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Social & Ethical Audits

Get independent assurance of social and ethical performance

Social and ethical audits help you prove to customers that you operate according to laws, regulations, international standards and best practices to treat workers decently, and ensure your capability to deliver goods and services in relevant markets.

DNV offers a suite of audits, inspections and bespoke assessment services to companies that need independent assurance of their social and ethical performance. We provide second and third-party services for verification of alignment against local legislation, international norms or clients’ own Codes of Conduct. 

How we do it

Our social and ethical audits are conducted according to international best practices, while we also customize the audit to address the most challenging issues and risks to individual organizations. The audits can focus on areas such as human rights, labor regulations, health and safety sector issues, responsible production practices, fair and living wages, stakeholder relations, community engagement and other aspects, depending on specific needs. 

Why choose DNV for your social and ethical audits?

Combining deep operational auditing capability, industry-specific knowledge and leadership in solutions for digital assurance, we help create confidence that the necessary requirements are met.

Through our global network of more than 200 qualified social auditors, we have dedicated professionals in your local market. With operations in more than 100 countries, we ensure that you work with DNV representatives who speak your local language and are familiar with national laws and sector-specific regulations. Our wide experience and strong focus on project management ensures a cost efficient process.

What are the benefits?

DNV’s social and ethical audit services assure your customers that you meet necessary operational, quality, health and safety, environmental, ethical and other sustainability performance requirements. 

You will benefit from our technical expertise and data-driven insights helping you improve product quality, safety and sustainability, reducing lead times and operational costs as well as enhancing brand reputation and improving cash-flow. 

For the full list of recognitions, please contact your local DNV office.

Make audit data available to multiple customers

DNV has access to internationally acknowledged and widely used platforms for sharing audit data, which ensure that audit results can reach multiple customers. In addition, our leading digital assurance solutions enable our customers to access a variety of performance-based data and metrics, supporting internal analysis and allowing you to benchmark your performance internally or towards the industry.

Our accreditations and recognitions

DNV is accredited by a number of social and ethical auditing schemes. Moreover, we are recognized by some of the most prominent brands to conduct social auditing according to customers’ code of conduct. DNV is recognized by Nestlè, Unilever, Sainsbury, Walmart, Woolworths, Bacardi and Morrisons, in addition to other brands and retailers. For the full list of recognitions, please contact your local DNV office.

More information

  Why work with DNV?

Why work with DNV?

  Social and ethical audits

Social and ethical audits

  Social and ethical audits in the garment/textile industry

Social and ethical audits in the garment/textile industry

  Social and ethical audits in the ICT industry

Social and ethical audits in the ICT industry