Standards, Protocols, and Certifications Course

This course module is presented in six sections, approximately one hour: 

• 9.1 Introduction - Explore why standards have emerged for sustainability, what benefits an organization can gain from adopting these standards, and how certifications provide assurance that sustainability claims are authentic. 
• 9.2 Sustainability Standards - Learn about rigorous standards developed by NGOs, such as the Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISEAL Alliance, and Social Accountability 8000 (SA 8000).
• 9.3 Sustainability Protocols - Learn about various reporting systems developed to reflect stakeholder interest in transparency and organizational sustainability performance, including GHG Protocol, CDP, VCS, GRI, SASB, IIRC, and TCFD.
• 9.4.1 Certifications & Labels, Part 1 - Discover how voluntary certifications and ecolabels ensure certain levels of sustainability performance, such as Environmental Product Declarations and certification groups for enterprise, supply chain, and organic production.
• 9.4.2 Certifications & Labels, Part 2 - Discover how voluntary certifications and ecolabels ensure certain levels of sustainability performance, through certification groups for energy and carbon, waste, manufactured products, and built environment.
• 9.5 Sustainability Scorecards - Understand how sustainability scorecards, developed by third-party entities, guide consumers and businesses in their purchasing decisions, with a focus on scorecards for higher education institutions and investors.
• 9.6 Conclusion - Review how standards, protocols, certifications, and labels use different tactics to help consumers and businesses better understand the sustainability performance of their products and services. 

Course participants will take one quiz at the end of this module, approximately 10 questions.

The Sustainability Core Competencies course is designed for individuals who may be new to the sustainability field but who plan to incorporate sustainability concepts directly into their work. It could also be for individuals who want third-party certification of their knowledge of sustainability via the SEA credential or those with expertise in a sector of sustainability that desire a broader industry understanding.

Following the successful completion of the course, students will receive a Certificate of Completion, indicating knowledge of core sustainability concepts and best practices. 

The completion of the full Sustainability Core Competencies course earns 5 Continuing Education Units (CEU) for SEA and SEP credential holders, and the completion of this module alone earns 0.5 CEU credits.

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