ISO 26000 Social Responsibility Alignment

ISO 26000 is the international guidance standard for social responsibility — providing a comprehensive framework for organisations to understand and integrate social responsibility into their strategy, operations, and stakeholder relationships. Unlike most ISO standards, ISO 26000 is a guidance document rather than a certifiable standard — but it is widely used as a reference framework for social responsibility assessment and reporting.

The standard covers seven core subjects — organisational governance, human rights, labour practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, and community involvement and development — providing detailed guidance on the principles, practices, and expectations applicable to each. ISO 26000 alignment involves assessing an organisation's current social responsibility practices against the standard's guidance, identifying areas for improvement, and developing a programme to strengthen social responsibility performance across all relevant core subjects — providing a comprehensive, internationally recognised framework for managing and communicating social responsibility.