Environmentally Responsible Operations

What this mark certifies

This mark confirms practical, evidenced environmental responsibility in an organisation's day to day operations. It is deliberately built on documented practice rather than aspiration, because environmental claims attract close regulatory scrutiny and loosely evidenced claims carry real exposure. The mark certifies what an organisation actually does and can prove, not what it intends.

It requires a documented environmental policy and a defined number of substantiated operational measures, each backed by records covering the preceding twelve months. It certifies the operational practices assessed, and it does not certify the environmental attributes of any particular product the organisation sells.

Certification requirements

• The business maintains a documented environmental policy.

• The business demonstrates a minimum of three of the following, each substantiated by records covering the preceding twelve months, measurement and reduction of energy use, waste reduction and recycling with records, sustainable procurement criteria, emissions measurement or reduction activity, water efficiency measures, and a supplier environmental standard.

• No environmental claim made by the business to the public overstates the outcome achieved or misrepresents the certified practices.

• The business holds a current Australian Business Number.

Evidence required

• The environmental policy.

• Records substantiating each claimed measure over the preceding twelve months.

• Copies of any environmental claims the business makes to the public.

• A signed declaration.

How it is assessed

The certifier verifies the policy and the substantiating records against the three element threshold, and examines any environmental claim the business makes to the public for accuracy. The certificate records the certified operational practices.

Re-verification and monitoring

Certification is valid for twelve months and is subject to annual re-verification, at which the substantiating records for the certified measures are examined again.

Grounds for refusal, suspension or revocation

Certification is refused, suspended or revoked where the documented practices lapse, where the substantiation no longer supports a certified measure, or where any environmental claim made by the business is found to be inaccurate or misleading.

Contractual obligations on the badge holder

In addition to the core terms of the CAQA Certified Licence Agreement in Section 4, a holder of this mark agrees to the following obligations specific to this badge.

1. 1

   The holder must maintain the documented environmental policy and a minimum of three substantiated operational measures throughout the licence term, and must retain the substantiating records for the term and for two years after it.

2. 2

   The holder must not make any environmental claim to the public that overstates the outcome achieved or misrepresents the certified practices, and must not use the mark to support a broader environmental claim than the practices certified.

3. 3

   The holder must notify CAQA in writing within fourteen days if any certified practice lapses or if the substantiation for a certified measure no longer holds.

4. 4

   The holder must provide the substantiating records within ten business days of a request by CAQA.

5. 5

   The holder warrants that the environmental information and claims provided are true and not misleading.