There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to sustainability. For example, certain issues that apply to a large brand with a complex supply chain might not be relevant to a small brand that primarily makes niche products in-house with a small team. The Good On You methodology does not expect that all the best practices are employed in order to achieve a high score. There are multiple pathways to high scores in every issue that will be relevant for different types of brands. 

Good On You’s brand rating system has  been developed in close consultation with a range of industry experts to ensure that each brand is fairly considered based on the best practices that apply to their unique position.

In every case, materiality is key—meaning Good On You assesses issues based on what’s most important and impactful.

 

Brand size

Good On You’s rating system distinguishes between large and small brands. A brand is classified as large or small based on its annual turnover or that of its parent company using the definition set out by the European Commission. The size classifications help determine the issues that each brand is expected to address.

Large brands have more influence, resources, and control over their supply chain. We expect them to address a wider range of sustainability issues—including deforestation, biodiversity, and climate change targets—and to respond to more data points within some issues.

The standards for small brands remain rigorous, but the assessment is also relative to their overall impact and what’s considered to be best practice for brands that have access to fewer resources and have less influence on the supply chain.

Learn more about how Good On You’s rating methodology distinguishes between large and small brands.

 

Products, services and inputs

The products and services your brand offers help determine which issues are more relevant to your specific circumstances and overall impact. The Good On You methodology addresses specific issues conditionally, dependent on the product and service types, and inputs. Some examples are outlined below:

Fashion product types: As a fashion brand offering exclusively activewear, issues related to leather-usage are less relevant in your rating compared to a brand offering shoes and handbags.

Beauty commodity usage: Brands using particular commodities as ingredients in their products are expected to have practices and policies around commodity sourcing that will not be relevant for brands with minimal use of those commodities.

 

Standards and business practices

When information about your brand’s standards or certifications is provided, it may elevate your score in other areas—and sometimes stand in for other issues entirely. 

Standards and certifications systems are weighted according to their scope and the quality of their assurance. In other words, both the ambition of the standard—what it applies to and at what level—and how well they ensure compliance are considered. Those with a broad scope may affect your score on other issues. For instance, a product-level certification may demonstrate a high level of performance on related issues, thereby increasing your score in those areas. 

Certain standards or assessments can stand in entirely for other issues, meaning scoring for those issues is derived from the assurance of the standard or certification. 

Similarly, some business practices may influence other issues. For example, several aspects of your people score may factor in whether facilities are in lower-risk countries or if local artisans are employed. 

Learn more about standards and certifications that can substitute other issues in beauty. Similarly, learn more about standards and certifications that can substitute other issues in fashion.