ISEAL Code Compliant status recognises our Community Members that currently adhere to our Standard-Setting, Impacts and Assurance Codes of Good Practice and have committed to adhere to the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Sustainability Systems (the ISEAL Code), demonstrating a rigorous approach to improvement.

The ISEAL Code came into effect on 1 March 2024 and there is an 18-month transition period for ISEAL Code Compliant organisations to align their systems to the ISEAL Code. 

Only Community Members can apply to become ISEAL Code Compliant. Up until March 2024, Community Members were recognised as Code Compliant when they demonstrated adherence to the baseline and improvement criteria of our Codes of Good Practice in accordance with the ISEAL Independent Evaluation Procedure. Organisations maintained their ISEAL Code Compliant status through regular independent evaluations. During the transition period, independent evaluations will be paused and set to commence in Q4 2025 against the requirements of the ISEAL Code. Through our Code compliance programme, evaluations are conducted as follows:

• Independent evaluators are contracted by ISEAL.
• Evaluations take the form of a document review.
• Decisions on compliance are taken by the independent evaluator.
• Disputes of findings from evaluations are handled by the ISEAL Membership Committee, which oversees the effective implementation of the programme.
• Where non-conformities are identified, they must be resolved within defined timeframes.
• Information about the improvements undertaken as a result of independent evaluation is made publicly available.