Sustainable Business Practices | TÜV Rheinland

Reliable, Transparent, and Trusted Verification of Sustainability Processes

As organizations increasingly communicate their environmental performance and sustainability achievements, the demand for reliable, verifiable, and transparent data is stronger than ever. Purchasers, regulators, and end users now expect independent validation of the sustainability processes behind environmental claims.
The Sustainability Process Certification (SPC) – developed by the TIC Council – enables accredited Certification Bodies such as TÜV Rheinland to provide a recognized and credible certification of your sustainability data management systems and processes.

The Sustainability Process Certification verifies the robustness, transparency, and reliability of an organization’s internal sustainability processes.
Rather than validating a single product claim, the certification ensures that the systems behind your claims are solid, traceable, and aligned with recognized standards.
This allows companies to streamline future claim verification, reduce audit effort, and demonstrate strong internal governance.
At its core, the certification requires organizations to have a structured and auditable system for managing environmental or social data. This includes:

• Clear data sources and traceable data collection
• Transparent calculation methods and modelling assumptions
• Defined internal procedures for quality control and review
• Use of recognized standards or frameworks to produce and disclose sustainability claims

Because only with consistent, high-quality data and transparent methodologies can sustainability claims be considered credible and reliable.
The scheme can be applied across a wide range of sustainability programs, including:

• Green Claims & Environmental Data Management
• Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) & Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) systems
• Climate Transition Plan management
• Circular Economy & Material Traceability systems
• Biodiversity & Due Diligence processes
• Sustainability reporting & ESG data systems

1. Application and Scope Definition
   The certification process begins with defining the scope — identifying the sustainability processes, data systems, or claims to be verified.
2. Process Audit
   TÜV Rheinland auditors evaluate your sustainability data management and quality systems according to the applicable Program and Technical Rules under the TIC Council framework.
3. Confirmation of Process Implementation
   The implementation of sustainability processes is verified against defined specifications, methodologies, and control mechanisms.
4. Certification Decision
   Upon successful completion of the audit, TÜV Rheinland issues a Certificate of Conformity valid for a defined period

Traditional green claim verification often requires repeated data assessments for every individual claim. With the Sustainability Process Certification, your internal data management process is certified once, making subsequent claim verifications significantly faster and more cost-effective.

Example Claims
Company ABC that manufactures both bottles and cans. They want to make environmental claims about both of these products. The sustainability process certification helps them by verifying the life cycle assessment and the methodology they used. This verification allows them to confidently claim the environmental benefits for both their bottles and their cans.

Example Claims
Claim 1 -- “60% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to previous model for bottles.”

→ Verified efficiently through a certified LCA or PCF process, reducing audit redundancy and improving data reliability.
Claim 2 -- “45% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to previous model for cans.”

→ Verified efficiently through a certified LCA or PCF process, reducing audit redundancy and improving data reliability.

• Independent and internationally recognized certification of sustainability processes
• Increased credibility of environmental and green claims
• Reduced verification effort and cost for multiple claims
• Consistent and traceable environmental data management
• Enhanced stakeholder confidence in your sustainability performance

• Manufacturers and suppliers managing product-level environmental data
• Brands and traders making environmental or green claims
• Companies developing or implementing sustainability management systems
• Organizations preparing for regulatory or ESG reporting requirements

Demonstrate your commitment to credible, transparent, and efficient sustainability management.
Partner with TÜV Rheinland to obtain your Sustainability Process Certification and build a stronger foundation for your environmental claims and data integrity.
Contact us today to learn more about the certification process and receive a customized proposal.

With extensive experience in validating calculation methodology for LCA, PCF and EPD, as well as treacebility verifications, TÜV Rheinland is ideally positioned to assess and certify sustainability processes under the TIC Council’s Sustainability Process Certification framework.
Our global presence, sector-specific expertise, and commitment to impartiality ensure that your certification:

• Enhances credibility and transparency in sustainability communication
• Simplifies green claim verification and reduces duplication of efforts
• Improves efficiency for future claim or data verifications
• Strengthens trust among stakeholders, regulators, and customers
• Prepares your organization for upcoming sustainability regulations, including the Green Claims Directive and Digital Product Passport (DPP)