More than one third of shoppers now actively choose brands that can demonstrate good sustainability practices and values, while one in three have stopped buying from certain companies because of environmental concerns (1).

For brands, this means that understanding and maximising social and environmental responsibilities makes good business sense.

However, consumers need – and want – help in making sustainable choices. Some 88% of shoppers in the UK and USA say they’d like brands to help them be more environmentally-friendly (2), while more than a third say that a lack of information is stopping them from choosing the most sustainable brands(3).

Becoming ethy accredited helps businesses give consumers the information they want at the moments that matter most, so they can make informed purchasing decisions. Give consumers the reasons they’re looking for to choose your brand.

Using sustainability standards benefits businesses in a whole range of areas, from improved reputation and profitability to reduced costs and increased production(4).

ethy’s corporate sustainability certification benefits:


Proof-back your claims to ensure brand credibility. Consumers are more aware of greenwashing than ever before. Third party accreditation shows that you have hard evidence of your sustainability efforts and are transparent about your business practices. This is key to avoiding accidental greenwashing and minimising the risks associated with making green claims. This authenticity is key to building trust and brand reputation.

With ethy’s expert-backed accreditation framework developed 

 some of the most important authorities in the field of sustainability, ESG and CSR, you can be confident that your business is pioneering best practice.

Supercharge sales with powerful communication

66% of global shoppers are willing to pay more for sustainable goods, according to the Nielsen Global Corporate Sustainability Report. However, it’s not always easy for consumers to identify the brands that are having a positive impact. Sustainability-smart consumers want accessible, no-fuss indicators of quality and distinction when they make shopping choices.

ethy accredited companies gain access to powerful visual communications tools that instantly convey a company’s verified positive impact on people, environment and animals, capturing the attention of potential shoppers. Using a third-party accreditation helps your company credibly stand out for all the good reasons.

Showcase positive impact across products, shop windows, sales materials, marketing campaigns and corporate communications to give consumers the reasons to choose your brand.

Sustainability champions are a growing audience, yet with sustainability proving a confusing area for most consumers, we developed a top-rated 

 that helps consumers shop by their values.

ethy accredited members gain access to our multi channel platform of 10,000+ conscious shoppers across the UK. Through our in-house editorial team, we deliver your company an SEO optimised brand profile on our mobile apps and website and put your company in front of thousands of responsible shoppers. On an ongoing basis ethy members enjoy opportunities to increase reach and brand awareness through features in various marketing campaigns, on-site promotions, collaborations and participating in 

Build employee knowledge and incorporate sustainable practices while engaging stakeholders in your sustainability strategy.

Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. It’s a path towards realigning your company to be more functional with nature. This means continuous improvement towards more sustainable practices.

We support accredited companies along their journey through corporate sustainability workshops for you and your employees. 

 provide a cost-effective way to access expert training on sustainable company performance and engage employees in your sustainability strategy.

Engaging in sustainability principles such as reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, circular economy and redesign can benefit companies financially too. Through ethy’s accreditation assessment and workshops companies can identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve profitability through improving operational efficiency.

Shifting towards a more sustainable future means engaging all stakeholders in your efforts, from employees to investors. Accreditation boosts your reputation, attracts the best possible talent and serves as a helpful barometer to potential investors who are increasingly putting sustainability and ESG at the top of their wish-lists.


Showcase contribution towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

According to the World Economic Forum, just 0.2% of companies globally were classed as acting “strongly” in line with the SDGs as of March 2021.

 are a collection of 17 interlinked goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. We believe that consumers and businesses have a leading role to play in this and our aim is to empower both to act for a more sustainable future. We have done this by developing a sustainability accreditation standard that is in alignment with the SDGs.

That’s why our sustainability accreditation standard is developed in alignment with the SDGs.

Going through ethy’s accreditation process demonstrates that you’re playing an active role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and that sustainability isn’t just a CSR exercise for your business.


Three-quarters of millennials would take a pay cut to work at an environmentally considerate company(5) whilst two-thirds of UK workers have actively sought help and support with their mental and physical health and wellbeing in 2021(6).

ethy accreditation helps companies communicate their sustainability agenda to attract and engage the top talent. We use positive, optimistic language in our materials, designed to get all stakeholders excited and inspired about sustainability and your company’s role within it.

Happy and healthy people make a productive and sustainable workforce. ethy’s standards guide companies to ensure employee wellbeing is considered and incorporated at the heart of company culture.


Convenient digital dashboard and dedicated support

Bringing accreditation services to the 21st century, ethy’s digital solution offers a comprehensive dashboard to manage everything in one place. Companies can submit their assessment questionnaire and upload supporting evidence; review and approve their company listing; see the ethy app and website analytics for their listing; and access their personalised communications toolkit & assets as well as business resources and FAQs.

Our team of experts are here to help you through the journey. You’ll always be able to talk to a real person through dashboard live chat, email or video calls.


How long does it take to get ethy accredited?

Typically it takes only a few weeks from submitting your assessment questionnaire results to a business having received accreditation and having a published profile on the ethy platform. However, the real timeline depends also on factors such as complexity of business, time it takes to receive any further supporting evidence required, approval of profile content, etc.


How can my company get ethy accreditation?

The questionnaire is straightforward, but we do ask for supporting information and data. It’s important that your claims can be backed up with hard evidence – this is central to the integrity of ethy accreditation and key to reassuring consumers that your company is taking sustainability seriously. If you want to learn more about the criteria and documentation required for each trust mark before applying 

If you would like to talk to us or see a demo, please 

. You can add as many guests from your company as you need.

Ready to start your accreditation journey? 

https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/sustainable-consumer.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/solitairetownsend/2018/11/21/consumers-want-you-to-help-them-make-a-difference/

(3) Deloitte:  https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/sustainable-consumer.html

(4) Iseal Alliance:  https://www.isealalliance.org/sites/default/files/resource/2019-05/Summary%20-%20Business%20Benefits%20of%20Standards%20Report.pdf

(5) according to the 2016 Cone Communications Millennial Employee Engagement Study.

https://www.fenews.co.uk/work-leadership/latest-news-data-confirms-workers-health-and-wellbeing-were-2021s-biggest-challenge-two-thirds-of-uk-workers-sought-health-related-support-last-year/

How does ethy accreditation benefit your company?

So your company has been making great strides to improve its environmental and social performance. But how do you go about letting the world know about it?

Communicating your company’s positive impact can be fraught with obstacles. Not to mention that only 20% of shoppers trust brand sustainability claims according to a report by Compare Ethics.

Greenwashing has certainly taken its toll on consumer trust, but how can companies with genuine intentions mitigate allegations of greenwashing and communicate their green credentials effectively?

After all, well-crafted communications can unlock huge benefits and transform sustainability into a competitive advantage.

Greenwashing simply can't thrive in an atmosphere that embraces transparency. When the marketing of sustainable products or services is open and explicit, it prevents exaggeration and provides evidence.

Companies hoping to garner trust should also own up to their pitfalls (not just triumphs), which can go a long way in gaining the respect of today’s shoppers.

So how do you go about being transparent? Third party accreditation is a good place to start. According to Compare Ethics, 83% of shoppers would be more likely to trust a product’s sustainability claim if it had been verified by a third party.

Our own ethy accreditation process provides expert assurance that a company has met a set of robust criteria through evidence-led assessment.

Sustainability is a huge and complex topic, which can overwhelm people unless you keep things simple. While it may be tempting to include every possible piece of information around your sustainability endeavours, the everything-no-filter approach rarely leads to effective reporting. Focus on the metrics that are most important to your company and target audience.

A picture paints a thousand words, and so we developed a way to communicate company-wide sustainability in just that - one picture. We call it the Impact Hive:

Made up of proof-earned trust marks, the Impact Hive provides an overview of your company’s sustainability story in a consumer-friendly format.

The climate crisis is depressing enough without constant reminders of the doom and gloom scenario. Positive messages can make sustainability-related behaviours feel more accessible and less scary. Through uplifting messaging and imagery, companies can inspire collective action and install a sense of empowerment.

At ethy, this is something we’ve carried through within our own brand DNA and embrace within our own communications around sustainability. Even something as trivial as our choice of colours play a role here!

Audiences for sustainability communications are becoming increasingly diverse, as the wider public is taking a greater interest into sustainability. These varied stakeholders want different things from sustainability communications. While some might be focused on societal impact, others may be more concerned with the environment and preservation of nature.

You’ll need to identify what each of your stakeholders want and how best to tailor your sustainability communications to meet their specific needs.

To reiterate, effective sustainability communications is a no easy feat. Consumer trust is at an all time low while brand loyalty has never been more important.

This is where we come in! It’s time to proof-back your environmental and social efforts through ethy and use our pioneering communication solutions to spread the word in a credible way.

How to communicate sustainability

As an ethy accredited company, you can demonstrate your commitment for a more sustainable future using this specific accreditation mark.  Only companies that have successfully passed ethy's accreditation assessment are permitted to use the accreditation mark.

The accreditation mark must appear in isolation and comply with the guidelines in the following pages. It should not be combined with any other assets and should be applied to be as visible as possible. In no circumstances is the accreditation mark permitted to be hand drawn, re-created by any other organisation or person or incorporated into another organisation’s artwork.

It is important that the accreditation mark is used in accordance with ethy's Accreditation Mark Usage Guidelines. 



For full Accreditation Mark Usage Guidelines, please click here.

How to use your accreditation mark

Derived from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and developed with 

, ethy's trust marks help consumers understand your company's sustainability achievements. Awarded through proof-backed assessment, trust marks ensure claims are accurate and explicit.

Only companies that have successfully passed ethy's accreditation assessment are permitted to use trust marks. Trust marks should be used to demonstrate specific environmental or social impact relevant to the company. 

Trust marks should not be combined with any other assets and should be applied to be as visible as possible. In no circumstances are trust marks permitted to be hand drawn, re-created by any other organisation or person or incorporated into another organisation’s artwork.

It is important that trust marks are used in accordance with ethy's Trust Mark Usage Guidelines. 

For full Trust Mark Usage Guidelines, please click here.

How to use your trust marks

As an ethy accredited company, you are provided with a bespoke Impact Hive that helps to communicate an overview of your sustainability journey so far. The Impact Hive is comprised of individual trust marks for which your company has met the specific criteria for during the assessment stage. 

The Impact Hive should be used to represent company-wide sustainability achievements and not be used to represent a particular product or service. The Impact Hive should not be combined with any other assets and should be applied to be as visible as possible. 

In no circumstances should the Impact Hive be hand drawn, re-created by any other organisation or person or incorporated into another organisation’s artwork. Usage of the Impact Hive should comply with the guidelines in the following pages.

For full Impact Hive usage guidelines, please click here.

How to use your Impact Hive

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. It is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world because it’s cheap and versatile.

In the average UK supermarkets, up to 50% of packaged products contain palm oil. It’s found in foods such as cosmetics, soap, toilet paper, cleaning products as well as food products from cakes and chocolate to margarine.

There are over 200 names for palm oil  which can make it difficult to even know that palm oil is used in a product. There best way to remember it is that there are four main names for palm oil that you may find on the back of a product label:

Palm (e.g. Etyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl palmitate (304), Distilled Monoglyceride Palm)

Stear (e.g. Aluminium stearate, Diisostearyl Malate)

Laur (e.g. Ammonium laureth sulphate, Lauric acid, Sodium laurel)

Glyc (e.g. Acetylated Monoglycerides, Caprylic triglyceride, Glycerin)

, these names comprise about 60% of global palm oil use and although frequently used on the back of labels, they might not always refer to palm oil. However, they are the foundations making up the fatty acids that palm oil can be made into.

There are over 200 different names for palm oil. This list includes A-Z names that palm oil is also known as:


• Acetic and fatty acid esters of glycerol

• Aluminium, calcium, sodium, magnesium salts of fatty acids

• Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate (vitamin C)

• Citric and fatty acid esters of glycerol

• Diacetyltartaric acid esters of monoglycerides

• Diacetyltartaric and fatty acid esters of glycerol

• Dicocoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate

Resources

How does ethy accreditation benefit your company?

How to communicate sustainability

How to use your accreditation mark

How to use your trust marks

How to use your Impact Hive

Explore more resources

Alternative names for palm oil

Communicate your brand's sustainability credentials, credibly