Rating Categories
The S-BAR Certification Tool will use a structured set of criteria that
covers the full range of social and environmental practices. The process
will take place online, reducing paperwork, time, and costs and will allow
for instantaneous feedback. The Tool will cover five major categories of
business activity, or domains:
- Governance and Management - How the company manages itself in relation
to its various stakeholders, including investors, customers, communities,
and regulators.
For example: Are corporate policies and practices aligned with sustainability
goals? Is the management of the corporation transparent to stakeholders?
Are employees appropriately engaged in the management of the company? Are
sustainability principles integrated from the top down into the day-to-day
operations of the company?
Intention: To assure that management is committed to sustainability and
corporate responsibility at all levels.
- Workplace - How company policies and practices engage employees.
For example: Are employees supported in all aspects of their lives, from
health and safety, to privacy and free speech, to work/life balance and lifelong
learning? Are employees treated fairly, without discrimination? Do suppliers
incorporate the same policies of social equity and employee support? Is the
productivity of the employees supported by enhanced esprit de corps?
Intention: To support the health, well-being and productivity of all employees.
- Community - The relationship between the company and the communities
within which it is embedded.
For example: How does the company support the vital services of the community
through philanthropy, volunteerism and investment? How does the company assess
and manage the social impacts of its operations on local communities? How
does company land use and building design impact the local economy and ecosystem?
Intention: To ensure that the company is a responsible and proactive corporate
citizen.
- Marketplace - The responsibility of the company for the development,
design, and management of its products and services, and their impacts
on customers and society at large.
For example: Are the products or services contributing to a more sustainable
future for all, or do they diminish future options for some, including succeeding
generations? Do sales and marketing communications truthfully and responsibly
inform customers about products, including their use, impacts, and end-of-life
disposition? Do the operations of the company cause negative short- or long-term
social or environmental impacts where they are used or operated?
Intention: To ensure the integrity of the company’s products and sales practices,
including their labeling and marketing.
- Environment – The company’s interactions with the environment at large,
including use of natural resources, and impacts on the Earth’s ecosystems.
For example: How efficiently are energy and other resources used in delivering
products and services, including those of its suppliers? What is the composition
of the company’s waste stream? How much is reused or reclaimed? Does the
company manage its operations use to benefit the local airshed and watershed?
How does the company impact land use and local ecological stability?
Intention: To reduce the company’s environmental impacts to levels that
are healthy for the company and for the environment, now and into the far
future.
For each domain, and for the questions within each, companies will be rated
based on four key measures:
- Policy (what commitments they have made)
- Practices (how they have implemented the policy)
- Performance (the measurable outcome of the practices)
- Progress (how performance has improved over time)
Want to learn more? Contact Us or sign up to Participate.
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