liability which cannot be excluded or limited under English law.
Green Decoder
Featuring a glossary of sustainable terms curated in partnership with the Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, our green decoder is helping smaller businesses decipher the terminology surrounding decarbonisation.
Your previously read articles
Related articles
Where could your business be in 2030 if you start your net zero journey today?
Read article Where could your business be in 2030 if you start your net zero journey today?
Glossary of Sustainable Terms
Read article Glossary of Sustainable Terms