How can we talk about sustainability standards in a clear, consistent and compelling language? It may seem like a strange question to ask, but in 2009 there was a problem. The Pacific Institute would go to meetings with policy makers, funders and think tanks and find that the people they were talking to had not realised […]
Projects
Assurance Model Options
What’s the best model for an international assurance programme? What are the options? What are the differences between those options? Is it better to set up your own assurance programme, or work with independent certification bodies? What makes best sense in your own situation? Every standards scheme will need to ask, and answer, these questions […]
Standards Comparison and Analysis
Over the years hundreds of different sustainability standards have been developed, to meet the needs of different sectors, address particular issues, or for application in particular countries or regions. There is an increasing need to understand how different standards compare, and many initiatives have set themselves up to provide such assessments. However, to really understand […]
Chain of Custody, Traceability and Labelling Options
Full supply chain traceability is easy to understand, and easy to ask for. It is the right solution in some situations. But it is not the only option for sustainability standards schemes. ‘Mass Balance’, ‘Percentage-Based Claims’ and ‘Book and Claim’ approaches should also be considered. It can be a costly mistake to commit to an […]
Improving Assessor Quality
The High Conservation Value (HCV) concept was created by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and has been adopted, referenced or adapted by a wide range of programmes including the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the Roundtable for Sustainable Soy (RTRS) and BonSucro. RSPO was concerned that the HCV concept was not being consistently applied […]
Standards Design, Review and Revision
A core element of any standards scheme is, of course, the scheme’s standard or set of standards. Getting a standard’s design and drafting right, so that the standard is easily understandable and effective in delivering on its objectives, is essential. OneWorldStandards has been asked by multiple schemes across a wide range of sectors to advise […]
Scheme Assessment
The WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a major supporter of sustainability standards initiatives, and is regularly asked to take part in new initiatives. But how to determine whether a new initiative merits engagement at an early stage? WWF Australia asked OneWorldStandards to benchmark a new initiative in the mining sector against the ‘best existing’ […]
Assuring Consumer Confidence in Ethical Trade
ISO’s Consumer Policy Committee established the “Ethical Trade Fact-finding Process” (ETFP) in May 2007, with the aim of understanding the nature and extent of inaccurate or false ‘ethical’ claims, as a step towards developing solutions to any problems identified in order to build consumer confidence. OneWorldStandards worked with The Pacific Institute to review and analyse […]
Support for ISEAL Membership
The Sustainable Eel Group (SEG) is a small NGO whose mission is to provide leadership for the restoration of healthy wild populations of the European eel throughout its natural range. SEG had already developed a sustainability standard for responsible eel fishers, ranchers and aquaculturalists, and had been operating a certification and labelling scheme for a […]