What is ISO 53001?
Companies and organisations around the world already align their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activities against these seventeen goals. Now, for the first time, an international (ISO) standard will be available to allow a management system to be developed, organised and certified to provide for the management and improvement of performance against those SDGs which are of relevance to each company.
The UN SDGs are well established, as follows:
Management system performance against these SDGs is critical for organisational level sustainable development strategies, and is of increasing interest to many of your organisation’s stakeholders including customers, regulators, employees, investors and suppliers. The transition to a more sustainable economy through the integration of these SDGs into decision making is therefore of paramount importance.
With an increased focus on sustainability disclosure reporting requirements in both the UK and the EU, the introduction of this new ISO standard is timely and very welcome. As a global Certification and Verification Body, NQA’s Carbon & Sustainability team are ready to partner with you on your ISO 53001 certification journey.
Helps you with
- Gaining a competitive advantage by demonstrating your commitment to sustainable development
- Organising your sustainability strategy around a globally recognised ISO standard using globally recognised SDGs
- Demonstrating best practice to your key stakeholders, including customers, regulators, employees, investors and suppliers
- Demonstrating commitment and transparency
- Preparing to satisfy any statutory requirements for mandatory ESG reporting, for example the UK government's framework for UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS).
ISO 53001 Certification Journey
Prepare:
Your organisation can start preparing for ISO 53001 now, and aim for certification when the standard is launched, potentially becoming one of the world’s first organisations to achieve this. ISO/UNDP PAS 53002, Guidelines for Contributing to the UN SDGs, has already been published in 2024 and is a great starting point in your preparations for ISO 53001. You can use this to prepare with confidence, ready for the launch.
Structure and implement:
Structuring and implementing your Sustainability Management System using ISO/UNDP PAS 53002, and potentially integrating with your other Annex SL based ISO management systems such as ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 9001, will enable you to begin managing and improving your organisation’s performance against the SDGs.
Report:
ESG reporting is commonplace in many organisations, and the requirement to do so is increasing. Your preparations for ISO 53001 will enable you to measure your performance against the SDGs with confidence, enabling you to prepare and report your sustainable development efforts in a robust and credible manner.
Certify:
NQA can conduct an independent, third party certification of your management system for SDGs, to ensure this is accurate, reliable and robust. As a UKAS Accredited organisation for providing audit and certification of management systems, NQA will offer ISO 53001 certification services on an unaccredited basis initially, aiming to seek accreditation as soon as it becomes available.
Why Achieve 3rd Party Certification?
- Independent, third party certification to ISO 53001 with NQA will stand up to scrutiny and provide robust assurance to protect your organisation’s credibility in your sustainable development management
- Provides the highest degree of confidence to stakeholders
- Reduces the risk of operational or reputational damage caused by a potential error or misstatement
- You can promote your independent certification and utilise the relevant NQA logos / promotional materials.
NQA Certification Process
NQA will conduct the third party certification in accordance with ISO 17021, the accreditation standard for providing audit and certification services for management systems.The stages of the certification are as follows:
Stage 1
The Stage 1 audit ensures your management system is designed for conformance to ISO 53001 and for the effective management and improvement of your own relevant SDGs. We assess your readiness for the main Stage 2 certification audit and identify any areas of concern, enabling you to close out any gaps and ensure your Stage 2 audit is a success.
Stage 2
The purpose of this assessment is to carry out a full and comprehensive audit of your SDG management system in accordance with ISO 53001. This will include a thorough review of your documented system, the processes, their implementation, and their capability to provide improvement. Typically, the Stage 2 will involve an NQA auditor visiting your location(s) for site visits, interviews and discussion.
Upon a successful Stage 2 audit, NQA will issue a certificate for ISO 53001 with a three year validity period, with annual surveillance audits commencing thereafter.