La petite entreprise qui devrait...

Imaginez la scène. Vous êtes une petite entreprise qui souhaite être reconnue et crédible sur le plan durable. C'est un scénario classique. Vos dirigeants savent qu'il est essentiel de réduire l'impact de l'entreprise sur la planète, mais ils ne savent pas par où commencer. Ils demandent donc aux employés de leur soumettre des idées. Il y a des tonnes d'excellentes initiatives, mais vos dirigeants ont toujours l'impression qu'ils risquent de faire des changements au coup par coup sans agir pleinement de manière durable et intègre. Après des recherches plus approfondies, il semble que le fait de viser une norme constitue un cadre efficace pour la gestion de vos incidences environnementales. Cependant, les exigences sont complexes et le recours à un consultant est trop onéreux. 

Cela vous rappelle-t-il quelque chose ? Vous aussi, vous souhaitez vous aligner sur une norme industrielle ou mondiale, mais vous ne savez pas par où commencer ?

Ne vous inquiétez pas, The Toolbox est là pour vous guider, vous et votre équipe, tout au long du processus. En plus des outils et de notre assistance individuelle, cet article vous donnera un aperçu de la manière de naviguer parmi les normes et les certifications, en particulier ISO et B-Corp, de choisir celle qui vous convient et d'apprendre à intégrer ses exigences à l'aide de The Toolbox, afin de devenir un leader en matière de durabilité dans votre secteur d'activité.

Si vous avez besoin d'un aperçu rapide des avantages, des inconvénients et du processus, consultez le tableau en bas de l'article. Sinon, poursuivez votre lecture pour plonger dans les détails.

ISO

Commençons par l'ISO. ISO est l'acronyme de International Organization for Standardization (Organisation internationale de normalisation). Il s'agit d'un groupe de plus de 160 pays qui travaillent ensemble pour créer et promouvoir des normes internationales. Chaque pays membre possède son propre organisme de normalisation et tous collaborent à l'élaboration de normes dans des domaines tels que la technologie, les processus d'essais scientifiques et, bien sûr, la gestion environnementale et durable. L'ISO crée des documents qui détaillent ces normes. Les entreprises et les organisations adaptent ensuite leurs propres stratégies pour répondre à ces spécifications.

Les normes ISO que nous examinons dans cet article sont divisées en dix sections appelées clausesLes trois premières clauses expliquent l'objet de la norme et définissent les termes importants utilisés dans la norme. Les sept autres paragraphes décrivent les exigences requises pour se conformer à la norme. Ces exigences comprennent la compréhension du contexte de l'organisation (clause 4), un leadership fort (clause 5), la planification (clause 6), le support (clause 7), les opérations (clause 8), l'évaluation (clause 9), et l'amélioration continue (clause 10).

La première de ces normes est la norme ISO 14001. Référence reconnue dans le monde entier, la norme ISO 14001 aide les entreprises à élaborer des sytèmes de contrôle afin de maîtriser et, à terme, de réduire leur impact sur l'environnement. Elle a été publiée pour la première fois en 1996, en réponse à la demande croissante des organisations de démontrer leur responsabilité environnementale. La norme exigeait des organisations qu'elles définissent des politiques et des objectifs environnementaux et qu'elles se concentrent sur la gestion de leurs incidences négatives sur l'environnement, principalement la lutte contre la pollution. 

Aujourd'hui, la norme ISO 14001 a amélioré les exigences de base, notamment en ce qui concerne la conformité, et inclut des critères plus approfondis sur la façon dont les mesures sont mises en œuvre et intégrées. Par ailleurs, les organisations doivent aujourd'hui dissocier les aspects sur lesquels elles ont un contrôle direct de ceux qu'elles peuvent influencer (voir Le template de la matrice des enjeux de The Toolbox - Étape 4) et sont tenus d'agir en tant qu'" acteurs du changement " pour susciter un changement systémique tout au long de leur chaîne d'approvisionnement (cf. Template de charte d'approvisionnement durable - Etape 6). 

ISO 2012.1 est un système de gestion durable des événements. Adoptée en tant que norme ISO après les Jeux olympiques de 2012, les organisations peuvent l'appliquer à tout événement qu'elles organisent ou, comme la norme ISO 14001, elles peuvent l'intégrer au cœur de l'entreprise et l'appliquer à chaque événement à partir de là. La norme ISO 2012.1 adopte une approche fondée sur les systèmes de management et propose un cadre qui facilite l'identification des impacts sociaux, économiques et environnementaux potentiellement négatifs des événements. Les organisateurs peuvent utiliser ce référentiel pour réduire ou éliminer de tels impacts dans leurs processus de planification et de mise en œuvre des événements.

En mettant en œuvre la norme ISO 2012.1 ou ISO 14001, votre organisation peut intégrer la durabilité à des aspects cruciaux tels que la sélection des installations ou des lieux, le transport, le recyclage et la circularité, la création d'une stratégie alimentaire durable, la promotion d'un mode de vie sain et la valorisation des compétences, de l'emploi et de la pérennité de l'entreprise. La norme permet également de réduire les coûts, les émissions de carbone et les déchets, de gérer la biodiversité des lieux et des installations, et de promouvoir un recrutement diversifié et inclusif.

Le processus

Si vous souhaitez obtenir une certification ISO, voici comment The Toolbox peut vous aider : 

1. ? Comprendre la norme et y faire référence dans votre politique : Avant d'entamer le processus de certification, il est essentiel de comprendre les exigences de la norme ISO. Vous pouvez consulter les normes sur le site de l'Organisation internationale de normalisation (ISO). En plus de la norme, vous pouvez utiliser cette Liste récapitulative pour ISO 14001 (PWC) ou ce guide de Greenshoot Pacific pour la norme ISO 2012.1. Lorsque vous entreprenez votre programme de durabilité, vous pouvez intégrer ces exigences dans votre politique grâce à l'Étape 2 de The Toolbox. Ce faisant, vous pouvez utiliser cette politique pour discuter avec les fournisseurs et les parties prenantes des collaborations potentielles en vue de répondre aux exigences, à l'aide des outils de la rubrique Étape 3 : Engager les parties prenantes. 
2. ? Assess your current sustainability management practices: The next step is to review operation and management practices and identify any gaps between your existing operations and the requirements of the standard using the Issues Matrix in Step 4 and set targets to address those issues using the Goals and Targets template in Step 5.
3. ?️ Develop an action plan: Once you’ve identified the gaps and set targets, you can develop a plan to address them using Step 6: Planning and Implementing a Sustainability Program. Devise initiatives to implement the necessary changes required to meet the standard over the course of your next reporting cycle.
4. ?️ Implement the standard: Put your plan into action and implement the changes you’ve identified, tracking your progress with our range of trackers in Step 7: Assessing Progress.
5. ⚖️ Conduct an internal audit: Once you feel your organization is up to scratch, you should start by auditing yourself for compliance to ensure you meet the standard’s requirements. Using The Toolbox, you can reassess how you have addressed the gaps outlined in your Issues Matrix, the legal obligations, and the non-conformance register, then use the internal audit template in Step 7: Assessing Progress to complete the first-party verification. 

After that, you can initiate a second-party verification. This is when you bring in another affiliated organization to audit your organization. You are only fully certified when your organization has done a third-party verification. This is when a completely independent body audits your organization to ensure you evenhandedly meet the standard’s requirements. Third-party audits typically take place annually and can last for months. ISO doesn’t conduct third-party audits nor accredit compliance against standards, so your organization should research and choose a certification body with processes best suited to your operations. The third-party auditor should be certified by a legitimate internationally recognized accreditation body, such as those registered with the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), ensuring that your organization’s certification will be recognized globally.

ISO Standards: The pros and cons 

Getting certified can take your business from environmental rookie to sustainability champ! It shows that you are committed to quality, competence, and credibility, which is great for your reputation and puts you head and shoulders above competitors in your industry. Not only that, but certification can also help you improve your processes, increase efficiency, and save money, all contributing to that bottom line. Adhering to standards can also boost reputation, attract new customers and keep existing clients coming back for more. For instance, according to Unilever, their purpose-driven brands are growing more than twice the rate of the rest of their portfolio.

Being ISO-certified can open up new markets and opportunities for your business. Many organizations, like the energy giant SSE or manufacturers such as LG Electronics, BASF, or Samsung, require ISO certification for new suppliers to do business with them.

Of course, we do all this mainly to reduce environmental impact and create a safer work environment. Applying your organization to the requirements of the standard now makes you more prepared for future mandatory environmental or social regulation and reduces your risk of negatively impacting your stakeholders. The Toolbox also believes that with third-party verification, ISO standards show that you objectively care about sustainability and safety, which is becoming an increasingly significant consideration for employees and customers.

Sounds good, right? Let’s get going! Well, hold your horses just a minute. There are just a couple of downsides to consider. The disadvantages of certification are primarily cost and time. 

Costs vary widely depending on how much external expertise is needed, but they can easily eclipse $50,000 for a mid-sized company with no quality system actively in place. However, pricing varies by the company’s size. If an organization is canny, it will significantly reduce costs by taking on much preparation work by using The Toolbox. In turn, it can negotiate down the number of audit days, which can substantially impact the certification cost. Be sure to look at the total three-year cost for third-party audits, not just the one-year cycle, as some certification bodies have higher ongoing costs than others. 

It’s important to note that each certification body may have specific requirements and procedures for certification, so it’s essential to research and choose a reputable certification body that meets your particular needs. You may save money and decide to comply with ISO standards and just continue to make second-party audits with stakeholders without seeking third-party certification. You will be able to market your achievements, but explicitly marketing compliance without third-party verification could land you in a big pool of greenwash. Only organizations that are certified by an accredited certification body can legally advertise that achievement.

With that in perspective, it’s important to note that standards only go so far as to outline the minimum requirements to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of your products, services, and systems. By focusing your resources on moving beyond ISO standards rather than verifying your compliance, your organization can position itself as regenerative rather than sustainable, applying management techniques to sustain operations and be restorative, creating benefits for all stakeholders.

B-Corp

“The ISOs sound great, but my organization is still changing and fluid, and we want to ensure we are best leveraging positive change as world leaders,” I hear you cry. Well, B-Corp certification is a third-party certification that is designed by for-profit companies, for for-profit companies and verifies performance against world-leading environmental standards and social sustainability indicators. Becoming a B-Corp certified company is a very rigorous process requiring a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. However, B-Corp certification can help your business differentiate itself from competitors, as it’s more stringent than ISO, attracting socially conscious investors and customers and demonstrating outstanding commitment to positively impacting the world.

To gain and maintain certification, organizations must receive a minimum score of 80 from an assessment on specific requirements for ten topics.

These topics are:

1. ? Purpose & Stakeholder Governance
2. ?‍♀️ Worker Engagement
3. ? Fair Wages
4. ?️‍? Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
5. ✊ Human Rights
6. ? Climate Action
7. ? Circularity & Environmental Stewardship
8. ? Collective Action
9. ? Impact Management
10. ❗ Risk Standards

Each assessment criterion under the ten topics has a different weighting. Your organization can strategize to make swift and impactful change by meeting the criterion with the biggest weighting or the lowest-hanging fruit.  At the time of writing this article, the exact requirements are being renewed and are in the consultation phase and will be outlined later this year. We know they will still follow the same ten-topic format, ensuring a positive impact across various activities and concerns. 

Le processus

Discover how The Toolbox can support you in the steps to becoming B-Corp certified;

1. ?Understand the requirements of the 10 topics and reference them in your policy: Integrate the B-Corp requirements into your sustainability policy in l'Étape 2 de The Toolbox and collaborate with suppliers and stakeholders to meet them using the tools in Étape 3 : Engager les parties prenantes; 
2. ?Assess your current sustainability management practices: Identify any gaps between your current practices and the requirements of the standard using the Issues Matrix in Step 4 and set targets to address those issues using the Goals and Targets template in Step 5; 
3. ?️Create an action plan: Creat your road map using Step 6: Planning and Implementing a Sustainability program 
4. ?️Implement the necessary changes you’ve identified, tracking your progress with our range of trackers in Step 7: Assessing Progress.
5. ⚖️ Conduct an Internal Audit: Using the B-Impact Assessment, once you feel fully fledged as a B-corp business, you can assess your organization’s performance against the B-Corp standards. This free online tool measures your company’s impact on its workers, community, environment, and stakeholders against the B-Corp criteria.

After receiving positive results from the B-Impact Assessment, you can submit your application to B-Lab, the nonprofit organization that certifies B-Corps. B-Lab will review your application as a third-party audit. They may require additional documentation and evidence to verify your company’s social and environmental impact, so stay diligent in tracking your implementation efforts. If your company meets the B-Corp standards and passes the verification process, you’ll be certified as a B-Corp. Woo-hoo! You will receive a certificate, be included in their list of registered B-Corps, and will be able to market your organization using the B-corp ensign. 

B-Corp: The Pros and Cons

The Pros and Cons of B-Corp certification are very similar to ISO certification in that the marketable benefits need to be weighed up against the cost of the assessment. However, the B-Corp standards are more stringent, cheaper to audit, and arguably more and more marketable as a brand than ISO. Also, being certified comes with some great community benefits and perks, such as access for employees to discounts from other B-Corps or academic loan forgiveness (This means that employees of B-Corps with student loans may be able to get support in paying them off from the B-Corp community).

On the other hand, there are some potential downsides to consider. For example, unlike ISO, B-Lab certification has no legal status, and organizations need to pay annual administrative and legal fees depending on your company’s revenue. Additionally, B-Lab’s standards aren’t necessarily based on international standards, which means they haven’t been peer-assessed in different markets for social responsibility. Finally, B-corp initiatives have come under scrutiny for being focused on point scoring, benefitting corporate interests over those of other stakeholders, and in turn, often face more scrutiny than international standards. 

The little business that could!

As you make your choices and aim for a certification, remember free one-to-one guidance is available from The Toolbox team. 

Starting processes is never easy, but by aligning your organization to a standard or certification, you and your team can continuously learn valuable lessons, build on achievements, and gain skills. Start today, and you will be more equipped than ever to become a force of good on our planet’s journey towards a better, more prosperous, equitable, and environmentally-safe future for all.

Pros and Cons Table

	Pros	Cons	Process
ISO	– Certification shows commitment to quality, competence, and credibility, which is great for your reputation and puts you ahead of competitors in your industry. – Certification can help you improve your processes, boost efficiency, and save money, contributing to a bigger bottom line. – Adhering to standards prioritizes customer satisfaction, helping you attract and retain new customers. – Being ISO-certified can open up new markets and opportunities for your business. – Certification reduces the risk of causing grief to your stakeholders.Using The Toolbox can reduce costs by taking on much of the preparation work	– Costs vary widely. It can easily eclipse $50,000 for a mid-sized company with no quality system actively in place. – Each certification body has specific requirements and procedures for certification, so it can be time-consuming to research and choose a certification body that meets your particular needs. – You cant legally claim compliance with ISO standards without seeking third-party certification. – Standards only outline the minimum requirements to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of your products, services, and systems.	? Understand the ISO or B-corp requirements and reference them in your policy (Step 2: Create a sustainability policy) Discuss potential collaborations with suppliers and stakeholders to meet requirements. (Étape 3 : Engager les parties prenantes.) ? Assess your current environmental management practices and identify any gaps between your existing operations and the requirements of the standard or certification (Step 4 Issues Matrix) Set targets to address issues (Step 5: Goals and Targets template) ?️ Develop an action plan (Step 6: Planning and Implementing a sustainability program)  ?️ Implement the standard: Put your plan into action and track progress (Step 7: Assessing Progress.) ⚖️ Conduct an internal audit: (Step 7: Internal audit template ou B-Impact Assessment)Verify compliance with a legitimate ISO accreditation body or B-labs in a Third Party Audit
B- Corp	– B-Corp certification has similar marketable benefits to ISO certification. – B-Corp brand and movement are arguably stronger and more recognizable to consumers. – B-Corp standards are more stringent – B-labs auditing is cheaper than ISOBeing certified brings great community benefits and employee perks, such as discounts from other B-Corps or academic loan forgiveness.	– B Lab certification has no legal status, unlike ISO certification. – Organizations must pay annual administrative and legal fees depending on their revenue. – B-Corp standards aren’t necessarily based on international standards and haven’t been peer-assessed in different markets for social responsibility. – B-corp initiatives often face more scrutiny than international standards and have been seen to focus on point scoring and benefitting corporate interests over those of other stakeholders.

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