Though the ISO 26000 is not certifiable, it comes from a well-established and experienced organization. Further, ISO 26000 does allow for a third party to review an organizations report and provide verification. I would suggest that the concerned consumer put more trust into the ISO standards than the other three, newer models. This might require a bit of research, as opposed to looking for a label, as consumers can often do to satisfy their desire for environmental responsibility.
Problems?
Transparency:
The whole point (to me) is allowing consumers to make informed decisions transparency is of utmost importance. One problem is liability, which we have often illustrated in class by discussing the case in which Nike created the opportunity for liability by voluntarily publishing what they believed were their current responsible practices. My solution, would be to have independent third parties determine the ratings, much like a third party confers B-corp status. This can be an issue with organizations following the ISO guidelines, as third party verification is not required.
Tags: ISO 26000, JUST label, Novethic, Project label, socially responsible business
