Eligibility, scope and use of the ESG Recognition

What the ESG Recognition means

The ESG Recognition is issued by the relevant legal entity within DNV Business Assurance Group ("DNV") to eligible management system certification customers. It confirms that the organisation named in the recognition operates certified management systems that support its environmental, social and governance commitments.

The ESG Recognition should be understood as recognition of eligible certified management systems. It is not a verification, assessment or rating of an organisation's overall ESG performance against any specific ESG model, framework, methodology, set of metrics or performance criteria. Nor does it constitute advice or a recommendation on which to base business, financial or investment decisions. Parties seeking assurance against a specific ESG framework or set of performance criteria should undertake their own independent due diligence.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for ESG Recognition, an organisation must, at a minimum, hold valid DNV-issued management system certifications covering all three ESG dimensions. These include ISO 14001 for Environmental Management within the environmental dimension, ISO 14001 for Environmental Management in the environmental dimension, ISO 45001 for Occupational Health and Safety Management in the social dimension, and ISO 9001 for Quality Management in the governance dimension.

Additional eligible management system certifications may also be included under the relevant environmental, social or governance dimension to provide a more comprehensive overview of the organisation's certified management systems.

Scope and interpretation

The management system certifications included within an ESG Recognition may not cover the organisation's entire operations. The scope of each certification should therefore be considered when interpreting the ESG Recognition and the assurances it provides.

Validity and certificate status

The ESG Recognition remains valid only for as long as the organisation continues to meet the applicable eligibility requirements. If a required management system certification expires, is suspended, withdrawn or otherwise ceases to be valid, this may affect the organisation's eligibility to hold ESG Recognition.

Each ESG Recognition has a unique reference number stated under “Our ref.” The “Place and issue date” identifies when and where the specific recognition was issued, while the “First issue date” indicates when an ESG Recognition was first granted to the organisation.

How to check current information

The validity and status of an ESG Recognition, together with the management system certifications included within it, can be verified by scanning the QR code displayed on the recognition. The QR code provides access to DNV's secure online certificate checker, where users can view the current digital version of the recognition and the relevant certification details. 

If an ESG Recognition or any underlying management system certification is no longer valid, including where it has been suspended or withdrawn, its current status will be displayed in DNV’s online certificate checker.

As printed or downloaded copies may not reflect subsequent changes, the information displayed in DNV's online certificate checker takes precedence when determining the validity and status of an ESG Recognition or any associated certification.

Use of the ESG Recognition

The ESG Recognition must not be altered, modified or presented in any way that could misrepresent its meaning, validity, scope or the management system certifications on which it is based.

References to ESG Recognition must not imply that DNV has verified, assessed, rated or endorsed the organisation's overall ESG performance.