There are a large number of certifications, accreditations, voluntary standards, and model codes of conduct (ie standards systems) that seek to address issues relevant to the fashion industry. The scope, ambition, and compliance mechanisms vary between standards systems, with different requirements for transparency, auditing, and other assurance methods.

At the same time, Good On You is aware that brands suffer from reporting burden and fatigue due to the large number of stakeholders and initiatives in sustainability. Where possible, Good On You incorporates leading standards, indices, and certification systems into our methodology provided:

  1. They are robust and credible.
  2. They require publicly available information.

In consultation with experts, Good On You reviews each of the standards systems to identify their scope and assurance methodology in order to assess how to score a brand that is certified by, or complies with, a standards system. Certifications may have a broad impact on several issues. Learn more here.

Vetted and respected certifications and standards systems represent only a portion of the data Good On You’s rating methodology considers. Good On You’s rating system [PDF] looks at all other publicly available evidence of impact on issues that affect people, the planet, and animals—including what brands report on their websites, their stakeholders updates, sustainability reports, and so on.

 

Certifications and standards Good On You considers

We reference the following certifications, accreditations, standards, initiatives and guidelines when rating brands:

  • 1% for the Planet
  • Action on Living Wages (ACT)
  • Asia Floor Wage Alliance
  • Be Slavery Free initiative
  • Better Cotton Initiative
  • Bluesign System
  • BSR's HERproject
  • Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
  • Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)
  • Carbon Trust Standard
  • CITES listed species
  • Centre for Circular Design
  • Certified Cotton made in Africa
  • Child Labour Free
  • Clean Clothes Campaign
  • Common Objective
  • Cradle to Cradle
  • CEO Water Mandate
  • Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA)
  • Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)
  • EU Ecolabel
  • European Clothing Action Plan
  • Fair Labor Association (FLA)
  • Fair Trade USA
  • Fairtrade International - Hired Labour
  • Fairtrade International - Small Producers Organizations
  • Fairtrade Textile Standard
  • Fashion for Good
  • Fashion Pact
  • FSC certified packaging
  • Fur Free Retailer
  • Global Fashion Agenda Commitment
  • Global Living Wage coalition
  • Global Recycle Standard
  • Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Guidelines
  • Global Social Compliance Program (GSCP)
  • GOTS
  • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
  • International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry
  • International Labour Organization (ILO)
  • Leather Working Group
  • Leather Working Group Animal Welfare Group
  • Made in Green by OEKO-TEX ® certified
  • Microfibre Consortium
  • Ocean Clean Wash
  • Online Apparel Register (OAR)
  • Outdoor Industry Association’s Microfiber Taskforce
  • PETA
  • Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST)
  • RWS International Working Group
  • REACH Restricted Substances List (RSL)
  • Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC)
  • Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit - SMETA Best Practice Guidance Social Accountability International - SA8000
  • STeP by OEKO-TEX ® certified
  • Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC)
  • Textile Exchange Member
  • Textile Exchange Responsible Leather Round Table
  • Textiles 2030
  • Transparency Pledge and/or Open Data Standard for Apparel
  • Turkman Cotton Pledge
  • UN Fashion Industry Charter on Climate Action
  • WBCSD Global Water Tool
  • WFTO Guarantee System
  • Worn Again
  • World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO)
  • Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production - WRAP
  • WRI Aqueduct
  • WWF Water Risk Filter
  • ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL)