Certification and sustainability as a key tool for competitiveness

While certification is generally understood as a third-party confirmation that the requirements set out in an agreed framework have been met, sustainable development is seen as a type of development that also seeks to eliminate or mitigate the negative impacts of the way human society has developed to date without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their basic needs and maintain their standard of living. In integrating ESG criteria into corporate strategies, ISO standards and other certifications are proving to be important tools. The aim of this paper is to assess the interrelationship between certification and the concept of sustainability in the context of market competitiveness. The authors consider that certification is a key condition for sustainability, especially because it creates standards without which there would be inconsistencies in the applied processes. And it is the alignment of set processes through certification that is a prerequisite for successful sustainable development and market competitiveness