The answer is none
No company is ISO 26000 certified, because ISO 26000 cannot be certified. ISO has said so directly: the standard is not a management system standard, it is not intended or appropriate for certification, and any claim of certification to it is a misrepresentation and a misuse of the standard.
So a list of ISO 26000 certified companies is not a list that exists. What does exist is a list of companies making a claim that does not hold up, and a much larger group who have done real work and describe it accurately.
What companies claiming it actually have
| What they say | What it usually is | Verifiable? |
|---|---|---|
| "ISO 26000 certified" | A certificate from a firm with no accreditation for it | No |
| "ISO 26000 compliant" | A self-declaration | No |
| "Assessed against ISO 26000" | A third-party gap assessment and attestation | Yes — ask for the report |
| "Aligned with ISO 26000" | Usually a self-declaration, sometimes assessed | Ask |
| "SA8000 certified" | A real accredited certificate | Yes |
The third and fifth rows are legitimate and useful. The first is the one to question.
How to verify a social responsibility claim
Whether you are checking a supplier or preparing for someone to check you:
Ask which standard, and whether it is certifiable. ISO 26000, the UN Global Compact and the GRI standards are frameworks and reporting guidance, not certifications. SA8000, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 are certifiable.
Ask who issued it. A real certificate names an accredited certification body and carries a certificate number. Look the body up.
Ask for the scope statement. A certificate covering one site of a twelve-site business answers a much smaller question than it appears to.
Ask for the date. Certificates expire; attestations describe a point in time.
For ISO 26000 specifically, ask for the assessment report rather than a certificate. A firm that did the work will have one and will be glad to show it.
What to do if you were asked for it
If a customer or supplier programme has asked you for ISO 26000 certification, they have asked for something that does not exist — and telling them so, correctly and helpfully, usually lands better than quietly buying a meaningless certificate.
Two legitimate answers:
An independent ISO 26000 attestation with a findings report, if what they want is a broad third-party view of your social responsibility practices.
SA8000 certification, if what they want is a verifiable certificate — which is usually the case when the request comes through procurement. It is the recognised certifiable standard covering the human rights and labour practices ground of ISO 26000.
See ISO 26000 vs SA8000 for how to decide.
FAQs
Which companies are ISO 26000 certified?
None. ISO 26000 cannot be certified — ISO states that it is not a management system standard, is not intended or appropriate for certification, and that any claim of certification to it is a misrepresentation. A list of ISO 26000 certified companies is not a list that exists.
Why do some companies say they are ISO 26000 certified?
Usually because they bought a certificate from a firm selling one, or because they are loosely describing a self-declaration or a gap assessment. A certificate issued against ISO 26000 carries no accreditation behind it and does not survive a procurement check.
Is there an official ISO 26000 register?
No. There is no register because there is no certification. Some organizations publish assessment reports or attestations describing third-party work against the guidance, which is legitimate — but there is no central list, and any site presenting one is not describing accredited certification.
How do I verify a supplier's social responsibility claim?
Ask which standard and whether it is certifiable, who issued any certificate and whether that body is accredited, what the scope statement covers, and the date. For ISO 26000 specifically, ask for the assessment report rather than a certificate, since no valid certificate exists.
What should I get if a customer asks for ISO 26000 certification?
Either an independent ISO 26000 attestation with a findings report, if they want a broad third-party view, or SA8000 certification if they want a verifiable certificate. SA8000 is the recognised certifiable standard covering the human rights and labour practices ground of ISO 26000.
Where to go next
See ISO 26000 attestation and gap audit, ISO 26000 vs SA8000, or SA8000 certification.