Certification Policy

GreenSignature® Certification, Recognition and Assessment Policy

Effective date: 30 October 2026

Important: This policy sets the conditions for applying for, receiving and using a GreenSignature® certification, recognition, honour, assessment, credential or digital service. It is intended to protect the integrity of GreenSignature® programmes and to ensure that decisions are based on genuine, relevant and verifiable information. Mandatory rights under applicable law remain unaffected.

GreenSignature® programmes recognise, assess or support defined areas of organisational and professional practice. Participation, an assessment, a certificate or an honour does not by itself establish that an organisation complies with every law, standard or obligation, nor does it guarantee commercial success, funding, customer acquisition, employee outcomes or future performance.

1. Scope and acceptance

This policy applies to applications, assessments, audits, reviews, certifications, recognitions, honours, training credentials, badges, directories, verification services, assessment tools and platforms offered under the GreenSignature® name, including programme-specific rules and conditions published with the relevant service.

By submitting an application, creating an account, purchasing or using a service, attending an assessment or training, accepting an award, or displaying a GreenSignature® mark, you confirm that you have authority to act for yourself or the organisation concerned and agree to this policy, the applicable programme criteria, the Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy and the Refund Policy. If a signed agreement or programme-specific rule conflicts with this policy, the signed agreement or specific rule controls only for that conflict.

2. GreenSignature® programmes and the meaning of an award

• Certification or credential: a time-limited confirmation that the named person, organisation, site, service or defined scope met the stated GreenSignature® programme criteria based on the evidence and assessment available at the decision date.
• Recognition or honour: an acknowledgement of a stated contribution, practice or impact under a named programme. An honour, including a Global Impact Honour, is not a professional licence, regulatory approval, product certification or general endorsement.
• Assessment or tool: a structured process, questionnaire, score, index or digital resource intended for the purpose described in its programme materials. Results are limited by the tool’s stated scope, inputs and assumptions.

GreenSignature® programmes may include Trusted Workplace, Trusted NGO, Trusted Wellness Provider, Global Impact Honours, WorkSpace Wellness Advocate, DEI Advocate, workplace assessments, wellbeing tools and related services. The actual scope, criteria, validity and permitted claims are those stated in the relevant programme materials and the certificate or award record.

Unless a specific written statement identifies an external accreditation, standard owner or regulator, a GreenSignature® credential is a GreenSignature® programme outcome only. It must not be described as ISO accreditation, government approval, statutory certification, professional licensure or endorsement by another organisation. A certificate does not automatically cover a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, product, service, location or individual not expressly named on it.

3. Eligibility, authority and conflicts

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements published for the relevant programme. An applicant acting for an organisation warrants that it is authorised to submit the application, provide records and make declarations on that organisation’s behalf. Applicants must disclose material conflicts of interest, related-party relationships, pending investigations or other circumstances that could affect the assessment.

GreenSignature® may decline or pause an application where eligibility, authority, identity, ownership, safety, sanctions, conflict or programme fit cannot be established. Acceptance of an application or payment is not acceptance of eligibility and does not guarantee an assessment outcome.

Restricted sectors, sanctions and safeguarding exclusions

GreenSignature® does not offer or maintain a certification, recognition, honour, endorsement or badge for a business, company or organisation whose own activities, or the material activities of an entity it owns or controls, fall within a prohibited category below. This is an eligibility and programme-integrity rule. It applies to applicants, award holders, their controlling entities and relevant operating affiliates, regardless of where they are incorporated or operate.

• Prohibited commercial activities: the manufacture or production of drugs or pharmaceutical products, alcoholic beverages, or tobacco or nicotine products; or the operation, provision or promotion of betting, wagering, casino or gambling services. An activity is treated as direct or indirect involvement where the applicant owns or controls the operator, conducts the activity itself, provides services specifically designed to enable it, acts on its behalf, or receives material revenue or other material benefit from it. A remote, ordinary-course supplier relationship, without control or a specific enabling role, is not by itself conclusive.
• Sanctions and official blacklists: an applicant, beneficial owner, controlling person or relevant affiliate is subject to a current designation or prohibition on an applicable sanctions list, including a United Nations Security Council list or a list issued by a competent authority in a country where the applicant operates or the relevant service is supplied. GreenSignature® may also apply a documented exclusion list maintained by a relevant intergovernmental or international body where the listing is authoritative and relevant to the programme or transaction.
• Terrorism and unlawful support: an applicant or relevant controlling entity is officially designated by a competent authority as a terrorist organisation, or is found by a competent court or authority to have knowingly provided material support to a designated terrorist organisation.
• Severe exploitation, abuse and harassment: a competent court, regulator or official inquiry has made a substantiated finding that the applicant or its controlling entity engaged in human trafficking, child trafficking, sexual exploitation or abuse, or serious or repeated harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying, intimidation or retaliation; or credible, documented information gives GreenSignature® reasonable grounds to believe that a material safeguarding or human-rights risk exists.

Applicants must disclose relevant activities, ownership and control, applicable sanctions designations, and material investigations or substantiated findings concerning the categories above. GreenSignature® may conduct proportionate checks against current official lists and reliable public records, request further evidence, and require the applicant to explain or correct an apparent match. A name match alone is not treated as conclusive where identity or listing status is uncertain.

Where information is credible but not finally determined, GreenSignature® may place an application or award on hold, restrict use of the badge, or suspend an award as a precaution while it assesses the evidence. Where practicable and lawful, the affected applicant will receive notice of the material concern and a reasonable opportunity to respond. GreenSignature® may withhold confidential sources, protected personal data, legally restricted information or security-sensitive details. A final refusal, suspension or withdrawal will be based on the applicable eligibility rule and the information reasonably available, with internal reconsideration under section 11. These measures are applied to assess conduct, activity, designation and programme risk, not a person’s protected status.

A breach, material non-disclosure, false declaration, applicable designation, or substantiated prohibited activity may result in refusal, deferral, conditions, suspension, withdrawal, removal from a directory and an instruction to stop using GreenSignature® marks. GreenSignature® may take immediate interim action where required by law or reasonably necessary to protect people, prevent misuse or preserve programme integrity. Fees and any refund entitlement remain governed by the applicable agreement, Refund Policy and mandatory law.

4. Truthfulness, completeness and document authenticity

You are responsible for the accuracy, completeness, legality and current status of every form, declaration, answer, data point, record, image, logo, certificate, licence, report, survey result, reference and other material supplied by you or on your behalf (“Application Materials”). You must not conceal material facts, submit selective or misleading evidence, present estimates as verified results, or allow an authorised representative to make a declaration without a reasonable basis for it.

You warrant that Application Materials are genuine, have not been forged, materially altered, fabricated or taken out of context, and may lawfully be provided for the assessment. Where a document is issued by a third party, you authorise GreenSignature® to make reasonable verification enquiries with the stated issuer or relevant public register, subject to applicable law. You must identify translations, redactions, estimates, limitations and information generated or materially assisted by automated or AI systems.

Where personal information or confidential records relate to employees, customers, beneficiaries, patients, suppliers or other individuals, you must have the legal authority and any required notice, consent or other lawful basis to share them. Provide only information reasonably relevant to the assessment, and redact unrelated sensitive details where practicable.

GreenSignature® may request originals, certified copies, source records, clarification, independent confirmation or a new declaration. It may use reasonable document-integrity checks, cross-references, public records, references, interviews, surveys, sampling and other proportionate verification methods. A suspected discrepancy may be investigated before a decision is made.

5. Assessment, verification and decision-making

Assessment may include a desk review, interviews, site or virtual visits, stakeholder input, employee or beneficiary surveys, publicly available information, third-party verification and sampling of records. The method used depends on the programme, scope, risks, available evidence and applicable law. Unless a programme expressly says otherwise, GreenSignature® is not required to inspect every record, interview every stakeholder or independently audit every statement.

GreenSignature® may rely on information reasonably considered relevant and reliable, while retaining discretion to determine its weight and sufficiency. Applicants must not coach, pressure, reward, impersonate or otherwise influence respondents, reviewers or referees, or interfere with a survey or verification process. GreenSignature® may disregard evidence obtained through manipulation or in breach of another person’s rights.

Decisions are made against the criteria applicable to the programme and the evidence available at the time. Criteria, methodologies, weightings, reviewer notes, security procedures and proprietary tools may be confidential. GreenSignature® may provide a decision summary and the material reasons for an outcome, but is not required to disclose confidential reviewer identities, security-sensitive checks, third-party confidential information or proprietary scoring details, except where law requires.

Digital systems, automated checks or AI-assisted tools may support administration, analysis or consistency checks. They do not change your duty to provide genuine information. Where applicable law requires a human review or other safeguard, GreenSignature® will apply that safeguard. A result from a wellbeing, stress, inclusion or other assessment tool is not a medical diagnosis or a substitute for qualified professional advice unless the relevant service is expressly and lawfully described as such.

6. No guaranteed outcome or endorsement

Meeting an eligibility threshold, submitting complete materials, paying a fee or participating in an assessment does not guarantee certification, recognition, a particular score, publication, renewal or a favourable decision. GreenSignature® does not sell outcomes. Fees generally cover application administration, assessment work, review time or access to a service, not a guaranteed award, result, ranking, business benefit or approval.

A GreenSignature® outcome is not a guarantee that an applicant is risk-free, legally compliant in every jurisdiction, sustainable in every activity, free from complaints, or suitable for every customer, employee, investor, funder or partner. Users must make their own enquiries and decisions.

7. Issuance, scope and validity

A certification, credential, badge or honour is valid only for the person or entity, category, scope, location and period stated in the award record. It is not transferable. It may be subject to conditions, renewal, reassessment or continuing obligations. If no validity period is stated, no perpetual validity should be inferred; GreenSignature® will clarify the applicable period in writing.

GreenSignature® may correct clerical errors, replace a damaged or incorrectly issued record, or update a public entry to reflect a verified change. The applicant must promptly notify GreenSignature® of a merger, acquisition, change of control, material change in activities, relocation, loss of a relevant licence, significant adverse finding, serious complaint or other change that may affect eligibility or the basis of an award.

8. Use of certificates, badges, names and marks

Subject to this policy and the applicable programme rules, GreenSignature® grants the named award holder a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable permission to display the unaltered certificate, badge or mark solely to identify the specific current award and its stated scope. This permission ends automatically when the award expires, is suspended, is withdrawn or is otherwise no longer valid.

You must not:

• alter, crop, recolour, animate, sublicense, transfer, sell or combine a GreenSignature® mark in a way that changes its meaning;
• state or imply that an award covers an unlisted entity, site, product, service, subsidiary or activity;
• claim government approval, external accreditation, regulatory compliance, product safety, guaranteed performance or broad endorsement not expressly stated in the award;
• use the mark in a misleading, unlawful, defamatory, discriminatory or reputationally harmful context, or in a way that suggests GreenSignature® endorses a political position or unrelated third-party product;
• use a credential, logo, score or award after expiry, suspension, withdrawal or a material change that makes the claim inaccurate.

GreenSignature® may require wording or placement changes to prevent confusion. When permission ends, you must stop new use promptly, remove or correct digital claims within five business days where technically practicable, and cease use in new print materials. Existing physical materials must not be distributed after the withdrawal date unless GreenSignature® confirms otherwise in writing.

9. Monitoring and continuing obligations

Where a programme includes continuing validity, the award holder must maintain the relevant criteria, cooperate with proportionate follow-up checks, keep supporting records for the period specified in the programme, and notify GreenSignature® promptly of material changes or credible allegations that could affect the award. GreenSignature® may conduct periodic, risk-based or complaint-triggered reviews and may request updated evidence.

Failure to respond to a reasonable evidence request by its stated deadline may result in a hold, suspension or decision based on the information available. GreenSignature® may extend a deadline where circumstances reasonably warrant it.

10. Refusal, suspension, withdrawal and correction

To protect programme integrity, users, stakeholders and the public, GreenSignature® may refuse, defer, condition, suspend, restrict, correct or withdraw an application, assessment result, certification, recognition, honour, badge, listing or permission where it reasonably considers that:

• information is false, forged, altered, materially incomplete, misleading or not verifiable;
• the applicant or award holder has breached this policy, programme criteria, a signed agreement or a lawful direction;
• eligibility or a required standard is no longer met, or material circumstances have changed;
• the outcome or mark is being misused, misrepresented, transferred or used outside its scope;
• continued participation may create a material legal, safety, integrity, data-protection or reputational risk;
• the programme, service or assessment is discontinued, revised or no longer reasonably operable.

Where practicable, GreenSignature® will give written notice and a reasonable opportunity to respond before a final adverse action. It may take immediate interim action where necessary to address suspected fraud, risk to people, legal obligations, evidence tampering or serious misuse. A suspension is precautionary and is not, by itself, a finding of wrongdoing.

On withdrawal or suspension, the award holder must stop representing the award as active and comply with reasonable correction or removal instructions. GreenSignature® may retain a factual status record, such as “suspended”, “withdrawn” or “expired”, in a verification record to prevent deception, subject to applicable data-protection law and the published privacy policy.

11. Reconsideration and appeal

An applicant or award holder may request one internal reconsideration in writing within 15 business days of the decision. The request must identify a material factual error, procedural irregularity, conflict of interest or relevant evidence that could not reasonably have been supplied earlier. A request merely disagreeing with professional judgement or asking for a different outcome is not sufficient by itself.

Where reasonably practicable, a reviewer not responsible for the original decision will consider the request. GreenSignature® may uphold, vary, set aside or remit the decision for further assessment. Reconsideration does not automatically suspend the original decision or extend an award. Any applicable review fee must be disclosed before the review is undertaken. This internal process does not limit rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

12. Fees, cancellation and refunds

Fees, taxes, payment timing, deliverables and cancellation rules are those displayed at purchase or stated in the relevant written proposal or programme terms. Unless expressly stated otherwise, payment purchases an application, assessment, training, subscription or other defined service; it does not purchase a favourable decision.

Refunds and cancellations are governed by the Refund Policy and any signed service agreement, subject always to mandatory consumer rights and other non-waivable legal protections applicable to the transaction. Nothing in this policy removes a right to a remedy that applicable law does not permit GreenSignature® to exclude.

13. Confidentiality, personal information and publication

Application Materials may be accessed by authorised GreenSignature® personnel, assessors, auditors, professional advisers and service providers who need them for assessment, verification, security, administration or legal compliance and are subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations. Information may also be disclosed where required by law, court order, competent authority or to investigate suspected fraud, subject to applicable law.

Personal information is handled under the Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law. This policy is not a substitute for a privacy notice and does not create permission to publish personal or confidential information where a lawful basis or required consent is absent.

For a successful award, GreenSignature® may publish or confirm the award holder’s name, organisation, award category, scope, issue date, validity status and other details identified as public in the programme rules or application. Use of a logo, photograph, testimonial, quotation or case study for promotional material requires the permission or other lawful basis specified by the relevant consent or programme terms. You may not submit another person’s personal information or image without the necessary authority.

14. Intellectual property and misuse of methods

GreenSignature® and its licensors retain all rights in their names, logos, marks, criteria, forms, questionnaires, assessment items, scoring methods, reports, software, platform content and other materials. Except for the limited award-display permission expressly granted above, no ownership or broader licence transfers to an applicant or award holder.

You must not copy, scrape, reverse engineer, benchmark for publication, distribute, resell, train a competing system on, or create a derivative of protected GreenSignature® materials, except where a mandatory legal right applies or GreenSignature® has given prior written permission. You retain rights in materials you own, while granting GreenSignature® the limited rights reasonably required to assess and administer your application.

15. Third-party services and external platforms

Applications, payments, surveys, communications, assessments, training or verification may use third-party providers or platforms. Their terms and privacy practices may also apply. GreenSignature® is not responsible for an independent third party’s acts or omissions except to the extent liability cannot lawfully be excluded or the third party acts as GreenSignature®’s processor under applicable law.

16. Applicant warranties and indemnity

You warrant that you have the authority to enter into these terms, that your declarations and Application Materials are accurate and lawful, that you have secured necessary permissions, and that your use of GreenSignature® materials will comply with the limited licence granted here.

To the extent permitted by law, you will reimburse GreenSignature® for reasonable losses, claims, liabilities and costs (including reasonable legal costs) arising directly from your material breach, fraud, wilful misconduct, unlawful submission, infringement of another person’s rights or unauthorised use of GreenSignature® marks. This obligation does not apply to the extent a loss was caused by GreenSignature®’s own breach or unlawful conduct. GreenSignature® will give reasonable notice of a claim and will not agree a settlement imposing liability on you without your consent, not to be unreasonably withheld.

17. Service availability and force majeure

GreenSignature® may update, suspend or discontinue a programme, tool or platform for operational, security, legal or programme-integrity reasons. It will use reasonable efforts to communicate material changes to active participants. GreenSignature® is not liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including outages, cyber incidents, natural events, labour disruption, public emergency, government action or failure of essential third-party infrastructure; this does not excuse obligations that cannot lawfully be excused.

18. Liability

Services, assessments and programme decisions are provided for their stated purpose and scope. Except for an express written commitment and subject to non-excludable legal rights, GreenSignature® does not warrant uninterrupted access, error-free operation, a particular assessment result, continued eligibility, commercial outcomes or the suitability of a programme for an applicant’s specific legal or business needs. Applicants should obtain their own professional advice where required.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, GreenSignature® is not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, revenue, anticipated savings, business opportunity, goodwill, data or reputation arising from participation, a score, refusal, suspension, withdrawal, expiry, correction or use of an award. This does not exclude liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Subject to the preceding paragraph and mandatory law, GreenSignature®’s total aggregate liability arising out of the relevant programme or service will not exceed the fees paid to the contracting GreenSignature® entity for that programme or service during the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim. If no fee was paid, the cap is the maximum amount permitted by applicable law. This limit does not reduce a consumer’s non-waivable rights or remedies.

19. Changes, severability and transfer

GreenSignature® may revise this policy to reflect changes in programmes, security, operations or law. The current version and effective date will be posted on this page. Changes apply prospectively from publication, unless applicable law requires otherwise. A material change affecting an active paid service will be handled under the applicable agreement and law.

If a provision is held unenforceable, it will be limited only to the extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will continue to apply. A failure or delay in enforcing a right is not a waiver. You may not assign an application, award or obligation without written consent. GreenSignature® may assign or transfer its rights and obligations to an affiliate or successor that continues the relevant programme, subject to applicable law.

20. Governing law, complaints and contact

The contracting GreenSignature® entity will be the entity identified in the relevant written proposal, order, invoice or service agreement. For a business-to-business engagement contracted by GreenSignature® Services Private Limited in India, the laws of India govern and, to the extent the courts in Chennai have territorial jurisdiction under applicable law, the competent courts in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India have exclusive jurisdiction. For an engagement contracted by a GreenSignature® entity established in England and Wales, the laws of England and Wales govern and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction. The applicable contracting entity and forum should be identified in the transaction document before the service begins.

These governing-law and forum terms do not remove or restrict any consumer’s mandatory rights, any non-waivable protection under the law of the consumer’s habitual residence, or any right to bring proceedings before a court or tribunal where applicable law requires or permits it. If no contracting entity or forum is identified in the transaction documents, the parties will first seek to resolve the issue in writing; any dispute will be determined by the court having jurisdiction under the applicable conflict-of-laws and consumer-protection rules. Nothing in this policy prevents either party from seeking urgent interim relief from a court of competent jurisdiction.

For a programme complaint or policy question, contact hello@greensignature.org with the applicant’s name, organisation, programme and decision reference. GreenSignature® may request identity or authority verification before discussing an application or disclosing confidential information.

21. Entire policy and precedence

This policy, together with the applicable programme criteria, application declarations, written service agreement, Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Refund Policy, forms the policy framework for the relevant GreenSignature® service. Programme-specific requirements supplement this policy; they do not waive the authenticity, verification, mark-use or legal-compliance requirements unless the relevant written agreement expressly states otherwise.