SGE21 Forética – Ethical and socially responsible

Benefits of Forética's SGE21 certification

The benefits of obtaining Forética’s SGE 21 certificate are:

  1. Improved reputation and trust. The certificate demonstrates a commitment to social responsibility, sustainability, ethics and transparency. It provides credibility with stakeholders: customers, investors, public administrations, employees and society in general.
  2. It provides a structured approach to sustainability. It allows for the systematic management of CSR, integrating it into the ISO certificate. It addresses economic, social, environmental and good governance issues.
  3. Dialogue with stakeholders. It encourages the identification and management of stakeholders, facilitating open and sustained dialogue with interested parties. It helps to anticipate risks and improves strategic decision-making.
  4. Improvement of the working environment and attraction of talent by promoting responsible people management: equality, work-life balance, participation, etc. It thus helps to attract and retain talent aligned with the organisation’s values.
  5. Competitive advantage by differentiating itself from the competition, especially in public procurement or tenders with social and environmental criteria. It can be positively assessed in evaluations such as Ecovadis or ESG reports.
  6. Facilitates the creation of an integrated sustainability management system. It is complementary to other standards. It can be integrated with ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 or EMAS for environmental management, ISO 45001 for occupational safety, SA8000 or IQNet SR10 for social responsibility, among others.
  7. Continuous improvement. Forética’s SGE21 certificate is based on the PDCA cycle (Plan – Do – Check – Act), which drives continuous improvement in social responsibility management.

Forética's SGE21 requirements

Forética’s SGE21 develops the requirements that enable organisations to establish, implement and evaluate the Ethical and Socially Responsible Management System, divided into the following management areas:

6.1. Governance of the organisation

The “Organisational Governance” section of Forética’s SGE 21 standard establishes the principles and requirements that must be met to ensure ethical, sustainable and responsible management. The main elements included are:

  1. Sustainability policy. The sustainability policy approved by management. It can be integrated with your ISO certificate policies. It must express your commitment to social, environmental, ethical and good governance issues. This policy must be communicated internally and made publicly available.
  2. Code of conduct. You must have a code of conduct that is aligned with the organisation’s values and its sustainability policy. It must be approved and establish mechanisms for consultations, complaints or reports, as well as penalties for non-compliance.
  3. Governance model. The governing body promotes and supervises sustainability actions. A clear governance model must be established that defines roles, resources and the communication of results.
  4. Management system manager. A person must be appointed to be responsible for the Ethical and Sustainable Management System, with the appropriate skills to ensure its implementation, compliance, monitoring and improvement. It can be integrated into an integrated management system.
  5. Sustainability strategy. A strategy must be established that defines the organisation’s commitment to sustainability, as well as the priority lines of action. This strategy must be reviewed periodically, for example through management review.
  6. Risk management. Environmental, social and governance risks associated with the activities covered by the certificate must be identified, assessed and managed, including a risk management plan with prevention and monitoring measures.
  7. Internal audit. Forética’s SGE21 requires annual internal audits of the management system to assess its implementation, evolution and compliance with the requirements of the standard.
  8. Management review and continuous improvement, at least once a year, based on indicators and results, to ensure its effectiveness and establish plans for continuous improvement.
  9. Disclosure of non-financial information. The SGE21 standard requires the annual disclosure of relevant, clear and verifiable non-financial information on social, environmental and good governance aspects, ensuring transparency and public access.

The standard establishes the requirements for ensuring ethical, socially responsible and people-centred management within the organisation. Its aim is to promote a fair, inclusive and safe working environment based on respect for fundamental rights. Highlights: Human rights; Equal opportunities and non-discrimination (equality plan); Diversity and inclusion management; Work-life balance; Organisational design and internal structure (can be integrated into your integrated management system); Monitoring of the working environment and health and well-being at work (linked to the ISO 45001 certificate); Training and employability; Responsible restructuring.

6.3.1. Responsible innovation

6.3.2. QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE

6.3.3. RESPONSIBLE INFORMATION ON PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

6.3.4. ACCESS TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

6.3.5. RESPONSIBLE ADVERTISING AND MARKETING

6.3.6. Responsible consumption

The requirements for ethical, sustainable and responsible management of purchasing and supplier relationships are:

  • Responsible purchasing. The standard requires the establishment of selection and approval criteria that include social, environmental, ethical and good governance aspects.
  • Evaluation system. Monitor and periodically evaluate supplier performance in terms of sustainability (legal compliance, working conditions, environmental impact and human rights).
  • Supplier approval. This must incorporate sustainable criteria that reduce negative impacts on the environment and society.
  • Promotion of good practices, support and improvement measures, through training or dialogue, so that suppliers adopt sustainable and responsible practices in line with the values of the SGE21 Forética certificate.

Point “6.5 – Social environment and impact on the community” of SGE21 addresses how the organisation impacts the community. It includes measuring and evaluating its social impact (6.5.1), identifying positive and negative effects, and promoting responsible actions. It also contemplates investing in the community (6.5.2), supporting social, educational or environmental projects that generate sustainable and tangible value.

Point 6.6 Environmental context of Forética’s SGE21 standard requires identifying environmental activities and impacts (6.6.1) in order to manage them appropriately through an environmental programme (6.6.2). It includes an environmental risk plan (6.6.3) to prevent damage and a climate change strategy (6.6.4) that reduces emissions, promotes adaptation and reinforces the organisation’s environmental commitment with verifiable results.

Section 6.7 of SGE 21, “Investors,” ensures responsible relationships. Section 6.7.1 promotes good governance, ownership, and management, ensuring ethical and sustainable decisions. Section 6.7.2 emphasises “transparency of information,” providing investors with accurate, complete, and timely data, thereby strengthening trust and accountability.

Section 6.8 of SGE 21 addresses “Competition”, promoting ethical practices. Section 6.8.1 promotes “fair competition”, avoiding unfair or fraudulent acts. Section 6.8.2 encourages “cooperation and alliances”, seeking responsible synergies with other organisations to create shared value, while always respecting ethical and sustainable principles.

Linked to public administrations, Forética’s SGE21 standard requires compliance with regulatory legislation and responsible taxation. It also promotes collaboration and public-private partnerships.

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