ISO 26000 — Guidance on social responsibility

ISO 26000 is guidance on social responsibility, not a standard with requirements. Serbia has adopted it as SRPS ISO 26000:2011.

⚠ There is no certification against ISO 26000. The document says so explicitly — it isn’t intended for certification, regulation or contracts. Anyone who offers you an ‘ISO 26000 certificate’ is offering something that doesn’t exist as accredited certification.

The guidance covers seven core subjects: organisational governance, human rights, labour practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, and community involvement and development.

What the guidance covers

Social responsibility has become a key part of sustainable business and of an organisation’s reputation. ISO 26000 helps companies identify their impact on society, the environment and the economy, and recognise what their stakeholders expect. Applying it can build public trust, strengthen competitiveness and support the long-term sustainability of the business.

Who it is for

ISO 26000 can be applied by every kind of organisation — private, public and non-profit — whatever its size or sector. It is particularly useful for companies that want to improve their image, build trust in the community and show a responsible approach to employees, the environment and society.

How it is applied

  1. An analysis of the organisation’s impact on society and the environment.
  2. Defining a social responsibility policy and priorities for action.
  3. Involving employees and stakeholders in planning activities.
  4. Setting up ways to monitor and report on results.
  5. Communicating and promoting socially responsible activities.

What changes in daily work

  • You know who your business affects and how — instead of general talk about ‘the community’.
  • Purchasing decisions also take working conditions at suppliers into account, not just price.
  • Employees and the local community have a way to raise a problem and get an answer.
  • What you say publicly about responsible business is backed by records.
  • Data collected under this guidance can feed into your ESG report without being collected again.

See also

How long it takes

Because there is no certification against ISO 26000, there is no certification audit and no deadline set by one. The first pass — listing stakeholders, assessing the seven core subjects and drawing up an action plan — usually takes 30 to 90 days in small and medium-sized organisations. On your side, it takes 2 to 5 hours a week, spread across several people.

What affects the price

The price depends on the size of the organisation, the number of employees and the scope of the work. With ISO 26000 there is no certification body fee, because there is no certification — you pay only for the work of applying it. We give an exact price after you get in touch and we have a short conversation about the scope.

Frequently asked questions

Can we get certified against ISO 26000?

No. The document is guidance and says explicitly that it isn’t intended for certification. What you can do is state that you apply its guidance and back that up with records — but that isn’t a certificate, and no accredited body issues one.

So what do we submit in a tender?

If the contracting authority asks for evidence of responsible business conduct, you submit your own report and records, not a certificate. For certified systems that cover parts of the same subjects, there are ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 37001.

How does it differ from ESG reporting?

ISO 26000 tells you what to consider; ESG frameworks set out how to report on it and against which indicators. They work together: the guidance provides the content, the framework provides the form. More on the ESG reporting page.

Does it apply to small organisations?

It applies to every organisation, whatever its size or sector. The guidance says explicitly that the extent of application should be proportionate to the organisation’s size and impact — a small company isn’t expected to do as much as a large corporation.

Who in the company should take part?

Management, because the decisions concern the direction of the business, and people from purchasing, HR and production — because that is where most of the subjects in the guidance actually play out.

How we work with you and what we need from you is explained in our frequently asked questions.

Related standards

  • ESG reporting — the form in which the content of ISO 26000 is most often requested.
  • ISO 14001 — environmental management systems; one of the seven subjects, but with requirements and certification.
  • ISO 37001 — anti-bribery management systems; covers part of the ‘fair operating practices’ subject.

How STANDARDISO can help

We guide you through the whole process — from listing stakeholders and assessing the seven core subjects, through policies and an action plan, to a report you can show to a client or contracting authority. There is no certificate, so we don’t prepare you for an audit: the result is documented application and a report. Everyone on our team works in English, and we can prepare your documentation in English, Serbian or both.

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