A snapshot of voluntary sustainability standards: Key results

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will only be possible if the global economy can be strategically directed towards their realization. Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) offer one of the most explicit vehicles for linking consumption, production and trade with specific sustainable development outcomes. The diversity of forms and contexts within which VSS operate also implies different levels of effectiveness among such initiatives. However, several of the underlying principles embodied by the standards development process – namely standardization, harmonization, measurability and transparency – are mutually aligned with more efficient and sustainable market activity.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Responsible Consumption and Production