Stand out from your competition by getting certified
The certification process helps your company establish action plans and metrics to keep you accountable to your goals. It adds credibility to your actions and shows your customers, employees, investors, suppliers and partners that you are serious about the environment. Certifications can cover areas such as your business’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the environmental impact of your operations and the energy efficiency of your building.
On average, SMEs that got the right systems and certifications took 14 months to recoup their investment.
Roadmap to getting a certification
It’s hard to pick a certification if you don’t know what your company is trying to achieve, and why. So, before you pick the badge you like best, outline SMART environmental goals—ones that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Maybe you want to cut your emissions by a certain percentage, or use more recycled materials in your products? No matter the goal, the important part is to have a target.
A well-selected certification should help you plot your path towards a given goal. It should also fit with your existing priorities. Once you are certified, you can use it to drive genuine progress on your company’s green ambitions.
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Setting SMART goals
SMART objectives help you determine where you want to get to and help you communicate that goal to your employees.
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B Corp free assessment tool
Discover more about the B impact assesment tool for businesses.
Certifications can set your business apart from the competition by identifying market opportunities. To get a sense of the type of certification that will appeal to your target audiences, survey your stakeholders—staff, customers, investors and even your community—to identify areas where your business can make the changes that your stakeholders are looking for. Look at your close competitors to see what certifications they have as well.
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Free and low-cost online survey tools for your business
Surveys can provide valuable business information. Discover our list of free and low-cost online survey tools for your business.
Some certifications are broad and fold environmental initiatives into more fulsome evaluations of your company’s sustainability.
- B Corp
There are also certifications focused only on environmental issues, like emissions and waste.
- Single-Use Plastic Free Certification
- ISO 14001
Others are product- or even sector-specific, offering validation for food or tourism industry businesses, for example.
- Feast On (Ontario only)
- Sustainable Tourism Certification for Businesses
- Rainforest Alliance Certification
- Canadian Organic Standards
- ENERGY STAR Canada
Credible certifications demand effort and clear evidence of progress from their applicants, while less rigorous options lack credibility and may open your company up to accusations of greenwashing. The right certification choice will drive progress on your company’s green goals and address your stakeholders’ primary expectations.
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Ecolabel Index
Discover the Ecolabel Index, the largest global directory of ecolabels,
currently tracking 456 ecolabels in 199 countries, and 25 industry sectors. -
Canadian environmental labels and claims
This guide explains some of the common green claims and labels you will see in Canada.
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B Corp
Learn more about the B Corp movement of companies aiming to benefit all people, communities and the planet.
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Single-Use Plastic Free Certification
Learn about the single-use plastic free certification.
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ISO 14001
Learn about the ISO 14000 certification, confirming that a company has processes in place to respect its environmental responsibilities.
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Feast On (Ontario only)
Learn about this certification for consumer facing Ontario businesses that support the Ontario food system.
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Rainforest Alliance Certification
Learn about the Rainforest Alliance certification.
- Canada Organic Standards
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ENERGY STAR Canada
Learn about ENERGY STAR Canada.
To help ensure a successful certification process, task a team member or a green committee with overseeing your company’s progress. That way you can keep track of your developments and stay accountable to your action plan.
If you’re struggling with where to start, look to BDC or other consultant services for help. They can help you decide the best certifications for your business, and then establish a baseline and plot a path to success.
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BDC certification consulting services
Our experts can help you achieve internationally recognized certifications or pass an audit in quality management, information security and environmental management.
By not making an informed choice on a certification, businesses leave themselves open to accusations of greenwashing by consumers who are increasingly savvy about companies and certifiers that can’t back up their claims.
Some rules of good practice include
- Use certifications that have been verified by an independent third party.
- Do not create your own certification to affix to your products.
- Do not use vague terms such as "eco-responsible" or "green" with no direct reference to the company's actions.
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Recommended resources
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The content of this webpage is provided for information purposes only, and the reader is responsible for any decisions resulting from its use. The results of applying the content are not guaranteed by BDC and may vary depending on the context, market, sector, financial situation and size of the company. Content originating from a source outside of BDC is the sole responsibility of the author of that source.