That distinctive grid where acronyms cross and interlock, our world of sustainability certifications, is built on a simple principle: you can’t fix what you can’t measure. Imagine trying to confront climate change without reliable tools to record temperature. It’s a universe of terms reminding us that this Earth, which has been home to us for 400,000 generations, still has an enormous timeline ahead of it. Sustainability demands a regulatory architecture.
That’s why the European Union has approved the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). It measures up to 1,200 indicators to ensure that the “S” remains a capital letter. The legislation will arrive gradually between 2027 and 2029. It aims to make sustainability information more accessible and efficient and to help adjust carbon emissions. It’s one of the pillars of the Green Deal. But by no means does it suggest that we must wait until then.
Sustainability certifications have been with us for years, and there are multiple rankings and measurement methods. B Corp is perhaps the most globally recognized. It has been active since 2006. It’s awarded to companies that meet high standards in social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. It’s a symbol; one that requires a positive impact on workers, communities, the environment, or users. A way of caring for people and the planet. And it isn’t alone. Not many haven’t heard of ISO 14001. More than 500,000 companies display its logo. It’s one of the environmental standards that has become routine, rewarding clear policy, achievement of objectives and precise measurement.
The Earth, stubborn as ever, keeps turning and stops at LEED certifications (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This one covers a broad set of construction-related criteria: energy efficiency, water use, indoor air quality and site design. It uses a points-based ranking (Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) where better sustainability in building earns a higher level. It’s a label found mainly in offices and major corporate spaces. LEED-certified buildings emit 34% less CO₂ and save 80 million tons of waste from landfills. It’s the first in a growing family that includes BREEAM (focused largely on project management), WELL (air quality), Passivhaus (insulation, airtightness and high-efficiency ventilation) and DGNB (a rigorous look at environmental, economic and sociocultural factors). These seals appear prominently near building entrances.
They are also essential in a very different ecosystem: forests. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) seal guarantees that its products do not contribute to deforestation, that workers receive fair wages and that the rights of the communities where wood is sourced are protected.
Introducing these standards often leads companies to improve how they evaluate their activity, using a lens different from the one that has shaped their corporate culture. It’s something like a self-consulting exercise that helps them adapt to regulatory, economic and technological shifts. In sustainability, there are certifications but also ratings that highlight companies leading the way. EcoVadis, a French organization, approaches these issues through four chapters: Environmental Impact, Human and Labor Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. It has assessed more than two million firms from 220 industries, plotting a map defined by those four frontiers.
If we’ve trodden through forests, we’ve also trodden the land. Fairtrade, also European in origin, was born in Germany. Its focus is agriculture. The organization sets social, economic, and environmental standards aimed at companies and farmers across supply chains, safeguarding the rights of people working the soil. From those same latitudes comes the GOTS certification (Global Organic Textile Standard). The textile sector, too, aims to consume fewer resources, from water to raw materials. You could say GOTS is the metric system of environmental sustainability for organic textiles.
A key industry for the Spanish economy, one that mirrors itself in these certifications like Narcissus in the pool, is fishing. In 2024 it contributed, together with agriculture and livestock, about 43.8 billion euros to GDP, according to Spain’s National Statistics Institute. That is, to Spain’s wealth. The ecological label here is MSC. The Marine Stewardship Council supports ocean health and recognizes sustainable fishing practices in both open waters and fish farms. It draws a straight line between two points and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will create a €5.6 million fund by 2030 to promote these initiatives.
Air, land, sea, and energy: four non-negotiable virtues. Energy Star. This last one is managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It’s a fast-moving, wide-ranging certification divided into 75 categories: cooling systems, lighting, electronics, commercial equipment, and more. The program has saved, according to the agency, five trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity since its inception in 1992.
All these acronyms are proof of a society’s capacity for change, adaptation, and improvement. In Spain, some are especially familiar within ESG strategy. Who doesn’t know AENOR? Or ISO 50001? Less recognized, perhaps, is SGS Spain, whose SGS España certification takes a comprehensive approach to ESG. We’ve walked through the most recognized lines. At last, it’s possible to draw poetry from the news.
For decades, companies and institutions have dedicated time and resources to creating new technologies that increase recycling capacity. But what if, in order to find some of the best formulas, we not only needed to look to the future, but also to the past?
A good example of this is composting, a simple and age-old practice that helps regenerate soil, take care of ecosystems, and close the cycle of nature. Every day, tons of organic waste are transformed into a natural fertilizer rich in nutrients that serves as food for plants through a process that involves allowing the organic waste to decompose in a controlled manner through the action of oxygen and microorganisms.
Compost adds matter, improves soil structure, and retains water better. This not only represents increased fertility, but also impacts other aspects that contribute to sustainability. Firstly, it reduces the need to use chemical fertilizers. Secondly, it favors biodiversity by contributing to the emergence of fungi, bacteria, worms, and other insects. And thirdly, it reduces the amount of waste sent to the landfill. Furthermore, it is a technique that facilitates reforestation and helps to regenerate important ecosystems like wetlands.
It is important to note that 39% of the European Union’s surface area is covered by forests. In general, these forests are in very good health: almost half of them show improvements in parameters such as biomass volume, productivity, presence of dead wood, etc. And since the year 2000, the EU's forest area has increased by approximately eight million hectares.
This dynamic is repeated when it comes to wetlands: in Spain alone 17,900 hectares have been recovered in the last 20 years, which represents about 15% of the country’s wetland area.
From traditional practice to modern solution
This technique is no longer something that concerns only a handful of gardening enthusiasts, but has become a new culture of resourcefulness. The population actively participates to promote the circular economy, from homes with smart composters, to municipalities with separate collection systems, as well as schools that demonstrate that taking care of the planet is everyone's responsibility.
In Spain, an increasing number of municipalities are developing initiatives to promote the use of this technique. For example, the CREA Consortium has deployed community composting islands in Elda, Sax, and Monóvar; the region of Los Monegros has installed up to 250 brown containers in 26 villages; and the Alicante Provincial Council has created composting centers in about twenty municipalities.
From the ground up: school composting
Citizen involvement also involves teaching small kids so that they understand the importance of taking care of the planet. For example, Móstoles launched a school composting project to show the environmental, social and economic benefits of this system. Today, more than thirty schools in the municipality have their own compost.
Composting reminds us that sometimes the most effective solutions do not lie in advanced technology, but in the accumulated knowledge and respect for the Earth’s natural cycles. This technique has transitioned from being a traditional agricultural practice to being a tool for building more sustainable communities through the commitment of institutions and citizens.
Biomethane, the advanced version of organic recycling
In addition to these advances, it is important to place composting in the broader context of decarbonization solutions, notably biomethane. Although the two techniques are complementary, biomethane acts as an even more sustainable evolution.
While the former releases greenhouse gases (methane and CO₂, among others) when decomposing in open air, the latter works through a process in closed digesters that capture gases. Both processes produce fertilizers, but biomethane can reduce emissions by up to 100% compared to natural gas.
The results of recycling organic matter are visible, and the data is reason enough to commit to the recovery of biowaste as a form of responsible resource management. Every home, school, and neighborhood that commits to reusing waste is taking a step forward in the process of building a more conscious and sustainable society.