Certification / Accreditation

ISO 26000 Social responsibility

ISO 26000 is international guidance on social responsibility, covering an organisation’s impact on society, the economy and the environment. Unlike most ISO documents, it is explicitly not a management system standard. It cannot be certified against, and any claim of ‘ISO 26000 certification’ misrepresents what it actually is.

At its core, it sets out seven principles, including accountability and ethical behaviour, and seven core subjects, from human rights to community involvement, intended to be applied and referenced, not audited.

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Who it’s for and what’s involved

Relevant if you are:

Wanting a credible framework for social responsibility thinking

Preparing for a B Corp application or EcoVadis submission

Reviewing your governance, ethics or stakeholder engagement

Any organisation, of any size, public or private

Achieving certification involves:

Reviewing the seven core subjects for relevance to your business

Identifying and engaging your stakeholders

Integrating social responsibility into strategy and decision-making

Using it as the basis for a certifiable scheme, not a credential itself

How Q! supports certification

A thinking framework, not a deliverable

We use ISO 26000 to help clients structure their approach to social responsibility before translating it into something certifiable or ratable, such as B Corp or EcoVadis. Where it adds the most value is bringing out core subjects a business has not yet considered, particularly human rights and fair operating practices, areas easy to overlook until a customer or investor asks directly.

Someone offered you ISO 26000 certification? That is not a real thing.

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Mini FAQs

No. The standard states explicitly that it is guidance, not a management system standard, and that any offer to certify against it misrepresents its purpose. If a consultant or training provider offers ISO 26000 certification, that’s worth questioning.

It is the reference point that helps shape a goal, rather than the goal itself. We typically use it to structure thinking ahead of a B Corp application, an EcoVadis submission, or simply a clearer articulation of company values and governance.

Yes, explicitly so. The standard recognises that smaller organisations often have advantages of flexibility and closer community connection, and that integrating social responsibility does not need to be complex or expensive.

Often, yes. Many have used it simply to sharpen company values, governance structures and stakeholder thinking, without any certification goal at all. The seven core subjects are a useful checklist for spotting blind spots regardless of where the thinking ends up.