Overview
Collaboration represents a critical pillar in a brand’s sustainability journey, moving beyond individual internal policies toward collective industry action. Good On You’s methodology evaluates the extent to which a brand engages with external stakeholders to drive systemic change.
This engagement is primarily assessed through participation in multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs), which are collaborative platforms involving businesses, civil society, and often governments, aimed at addressing complex social and environmental challenges that no single brand can solve alone.
Collaboration is essential because it enhances accountability and facilitates the adoption of known good practices designed to minimise negative impacts on people, the planet, and animals. By working with civil society, consumer organisations, and sustainability-focused industry leaders, brands can better understand and reflect industry best practices and leadership.
Industry verticals: Fashion, Beauty, Services, Retailer
Applicable for: large brands
What is assessed?
Good On You assesses collaboration through the lens of active participation in recognised initiatives. The common issue across all verticals is multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Common assessment criteria
Brands are rewarded based on the rigour and impact of the organisations they join. The methodology recognises a wide array of initiatives, categorising them based on their specific focus areas:
Labour and human rights: Participation in organisations like the Fair Labor Association (FLA), Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), or the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)
Assessments in industry verticals
Beauty
In the Beauty sector, collaboration is assessed primarily through the lens of high-risk raw material sourcing. Brands are expected to participate in:
Ingredient-specific groups: This includes the Global Shea Alliance (GSA), Roundtable on Responsible Soy (RTRS), Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI), and the World Cocoa Foundation
Fashion
The Fashion vertical assessment places a high priority on initiatives that address the specific risks of garment manufacturing. Key assessments include:
Health and Safety: Participation in the International and/or Pakistan Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry
Wage improvement: Collaboration with Action on Living Wages (ACT)
Services and Retailer
For Services and Retailers, the methodology focuses on broader cross-industry collaborations. Brands are assessed on participation in:
Responsible Business Alliance (RBA): Critical for service providers and retailers managing diverse electronic and operational supply chains
Global Living Wage Coalition: Reflecting a commitment to fair pay across direct operations and contractors
Disclosure and data sources
Good On You primarily relies on a brand’s public website and formal sustainability, CSR, or ESG reports. In addition, for collaboration we reference:
MSI membership list
Relevance for large brands
The Good On You methodology differentiates expectations based on brand size, defined as small or large using the definition set out by the European Commission. Collaboration initiatives are only assessed for large brands that have a higher expectation to use their significant resources to engage in industry-wide advocacy.
Other practices that contribute to the score
Some practices assessed in other sections of the methodology score points within this area. These reflect actions such as certifications or broader business practices that have sustainability implications beyond just this area.
The exact practices that score in this area vary by industry vertical and are described in the articles linked below:
Best practice and common pitfalls
Best practice principles
High-performing brands go further than joining an MSI: they provide evidence of active implementation, such as case studies or progress reports
Disclosing specific achievements resulting from the collaboration, such as the percentage of workers paid a living wage, is considered best practice
Common pitfalls
Brands often fail to update their websites when memberships lapse. Good On You checks organisation databases to ensure memberships are current; a brand found to be claiming membership in an initiative like the BSCI when the parent company is no longer a member will be penalised
Referring generally to "ethical standards" or "international principles" without naming the specific standard or initiative is insufficient for assessment. Brands must explicitly name the MSIs they participate in to receive points