Question 1

What is evidence-based ESG verification?

Accepted Answer

Evidence-based ESG verification is a structured process that reviews an organisation's ESG and Modern Slavery documentation against defined criteria, rather than relying on narrative claims or self-assessment. It gives buyers, lenders, consultants, and investors a consistent, comparable view of compliance that can be checked against real evidence — not just statements of intent.

Question 2

How is ESG verification different from ESG reporting?

Accepted Answer

ESG Verified evidence is structured to align with the frameworks organisations are most commonly asked to demonstrate compliance against, including the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth), the ISSB S1 → S2 → S3 disclosure roadmap and its Australian equivalent (AASB S2), GRI disclosure topics, and international frameworks including CSRD, SDR, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and OECD Due Diligence Guidance. This gives organisations a defensible reference point without the cost or complexity of pursuing enterprise-grade certification.

Question 3

Which laws and standards does ESG Verified map to?

Accepted Answer

ESG Verified evidence is structured to align with the frameworks organisations are most commonly asked to demonstrate compliance against, including the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth), ISSB S2 climate disclosure requirements, NGER reporting, GRI disclosure topics, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, ILO Core Conventions, and OECD Due Diligence Guidance. ESG Verified maps your evidence against the frameworks you or your consultant nominates, so you can demonstrate compliance without undertaking full standards certification.

Question 4

Is ESG Verified suitable for small corporates and SMEs?

Accepted Answer

Yes — ESG Verified is purpose-built for small corporates and SMEs that are increasingly being asked to demonstrate ESG and Modern Slavery compliance by larger buyers, lenders, and regulators, but don't have the budget or internal resourcing for enterprise-grade certification. It gives smaller organisations a fast, credible, evidence-based way to meet those requests without taking on the cost and complexity built for much larger companies.

Question 5

How do I get ESG Verified certification for my organisation?

Accepted Answer

You can start directly through the ESG Verified portal — create an account, select the domains relevant to your organisation (Governance, Social, Environmental, Modern Slavery), and upload your evidence. Level 1 (Ready) certification is issued automatically once your evidence passes the automated checks, typically within the same session. If you'd rather work with a consultant to prepare your evidence — particularly for Level 2 (Compliant) — you can also be referred to an accredited ESG Verified consultant. There's no obligation-based sales process; you can see exactly what's required before you begin.

Question 6

Does ESG Verified provide ESG assurance?

Accepted Answer

No — ESG Verified provides evidence-based verification, which is a different and distinct service from formal ESG assurance. Assurance is a regulated audit engagement, typically performed by accounting firms against specific assurance standards, and it's built for large enterprises with formal reporting obligations. ESG Verified instead reviews documented evidence against defined criteria — a faster, more accessible pathway for organisations that need a credible, procurement-ready answer to an ESG or Modern Slavery evidence request, without the cost, timeline, or scope of a full assurance engagement. If your organisation is specifically required to obtain formal assurance, that remains a separate service; ESG Verified is built for the much larger number of organisations being asked for credible evidence, not a regulated audit opinion.

Question 7

Do I need to submit a Modern Slavery Statement?

Accepted Answer

It depends on where you're registered and your revenue or size. In Australia, only entities with at least $100 million in annual consolidated revenue must submit a statement under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth). In the UK, the threshold is £36 million in turnover under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. In the EU, direct due diligence obligations under the CSDDD apply only to large entities (1,000+ employees and €450 million+ turnover). The US has no single equivalent statute, but the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) affects import-side enforcement regardless of company size, and California's Transparency in Supply Chains Act applies to large retailers and manufacturers doing business in the state.If your organisation is below the relevant threshold, you don't have a direct legal obligation — but you may still be asked to provide Modern Slavery evidence by larger customers, lenders, or supply chain partners who are reporting entities and need to describe their own supply chain risk. ESG Verified is built for exactly this situation: giving smaller organisations a fast, structured way to answer that request without needing to become a formal reporting entity themselves.

Question 8

How is ESG Verified different from EcoVadis or B Corp?

Accepted Answer

EcoVadis and B Corp are established certification bodies, but both involve significant cost, time, and complexity, often more than is needed to satisfy a single tender, lender, or buyer request. ESG Verified takes a faster, more cost-effective, evidence-based approach that maps directly to the standards buyers and regulators actually ask for, including ISSB/AASB S2 and the Modern Slavery Act 2018.

Question 9

What is the ISSB S1 → S2 → S3 roadmap, and how does it affect my organisation?

Accepted Answer

The ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) roadmap is progressively introducing mandatory climate and sustainability disclosure requirements, starting with large listed entities and expanding over time. In Australia, this is implemented as AASB S2. Organisations not yet directly captured by S2 reporting obligations are increasingly asked by larger customers, lenders, and supply chain partners further up the ISSB pipeline to provide structured evidence in anticipation of it. ESG Verified gives organisations a way to organise and evidence their position now, described in the certification model as "pre-S2" or "non-S2" readiness, rather than starting from zero once the requirement reaches them directly.

Question 10

What are the three ESG Verified certification levels?

Accepted Answer

Level 1 (Ready) is a fast, credible evidence baseline suitable for most tenders and procurement requests. Level 2 (Compliant) adds documented policies, supplier coverage, and risk summaries under dual sign-off from an accredited consultant. Level 3 (Verified), coming soon, will add AI-assisted evidence verification for regulated markets and enterprise supply chains. No level constitutes an audit or assurance opinion.

Question 11

How long does the verification process take?

Accepted Answer

Most organisations complete Level 1 or Level 2 verification within 2–6 weeks, depending on how complete their existing documentation is. Consultants working with ESG Verified can accelerate this by preparing evidence in advance of a client engagement.

Question 12

Is ESG Verified a third-party, independent verification provider?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ESG Verified operates as an independent evidence review process, separate from the organisation being certified. Evidence is assessed against a fixed, version-controlled model so results are consistent across every organisation and industry, not judged case by case.

Question 13

What do organisations receive after certification?

Accepted Answer

Certified organisations receive a Certification Statement summarising their ESG and Modern Slavery position, a formal Certificate, and a Buyer Verification Page they can share directly with buyers, lenders, and investors as evidence of compliance.

Question 14

How does ESG Verified support procurement and tender requirements?

Accepted Answer

Procurement teams increasingly require structured ESG and Modern Slavery evidence during supplier onboarding, tender submissions, and contract renewals. ESG Verified gives suppliers a standardised, ready-to-share evidence set that reduces back-and-forth and speeds up buyer evaluation.

ESG & Modern Slavery Verification FAQs