Data providers include sustainability certification body, standard setting organization, or sustainable development initiative which match the three following criteria.

• First, data providers must have an existing public listing of verified / certified entities. This means that the data provider must maintain an up-to-date record of organizations, businesses or projects that have been certified as meeting their sustainability criteria.
• Second, the data providers must have a set of criteria that address at least one pillar of sustainable development. These criteria should be designed to promote sustainable practices in areas such as social, environmental, and economic sustainability. The data provider should focus on promoting practices that contribute to sustainable development and meet global sustainability goals.
• Finally, companies featured on the certified business registry can be either certified or verified, where certified implies that they have met specific standards or criteria set by a recognized authority, while verified suggests that their information or credentials have been authenticated and confirmed as accurate.

By meeting these three requirements, any sustainability certification body, standard setting organization, or sustainable development initiative can  provide data to the Certified Business Registry..

The ownership of the data displayed on the platform is governed by the policies set by the data provider. ITC does not alter or modify the data ownership protocols once the data is listed on the Certified Business Registry. This means that the data remains the property of the data provider and is subject to their established .

• The Certified Business Registry is free. It is  a United Nations global public good. ITC is committed to providing its users with a registry providing access to valuable and reliable data at no cost.
• The Certified Business Registry provides accurate information which has been verified or certified. As such, all the information displayed on the Certified Business Registry is of high quality.
• The Certified Business Registry is built for data providers with a mission to empower their verified and certified businesses, and to provide a free suite of tools to facilitate the visibility, management and sharing of businesses basic information and related sustainability credentials.
• ITC is committed to putting data providers in the driver’s seat. ITC believes that the data providers should have control over their data, and the CBR is designed to protect these.  Data providers can remove the data exposed on the Certified Business Registry at any time, and data can be deleted from the United Nations servers.
• The Certified Business Registry does not commoditize the data of data providers. Data shared by data providers on the Certified Business Registry does not enter the public domain but rather remains the property of the data provider, adhering to the ownership rules and parameters established by the data provider.

ITC does not independently verify the data displayed on the Certified Business Registry platform. ITC relies on the verification protocols and policies established by the data provider. These verification protocols may vary depending on the data provider. For example, some standards may require on-site audits, while others may rely on documentation review or self-assessment. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the data provider to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data they .

Data displayed on the Certified Business Registry is updated in accordance with the data provider’s update frequency. It is important to note that the update frequency will vary. ITC aims to provide accurate and up-to-date data to its users.  In instances where the data provider would expose more up-to-date data on their website, a link to the most recent data is provided alongside the data.

Information shared on the platform is limited to what the data provider can publicly share. This generally includes basic information about the company’s/projects’ identity, location, and operation, as well as details about the validity of its sustainability claims. Occasionally, information about the validity date and entity confirming the sustainability claim may also be available. We strictly adhere to the policies and standards established by the data provider and do not alter any information provided. Our goal is to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information possible.

The Certified Business Registry welcomes potential data providers who wish to share their certified or verified company basic data on our platform. The onboarding process is quick and straightforward, taking only a few minutes of your time. ITC offers a testing phase which allows potential data providers to familiarize themselves with our platform and ensure that it meets their needs before making their data public.

All data providers to the CBR are in complete control of their data.

ITC is fully committed to ensuring the utmost accuracy and reliability of the data that we provide to our platform users.  ITC strongly encourages the data providers to report any discrepancies or concerns encountered on the platform, given that several geolocations are generated automatically via geolocation services. ITC will promptly investigate all reported issues and take the necessary corrective measures to guarantee the continued provision of precise and reliable data.

Furthermore, any business listed on our platform that wishes to be removed can contact ITC (sustainability@intracen.org) so the team can process the request and remove their information from the CBR.

The Certified Business Registry allows users to query data from data providers by browsing tables and map. Exploring the table or map view of a data provider is completely free. The Certified Business Registry is an ITC global public good, which means that ITC is committed to providing its users with access to valuable and reliable data at no cost.

 Users wishing to access the API provided by the Certified Business Registry to data providers should contact the data providers directly to access information in a digital format as each data provider is responsible for setting the rules around access to their data via the API.

ITC places a great emphasis on ensuring user privacy and data integrity. To protect user privacy, ITC uses industry-standard encryption protocols to safeguard all data in transit and at rest. Additionally, ITC provides data providers with control over the data, enabling them to manage their information as they see fit. Furthermore, the platform’s data governance policies ensure that data is only accessible to authorized individuals and is used only for its intended purpose. In summary, the United Nations’ web platform prioritizes user privacy and data integrity through the implementation of robust security measures, strict data governance policies, and transparent data management.

The terms of use can be downloaded here. Data providers can use and test the platform without making any information public and without agreeing to the terms of use. 

ITC is fully committed to ensuring the utmost accuracy and reliability of the data that we provide to our platform users.  ITC strongly encourages the data providers to report any discrepancies or concerns encountered on the platform, given that several geolocations are generated automatically via geolocation services. ITC will promptly investigate all reported issues and take the necessary corrective measures to guarantee the continued provision of precise and reliable data.

Furthermore, any business listed on our platform that wishes to be removed can contact ITC (sustainability@intracen.org) so the team can process the request and remove their information from the CBR.

The Certified Business Registry allows users to view data from various data providers  and obtain relevant information for their research or business needs. Exploring the list of a voluntary sustainability standards verified or certified business on the Certified Business Registry is completely free. The Certified Business Registry is an ITC global public good, which means that ITC is committed to providing its users with access to valuable and reliable data at no cost.

An API is provided to all data providers contributing data to the Certified Business Registry. The data providers are in full control of the access, dissimination and terms upon which their APIs are assessed. 

Should users wish to access a data providers’ specific API, we invite you to contact them directly to access their0 information in a digital format.

Data providers can benefit from a free API service. The API information is not displayed on the Certified Business Registry. To access more information about the data providers API, users need too contact them directly. Data providers have full control over their APIs and can choose whether to utilize them, with the ability to manage access through password protection. They also have the flexibility to create multiple APIs and customize which specific fields or parts of data sets are shared. This convenient API service is provided free of charge to data providers, and they can easily activate or deactivate it within their admin account by simply clicking a button.

ITC places a great emphasis on ensuring user privacy and data integrity. To protect user privacy, ITC uses industry-standard encryption protocols to safeguard all data in transit and at rest. Additionally, ITC provides data providers with control over the data, enabling them to manage their information as they see fit. Furthermore, the platform’s data governance policies ensure that data is only accessible to authorized individuals and is used only for its intended purpose. In summary, the United Nations’ web platform prioritizes user privacy and data integrity through the implementation of robust security measures, strict data governance policies, and transparent data management .

No, they do not. Data providers are not obligated to comply with any particular data format or mapping. However, if they choose to share their data on other platforms or utilize the API service, they have the option to harmonize their data with various taxonomies. ITC recognizes that there is no universal master data set and understands that data providers may prefer to continue using their own formats. The harmonized functionality of the Certified Business Registry, available to data providers, aims to simplify data exchange by supporting commonly used data formats.

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Certified Business Registry Terms of use for Sustainability Enablers