What concerns can be raised, and by whom?
Anyone can raise a concern for Good On You to review, for instance, consumers, brands, or other stakeholders such as civil society organisations, researchers, and other third parties. This article explains how various types of concerns are dealt with.
Before submitting a concern
Before submitting a request, review our How We Rate resource which might provide context related to your concern. In particular, familiarise yourself with the Good On You ratings process and what is assessed in the methodology.
It’s important to note that Good On You ratings are based only on information that is publicly available at the time of rating—from the brand itself, its parent company, relevant certification schemes, or other sources specified in the methodology.
A published rating will not reflect any disclosures where:
A brand has not publicly disclosed information about its policies and practices
Information is not sufficiently specific
Information has been updated since the assessment was completed
Outside of these caveats, if you believe the ratings process and assessment have not been applied accurately for a rating then you should submit a request for Good On You to review.
Rated brands can better understand their impacts, get tailored guidance on where to focus, and easily submit information relevant to their Good On You rating via Good Measures, Good On You's sustainability hub for brands.
How to submit a concern
Concerns can be submitted via this form. Include the following information:
Clear description of the concern, including (where applicable) the brand or brands affected, and specific issues of the particular methodology that are of concern
Any supporting evidence, including URLs and the dates the relevant information was published
What happens next
Good On You will acknowledge all concerns within seven days and aims to provide a substantive response within 45 days. If more information is required, we will contact you. If specialist investigation is required, it will be assigned to an appropriate team member.
If the concern is about the accuracy of a specific rating
A ratings analyst—generally the original analyst—reviews the concern and assesses whether a discrepancy exists. The decision on whether to amend, reject, or escalate is made by a senior member of the ratings team independently from the original analyst. The review considers whether the published rating accurately reflects the publicly available evidence at the time of the assessment. If a discrepancy is found, the rating is queued for re-rate and the person who raised the concern is notified.
If the concern regards new information published since the rating was completed
A request for a re-rate can be submitted via this form. Good On You will determine the timing of an updated rating, taking into account whether the new information is sufficiently material to the score such that the current brand rating could mislead consumers.
If the concern is about consistent application of the methodology
The concern is investigated by a senior member of the ratings team across the relevant group of brands. Where a systemic issue is identified, it is addressed through Good On You’s quality management process and referred to the Independent Monitoring Body (IMB).
If the concern is about the methodology itself
The concern is logged and will be triaged: should it be considered as part of the next methodology review, and should that review be accelerated? Good On You will notify the person who raised the concern that it has been received and which approach will be taken.
If the concern is about independence or integrity
It is referred directly to the Independent Monitoring Body for independent assessment. These concerns are not investigated solely by Good On You's internal team.
Where a concern relates to a rating being used as a sustainability label, it is subject to expedited handling and the Independent Monitoring Body is involved in the review.
Good On You may decline to investigate concerns that are manifestly frivolous, vexatious, or unsupported by any verifiable information.
Appeals if the concern is not resolved
Any party that receives a substantive decision on a concern may appeal that decision. Appeals are assessed independently of the analysts or team member(s) who handled the original concern.
Oversight by the Independent Monitoring Body
As noted above, the IMB has a role in considering the substance of any concern raised about the independence or integrity of the sustainability label scheme.
In all other cases, where a complainant is dissatisfied with how Good On You has handled a concern, they may ask the Independent Monitoring Body to assess whether Good On You followed its published complaints procedure; though this is a review of process, not a reassessment of the rating itself.
The Independent Monitoring Body reviews Good On You's log of concerns and appeals as part of its ongoing monitoring of the sustainability label scheme.
Public reporting
Good On You publishes aggregate statistics on concerns and appeals in its annual transparency report. This covers the number of concerns received by category, the outcomes, and any impact on ratings or methodology. Individual concern details are not published.