Methodology

The GREEN BRAND seal of approval is a registered and protected EU certification mark for environmentally sustainable brands (companies, products, service providers, initiatives, and food products) that undergoes a neutral, transparent, and independent verification process.

The GREEN BRANDS procedure meets all the basic requirements applicable to a non-governmental certification system under Article 2, paragraph 1, letter s, of the ECGT Directive (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo):

• The requirements and conditions must be publicly available and meet specific criteria set out in the Directive.
• Certification must be based on an independent third-party audit.
• Compliance must be monitored by a competent, independent third party in accordance with international, EU, or national standards (e.g., ISO 17065 or the mechanisms provided for in Regulation (EC) No. 765/2008, etc.).
• The system must be transparent, credible, and open to all companies on fair and non-discriminatory terms.
• The system must be open to all companies that are willing and able to meet the requirements (non-exclusivity).
• The system operator shall define the requirements in consultation with relevant experts and stakeholders.
• The system must allow for the use of an appropriate sustainability label.

Furthermore, we reserve the right (following prior legal review) to deny the award if, during the validation process, facts come to light that violate the new EU-Validation Code regulations. This applies, among other things, to brand names and brand claims if their validity has not been confirmed in advance by recognized certifications and cannot simultaneously be legitimized through the GREEN BRANDS process—e.g., “organic.” As an EU guarantee mark, the GREEN BRANDS organization must comply with the strict legal regulations in all cases.

Registration / Nomination – the first step toward being recognized as a GREEN BRAND

Interested brands (companies / service providers / products / food products) can register informally via email. In addition, brands may also be nominated by industry associations/NGOs, media partners, the expert panel, and previous GREEN BRAND awardees themselves.

Validation – the core of the process

Upon participation, companies receive the relevant questionnaires and assessment forms for validation. These were developed in close collaboration with the international scientific sustainability institute SERI (Vienna), the Institute for Sustainability (INa) at HWR Berlin, and independent management consultancies specializing in climate protection and sustainability, such as ALLPLAN, as well as other experts, and are subject to ongoing review. Experts evaluate the forms and review the supporting documents or any additional certifications. Random on-site checks of the information provided are planned, as are detailed follow-up inquiries regarding unclear information. All information must be verifiable in detail through current company documentation.

The evaluation determines the company’s level on the “GREEN BRANDS Index.” Naturally, all participants receive the evaluation report with the transparent ratings.

The Expert Panel

The members of the Expert Panel (drawn from academia, sustainability communications, and sustainability consulting) are provided with comprehensive insight into the entire validation process. This includes all details of the validation as well as the external, neutral, and independent evaluation. Members of the expert panel may, at their request, advise the evaluating experts, ensuring that the validation results are broadly validated and confirmed. It is ensured that advisory members of the expert panel have no economic (business) interests in the relevant market.

Monitoring

Compliance with the regulations is monitored by a competent, independent third party in accordance with international, EU, or national standards (e.g., ISO 17065 or the mechanisms provided for in Regulation (EC) No. 765/2008, etc.).

All certified brands receive comprehensive services and benefits.