Not all certifications are created equal. From carbon-neutral claims on coffee cups to climate-positive badges on clothing tags, certifications are everywhere. But how do you know which ones to trust?

With increasing awareness of greenwash, choosing the right certification matters more than ever. Get it right and your brand earns trust, reputation and business value. Get it wrong and you risk being called out for greenwashing or falling short of compliance.

So, how can you tell if a certification is credible? Whether you are seeking carbon labelling, environmental assurance or social responsibility standards, here are 10 essential things to look for before you commit.

1. Accreditation by a recognised body

Check if the certification is backed by a recognised accreditation body like the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) or the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL) and follows standards such as ISO 17065. Accreditation means the scheme itself has been independently assessed for rigour and impartiality.

How this can look in practice:

• JAS-ANZ accredits Toitū Envirocare’s carbon certification programmes (such as Toitū carbonzero and Toitū carbonreduce), confirming they meet international best practice for product and organisational certification.
• ISEAL membership includes schemes like Fairtrade International and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which demonstrates that these systems follow credible sustainability standards and assurance processes.
• ISO 17065 underpins many trusted product certification schemes — for instance, Global GreenTag’s ecolabel is accredited to ISO 17065, ensuring that its certification process is impartial and technically robust.

If they don’t have the accreditation, how do they prove they follow the standards? Has their scheme been independently evaluated? Do they have other certificates to prove they have systems quality and governance in place?

2. Alignment with the right standards

Can you see how the certification works? A credible programme openly shares its standards, boundaries, and methods (e.g. ISO 14067, ISO 14064, GHG Protocol) so others can assess and replicate its approach.

How this can look in practice:

Eco Choice Aotearoa (New Zealand’s official ecolabel for products and services) shares both its draft and published standards on its website.

3. Transparent rules

Beyond the methodology, credible programmes publish their governance rules, including how certification decisions are made, how appeals are handled, and how the label can be used. This ensures accountability and helps users understand the framework behind the claims.

How this can look in practice:

The International EPD system is guided by the general programme instructions (GPI) which are published on its website.

4. Independent third-party verification

Look for certifications that are verified by an independent and certified auditor, not just self-declared. It should never be the same people who designed the criteria who check performance against those criteria.

Do they demonstrate clear separation between providing advice and consulting services and certification?

How this can look in practice:

The International EPD System requires all Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to be independently verified by an approved third-party verifier before publication. These verifiers are not involved in preparing the underlying data or LCA study, ensuring impartial assessment. Similarly, Climate Active certifications in Australia require validation by an independent auditor who must meet defined competency and independence criteria before claims are approved.

The auditor should also have relevant experience and credentials: a credible certification will ensure that assessors are technically qualified and routinely evaluated. Is a list of the approved auditors available?

How this can look in practice:

On EPD Australasia’s website, there is a list of approved verifiers for the region. They have all ‘demonstrated expertise and meet competency requirements in Life Cycle methodologies and critical review of LCA studies, as defined in the General Programme Instructions.’

5. Stakeholder governance

Who is behind the standard? Certification schemes gain strength from independent governance boards, technical committees, and regular stakeholder input – not just internal staff.

How this can look in practice:

GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia – Australia’s biggest ecolabelling programme) lists its board of directors and their professional backgrounds and areas of expertise, showing transparency in governance and confidence that the standard is overseen by knowledgeable, qualified leaders.

6. Public register of certifications

You should be able to see who is certified, what has been certified, and when. A public list builds trust and enables claim traceability – no smoke and mirrors. It’s important to check that if an organisation uses the label, you can check they are actually on the list of the programme providing the label.

How this can look in practice:

The Australian Government’s Climate Active programme (a carbon neutrality certification programme) publishes its hundreds of certified brands on its website.

7. Regular surveillance and re-certification

Credible programmes are not one-and-done. They involve ongoing audits, data reviews, and re-certification intervals to ensure standards are upheld over time.

How this can look in practice: Toitū Envirocare’s certification programmes (Toitū carbonreduce and Toitū carbonzero) require annual re-certification, including a data review and updated emissions measurement to maintain certification status.

8. Appeals and complaints process

What happens if a certification decision is challenged? Reliable schemes offer a transparent, independent process for appeals and complaints—and they publish how this works.

How this can look in practice:

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council (a member-based, not-for-profit organisation promoting sustainability in infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand) has a whistleblower policy – encouraging reporting and laying out the process including protections for the complainant.

9. Use of certification mark

How can the logo be used? On-pack? Online? Credible programmes have clear guidance on how the certification mark can be applied and what it means.

How this can look in practice:

The EPD International’s general programme instructions include guidance on logo use can be found on their website here and there is also a brand book here. 

10. Policy and market recognition

Is the certification accepted by regulators, procurement frameworks, or ESG raters? Market acceptance is a strong signal of credibility and relevance.

How this can look in practice:

Green Star (by the Green Building Council of Australia) recognises certifications such as GECA and Climate Active as valid evidence for achieving credits in building projects. This recognition signals strong alignment with market expectations and regulatory frameworks.

------

Certification can be a powerful shortcut to trust, but only when it is backed by substance. With increasing scrutiny, green claims without credible backing are a reputational liability waiting to happen.

It takes significant effort and investment to build trust, but only a single weak or unverifiable claim to lose it.

Choosing a credible certification is not a box-ticking exercise. It is a strategic decision that signals your values, strengthens your market position, and protects your reputation. Do not cut corners. Your stakeholders are watching and so are your competitors.

Do not risk it. Choose credibility. Choose transparency. Choose trust.

How thinkstep-anz can help you choose credibility

Navigating the certification landscape can be complex, with multiple standards, accreditation bodies and verification processes to consider.

We can:

• Evaluate certifications against recognised international standards to ensure credibility and compliance.
• Assess your current claims and labelling to identify potential risks of greenwashing and close any gaps before they become reputational issues.
• Design credible certification programmes from the ground up, including robust governance, third-party verification processes, and transparent communication guidelines.
• Align your certifications with regulatory requirements and procurement frameworks in Australia, New Zealand, and global markets to strengthen acceptance and market recognition.

Our expertise lies in combining technical rigour with plain language, so your stakeholders can understand and trust your environmental and social claims.

Before you commit to invest in a certification, go through our checklist.