ASI Annual Report 2022-23

asi | Annual Report 2022/23 | 1
2022/23
Annual Report
Focusing on
the essentials

Assurance Services International GmBH
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 69
53113 Bonn, Germany
ASI Asia Pacific SDn.BHD
Menara MBMR (Floor 11, Unit 5)
Jalan Syed Putra, Mid Valley city
58000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
web : www.asi-assurance.org
email : asi-info@asi-assurance.org
ASI North America PB LLC
11810 Grand Park Avenue, Suite 503
North Bethesda, MD 20852
United States of America
web : www.asi-na.org
email : info@asi-na.org
©ASI 2023 – Assurance Services International GmbH. All rights reserved.
ASI communication direction: Tanuka Mukherjee | Photo credits: ASI team
Cover image: Eduardo Bluhm | Design Annual Report 2022/23: Sarah K Jones | www.sarahkjones.com.au
No part of this work covered by the publisher’s copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any
means (graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information retrieval
systems) without the written permission of the publisher. Published September 2023.
Contents
Reflections from our Board of Directors 3
Reflections from our Managing Director 4
About ASI 5
Who we work with 6
ASI in numbers 7
Enhancing our credibility through our services 9
Strengthening oversight with proven expertise and consistency 9
Investigating and mitigating risks to system integrity 12
Developing assurance systems for lasting impact 14
Empowering sustainability auditing practices through knowledge 15
Financial Report 16

2022 has been a year of sharpening the focus of our vision at
Assurance Services International.
At the core of our Strategic Plan 2025, our carefully crafted Two-Tier Assurance Program
is being rolled out worldwide. This is made possible by the engagement and cooperation
of leading national Accreditation Bodies (ABs) in Europe, plus the successful formation and
launch of ASI North America. Oversight activities within Assurance Services International
assure consistency and credibility of the certificates issued by our approved Conformity
Assessment Bodies (CABs), wherever they operate, in support of our several scheme owners
(SOs). Certificate holders’ claims can be trusted within the supply chains they serve, and the
sustainability of our natural resources can be measured, tracked and relied upon.
As we act upon the commitments made in our Strategic Plan 2025, we begin to realize our
overarching goal of delivering real impact in the areas of environmental protection and
social accountability. Our Strategic Plan is much more than a set of papers full of buzz-words
and fancy flow diagrams. It has become the roadmap to our future and that of our trusting
partners in established programs as well as dozens of developing initiatives in new and
increasingly important sustainability areas.
A critical element of our strategy has been to better connect
with our clients and their many stakeholders. In doing so, we
are working on integrated solutions aimed at addressing the
challenges that they face in their respective sectors.
Driving change
and inspiring trust
Greg Swan
ASI Board Chairman
On behalf of the ASI Board: Andre de Freitas,
Katharina Miller, Michael E. Conroy and Verónica García Malo.
Along the way, we routinely measure the reactions of our clients to the services we
provide. We take pride in our collaborative achievements while taking time to understand
and address any areas of potential improvement presented through these studies.
We continuously learn from our activities and their outcomes and, more and more, we
develop effective means to share our knowledge and expertise with those who are working
at various levels within the sustainability landscape.
At ASI, we firmly believe that our continuously developing expertise sets us apart from
others in these fields. But what makes ASI so unique is the attitude of our people around
the world who share our vision for a better world where sustainability claims can be trusted
and drive everyday decision making.
At ASI, sustainability is not our business,
it is our passion.
photo:
Maris
Zudrags

Looking back at 2022, I am still wondering what else can happen
to the world, to our business, to ourselves. The term ‘polycrisis’
has been mentioned more than a few times last year in different
forums to describe the unpredictable and volatile nature of the
world around us.
My take on navigating these challenges is simple. We are responsible for taking ownership
of our situations - own them, deal with them and then move forward. Making noise and
expecting help might be tempting, but it is not very productive and rewarding. I do not
believe in the popular claim that each crisis is an opportunity. However, it is still crucial to
maintain a level of comfort and approach each crisis with a rational mindset. These days, I
feel more comfortable with handling a crisis than routine daily business, which is proving to
be helpful.
In the grand scheme of things, and considering that crises come and go, all this can only
be countered by maintaining focus on what is essential in the long-term. For ASI, long-term
means in particular, following our Strategic Plan. Making progress on our objectives and
roadmap is key for our focus.
When it comes to the assurance landscape, ASI is known for having a few exceptional
strengths that are distinctly unique. Our diverse team of sustainability assurance experts
specialize in some of the most important commodities in the world. With the help of ASI’s
global infrastructure and reach, we are able to provide oversight and integrity services to
credible Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS).
Our Strategic Plan helps to enhance our strengths even further, enabling us to offer
increased support to our customers and ensuring the trustworthiness of their sustainability
claims. This has been and will remain our long-term focus.
Bringing credibility to
sustainability claims Despite the chaos in the world around us, we are steadfastly making progress with the
integration of the voluntary sustainability sector with the European national accreditation
framework. Aligning Europe’s regulatory expectations with internationally recognized
best practices brings many benefits to all stakeholders. Most importantly, it strengthens
the oversight of global resource management. These partnerships demonstrate that there
are advantages to everyone working together in good faith for the greater good in our
increasingly fragmented world.
We continue to enhance our international accreditation model from our second base in the
United States. Creating a new AB and legal framework required significant efforts from our
team and partners, but we are grateful for having achieved what our objectives were and
can look forward to further advancing it.
The earlier examples represent only a small portion of our long-term plans; there are many
more in the works. These examples serve to emphasize that ASI is not about being loud or
reactionary; rather, we listen, consider and improve. We firmly believe that our combined
strengths and resolute focus are the best response to any challenge that comes our way.
Our top priority is to ensure that you can trust our assurance
system, which in turn assures that our customers are
trusted. We are here to provide credentials to sustainability
claims in the long-term.
Guntars Laguns
ASI Managing Director
photo:
Eduardo
Bluhm

About ASI
ASI is an assurance partner for leading VSS and initiatives around the world.
ASI has been appointed by numerous VSS to oversee and improve the integrity
and credibility of their certification schemes worldwide.
With over 100 team members across 35 countries, ASI is a truly global
organization, uniting experts in forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, human rights,
fraud examinations and many other sectors.
Regional Office
ASI Asia Pacific, Malaysia
ASI Head Office
Assurance Services International, Germany
International Accreditation

ASI North America, USA
photo:
Guntars
Laguns

ASI has supported 24 schemes since 2022/23 including the following projects:
Better Cotton: ASI is supporting Better Cotton to develop
a framework for analyzing the drivers and trends of fraud
in cotton supply chains.
Bonsucro: ASI has been supporting Bonsucro’s CAB
monitoring since 2019.
Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR): ASI
supported the development of a risk management methodology
for GPSNR.
Grüner Knopf (Green Button): ASI has supported Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) in
the creation of the Green Button assurance system for Germany,
including the process towards national accreditation. At present,
ASI provides additional oversight activities and is implementing
an integrity program.
Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA): Following
up on earlier assurance system development activities, ASI is
currently supporting IRMA CAB approval processes.
IUCN Green List: ASI supports the creation and delivery
of the IUCN Green List for Protected and Conserved
Areas since 2013 as an IUCN assurance partner.
My Green Lab: ASI provided advice on their assurance system
design.
Rainforest Alliance (RA): ASI is supporting RA CAB monitoring in
select high risk countries since 2018.
Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC): ASI supports CAB
monitoring since 2017 and provides oversight activities
for RJC.
Round Table on Responsible Soy Association (RTRS): ASI has
been supporting RTRS since 2021 with a review of their logo and
claims. In 2021, ASI supported the revision and improvement of
their assurance system.
Who we
work with
Global challenges highlight the importance of
credible sustainability standards and the need
for organizations to have a strong assurance
system in place. ASI ensures that sustainability
standards deliver real social and environmental
impact through collaborative partnerships with
organizations that have the vision and ability to
drive impact at scale.
Through these partnerships, we work to improve
performance and help our partners and clients
meet the highest assurance standards. By
partnering with ASI, organizations have access
to a global network of experts who share best
practices and work to safeguard the credibility of
their assurance system.
Certification schemes we work with:
photo:
Eduardo
Bluhm

Accredited/approved CABs per country
The majority of ASI accredited/approved CABs are based in Europe (55), followed
by Asia (17), America (13), Africa (1), and Oceania (1).
ASI in numbers
Assessments conducted by country
Between July 2022 to June 2023, ASI conducted the most number of assessments in
China and India, followed by the USA, Italy, Indonesia and Brazil.
Europe
55
Asia
17
USA
13
Africa
1
Oceania
1
China
45
India
41
USA
28
Italy
26
Indonesia
25
Brazil
25
Vietnam
24
UK
24
Germany
24
France
23
Japan
17
Switzerland
15
Findings and sanctions
In the current timeframe, ASI conducted 612
assessments and 2017 findings were raised.
CABs address these findings by providing
root cause analysis, correction and corrective
actions (via the ASI Connect platform). If CAB
actions are insufficient, ASI escalates the
matter via sanctions such as formal warnings
and suspensions.
On average, the Roundtable on Sustainable
Biomaterials (RSB) and the Global Sustainable
Tourism Council (GSTC) have a higher
number of findings per assessment, than the
Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC),
the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO),
and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
No.
of
findings
Program
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Finding Type
Compliance
Follow-up
Major
Nonconformity
Minor
Nonconformity
Opportunity for
Improvement
B
o
n
s
u
c
r
o
A
S
C
F
S
C
G
S
T
C
M
S
C
R
J
C
R
S
B
R
S
P
O
M
S
C
,
A
S
C
Sanctions issued by ASI have
doubled in comparison to 2021/
2022, from 21 to 42 in total.
All types of recorded sanctions
show significant growth, with the
number of suspensions increasing
from 4 to 9, the intensification of
surveillance from 1 to 6, and formal
warnings from 16 to 27.
27
42
6 9
Formal Warning
Intensification of Surveillance
Suspension

The ASI team spent 2900 days in oversight assessments across different
schemes from July 2022 to June 2023.
The time spent doing on-site evaluations grew in comparison to the previous
period, increasing by 54% due to travel restrictions lifting and the ability to
perform assessments on-site.
Observe something suspicious? Submit a report via our online incident
reporting form (QR code) or by email to integrity@asi-assurance.org.
Overview of incidents 2022
The number of incidents for nearly all programs grew in comparison to the previous
period. ASI Resources continue to be the main reporters of incidents, followed by
SOs and external stakeholders. However, the amount of incidents reported by such
stakeholders has decreased in comparison to previous years.
On-site Assessments
Off-site Assessments
Document Review
Preparation
Report Writing Finalization
Travel Time
Stakeholder Consultation
Technical Review
Translation
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
2021/22 2022/23
ASC FSC MSC RSPO
0
50
100
150
200
30
41
193
166
59 61
24
47
Incidents received per program
0
25
50
75
100
125
105
105
19
11
31
28
21
3
C
A
B
A
S
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89
8
Received incidents per reporter
photo:
Maris
Zudrags

Our commitment
to strategic impact
ASI has evolved and transitioned to an assurance provider, and therefore embraced this
opportunity to develop an integrated framework that includes all assurance services as well
as ASI’s Strategic Plan 2025.
The ASI Strategy Impacts Map¹ connects ASI's vision and mission to specific pathways for
impact, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It guides internal
decision making and communication with external stakeholders, highlighting how ASI's
strategies, tools and tactics lead to meaningful outcomes for clients.
¹ Find out more about how ASI maps its strategic impact https://www.asi-assurance.org/s/strategy-2025/strategy-impacts-map
Enhancing credibility
through our services
Strengthening oversight
with proven expertise
and consistency
Since 2006, ASI has successfully expanded its global presence
and established a strong reputation as an international assurance
provider offering unparalleled sustainability accreditation as well
as oversight services.
Over the last two years, we took it a step further. The roll out of the ASI
Two-Tier Assurance Program enables partnerships with other ABs, allows for
the creation of synergies and also to set the tone on novel assurance approaches
going beyond traditional accreditation.
This program is fully implemented for CABs based outside of Europe, who now
receive accreditation through ASI North America and also for CABs based in
Germany, where the national AB Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle (DAkkS) is our
partner. Other European countries are set to follow.
ASI provides a suite of oversight activities which complement the traditional
accreditation, and thus enhance confidence for our scheme owner clients and
increase the credibility that certification offers.
Our tailored assessments support schemes and initiatives that apply alternative
oversight systems. For example, by monitoring CABs in select high risk countries
and holding them accountable. Through these complementary services, ASI not
only strengthens the existing integrity systems of SOs but also uses the insights
gained to inform its own system development services.
ASI remains committed to driving sustainability
and promoting responsible practices across
various industries. Through our comprehensive
range of accreditation and assurance services,
we continue to empower organizations
worldwide and meet the evolving expectations
of stakeholders towards maximizing their social
and environmental impact.

In 2019, we signed an agreement
with DAkkS2, which marked
a major milestone in our
journey towards integrating
accreditation and assurance.
This collaboration paved
the way for the ASI Two-Tier
Assurance Program. Our
Strategic Development Director
shares some insights about this
innovative program:
What were the main motivations
behind the establishment of this
program?
There are two motivating factors that
led to the development of the ASI
Two-Tier Assurance Program. The
first one was the European regulation
which nationalized the process of
accreditation for CABs. The second
factor was an opportunity to create
synergies between governmental
oversight and our assurance expertise.
With the ongoing success of
additional agreements. In essence, we
are transitioning our core accreditation
function to them. In turn, the partnering
ABs appoint our experienced personnel
to carry out the technical accreditation
work for them. Up until now, we have
built partnerships with three ABs in
Europe, representing the largest ABs for
our client base. We are planning to build
more such partnerships, and have also
created ASI North America as an AB
for CABs residing outside the European
Economic Area (EEA).
Regarding challenges, working
with many ABs in the first place
brings complexity. This cannot be
negated. While they all have the same
foundations (i.e. ISO 17011), each of
them has their own systems, processes
and culture. However, as assurance
practitioners, it is relatively easy for us
to understand these different ways of
working. Assessments under Tier One
follow the respective ABs’ systems and
under Tier Two, we have the opportunity
to implement more innovative assurance
processes on behalf of our clients to
assure their credibility.
What are the benefits expected and
for who?
In the mid-term, I see benefits for
anyone having an interest in the
implementation of sustainability
standards.
Certification schemes are able to
demonstrate stronger oversight as a
result of the ASI Two-Tier Assurance
program, due to the increased checks
2 https://www.asi-assurance.org/s/post/a1J1H000001migBUAQ/p0688
3 ASI and UKAS to strengthen strategic collaboration in sustainability: https://www.asi-assurance.org/s/post/a1J5c00000XUZHEEA5/p1103
⁴ Accredia and ASI sign MoU for new partnership: https://www.asi-assurance.org/s/post/a1J5c00000RzDLhEAN/p0912
Understanding the ASI
Two-Tier Assurance
Program and its impact:
Interview with Dr. Sönke Fischer
photo:
Guntars
Laguns
certification schemes and increasing
stakeholder expectations, ASI
identified that accreditation on its
own is not enough to guarantee
integrity and positive environmental
and social impacts. This led to the
creation of a suite of different services
to complement CAB performance
oversight, such as compliance
assessments, integrity and anti-fraud
investigations, transaction verification
and more.
How is ASI integrating and rolling
out the program as part of its wider
service offering? Do you foresee any
challenges?
The Two-Tier Assurance program could
be applied to any standard certification
system. We are working with our clients
to support them in their transition to this
system.
ASI has established partnership
agreements with national ABs, including
the United Kingdom Accreditation
Service (UKAS)3 and Accredia (Italian
AB)4, and is currently working on
and balances in place, i.e. international
assurance combined with (national)
accreditation. This in turn leads to
enhanced credibility. In addition, ASI
can focus more on supporting schemes
to introduce innovative assurance
practices to tackle sustainability
challenges, while maintaining system
credibility.
VSS are increasingly being used and
referenced in regulations. Often these
policies specify that the CABs used by
VSS must be accredited by national ABs.
The ASI Two-Tier Assurance Program
achieves this requirement and more.
CABs can position themselves as
providing high quality services with no
significant additional cost. Furthermore,
CABs will see a reduction in the number
of office assessments, as partner AB
office assessments will integrate ASI
assessors.
What would you say is the next
phase for the program and its
implementation?
In order to transition to more national
ABs, there is a technical process which
has to be fulfilled by our client VSS,
which is under final review for full
compliance with ISO 17065 under a
process governed by the European
Accreditation Forum. As the VSS have
been reviewed by ASI and are full
members of the ISEAL Alliance, we see
them as well prepared for these external
reviews. Since June 2022, 34 CABs have
transitioned their accreditation to ASI
North America.

5 Learn more about the transition/transfer process for CABs to ASI North America: https://www.asi-na.org/s/post/a1J5c00000TEcWfEAL/p1024
In perspective:
Expanding our global
reach through ASI North America
We aim to build up our presence in North America and strengthen our relationship with
clients and other stakeholders. To that end, ASI North America was established as a sister
company of ASI Assurance Services International GmbH (ASI GmbH) in 2021, and focuses
on the delivery of accreditation services under the ASI Two-Tier Assurance Program.
At present, 34 CABs based outside Europe and the UK have transferred accreditation5 from
ASI Assurance Services International to ASI North America and ten CABs have applied to
do the same.
ASI team experiences on establishing ASI North America:
“Working on the ASI North America project has been an intriguing
and enriching journey for me, which I have been involved in
since its inception. As ASI Legal Counsel, I see it as a valuable
opportunity to deepen my involvement and contribute to its
ongoing development.”
- Maria Migalina, ASI Legal Counsel
“Working in ASI has been an exciting journey so far but has
become even more exciting as we transition into new systems
and territories such as establishing ASI North America. The
Quality team played a critical role in developing a unique Quality
Management System to ensure that both ASI and ASI North
America work harmoniously without duplication of efforts.
Working on this really felt like being a movie director who is not
visible, but is indispensable for making a good movie.”
- Dr. Etienne Kuzong, ASI Technical Manager
“From late 2022 to 2023, the ASI Accreditation Committee
has actively facilitated the transfer of numerous non-European
CABs from ASI to ASI North America. We found that the CABs,
their status, records, surveillance efforts, and the closure of
nonconformities were all in a commendable state. The decision
making process was a rewarding experience, and brought about a
significant sense of satisfaction and assurance.”
- Bo van Elzakker, ASI Accreditation Committee Member
On-the-ground:
Combined Tier One assessments
for Control Union Peru (CUP) - MSC
and ASC accreditation programs
In March 2023, the first head office assessment under ASI North America
Tier One was carried out, during which the MSC and ASC accreditation
programs of CUP were assessed.
ASI North America procedures were implemented
and where necessary, the main differences between
ASI North America and ASI procedures were
explained to the CAB. Thanks to the support of our
Central Services Unit and the collaboration with
CUP, the assessment was carried out smoothly.
- Dr. Antonio Hervás, MSC Program Manager at ASI
“The Tier One combined assessments went well
overall. We can further improve our communication
with the CAB before the assessment to explain the
changes in the ASI Two-Tier Assurance Program.
There are also some challenges such as different
timelines for nonconformities and dealing with
combined findings.”
- Paco Padilla, ASC Program Manager at ASI
photo:
Guntars
Laguns

How transaction verification (TV) loops safeguard
certification integrity
One of the significant challenges faced by voluntary certification systems is the
presence of false claims within certified supply chains, where non-certified products
are sold as certified. To address this issue, ASI conducts investigations into supply
chain clusters and individual companies to identify instances of potential false claims
and fraud.
By utilizing our TV tool, we compare the certified purchases and sales data of
certificate holders with the data reported by their trading partners. This process helps
us uncover volume discrepancies across the supply chain, indicating the possibility of
trading uncertified products as certified. The potential discrepancies are subsequently
verified through TV investigations.
TV investigations provide a comprehensive assessment of fraudulent practices and
system control weaknesses, along with recommendations to enhance the standard
system and mitigate integrity risks. The outcomes include the identification of
nonconforming certificate holders, integrity scenario descriptions, and gap analysis
for improvements of the normative framework.
Investigating and mitigating
risks to system integrity
Our tailored integrity services enable sustainability initiatives to demonstrate their
credibility through mitigated integrity risk along certified supply chains worldwide,
improved standards, and greater and enhanced compliance of certificate holders.
Risk Management
- Risk based assurance
- Risk-based auditing
- Supply chain risk mapping
- Country risk assessments
- Risk management tool for effective
sustainability systems
Integrity Investigations
- Transaction verification loops
- Inventory fraud investigations
- Land conversion investigations
- Investigations related to social aspects
Incident Handling
- Incident handling platform
- Whistleblowers
- Constructive dialogue with stakeholders
Business Partner Due Diligence
- Assessing risks for potential business partnerships
- Transparent, fair and non-discriminatory review process
Based on identified
risks, ASI and the
relevant scheme
decides to launch
a
TV loop.
ASI notifies CABs
who in turn
notify
certificate holders
about the pcoming
TV loop.
Certificate holders
provide data
to CABs who
then share the
data with ASI
through ASI’s TV
Matching Tool in
ASI’s Salesforce
platform.
ASI verifies
the data for
completeness,
cleans and
analyzes it.
ASI maps the
supply chains
and prioritizes
certificate holders
for investigation.
ASI investigates
prioritized
certificate holders
and provides
recommendations to
SOs (e.g., applying
sanctions, changes
to normative
framework).
Stage 1
Risk-identification
launch
Stage 2
Announcement
Stage 3
Data
reporting
Stage 4
Data
analysis
Stage 5
TV
investigation
Stages of TV Loop

Case study:
Tackling false claims in wood
pellet supply chains
The Asia Wood Pellets TV loop, conducted by ASI on behalf of FSC in 2021-2022, analyzed
wood pellet trading patterns and volumes in the Asia-Pacific region. ASI identified false
claims on large volumes of wood pellets produced and sold by certain Vietnamese
certificate holders, posing a high integrity risk to FSC wood pellet supply chains in the
Asia-Pacific region.
As a result of the TV investigation, FSC has taken action against two Vietnamese
certificate holders:
• An Viet Phat Energy Co. Ltd. (SGSHK-COC-370077) has been blocked for false claims.
They applied FSC 100% claims on wood pellets manufactured using raw materials that
could not be confirmed as FSC certified.
• Tam Phuc Gia Lai Trading Co. Ltd. (NC-COC-053381) has been blocked for false claims.
Despite waiving their annual audits and declaring no transactions, they sold products
with FSC claims, contradicting their transaction declarations.
ASI’s investigation of the An Viet Phat Energy case
uncovered a mismatch between the volume of timber sold
by certified Vietnamese forest management units for wood
pellet production and the volume of finished products
declared by manufacturers in their sales invoices, with the
latter being higher.
Vietnamese certificate holders heavily rely on wood pellets made from material carrying
FSC Controlled Wood claims, likely driven by the demand and legal requirements of Japan
and South Korea.
Vietnamese wood industry associations have expressed concerns regarding the
procurement of raw materials, including wooden waste from other timber-based supply
chains, which significantly impacts the wood pellet supply chain.
The shortage, which originated during the pandemic, continues to affect wood pellet
manufacturers’ ability to ensure an adequate supply of raw materials from certified
sources. Furthermore, the final results of the TV loop revealed that FSC-certified
Japanese companies purchased wood pellets with FSC Controlled Wood claims from
certified Vietnamese manufacturers, which were subsequently sold to non-certified
Japanese consumers.
There are indications of potential misuse of the FSC Controlled Wood claim by
certificate holders. According to the FSC Chain of Custody Standard, a certificate
holder can only apply the FSC Controlled Wood claim on sales and delivery documents
for raw or semi-finished products sold to FSC-certified customers.
FSC and ASI consider supply chain integrity violations
as very serious matters. If ASI identifies false claims
by a certificate holder, it will recommend appropriate
sanctions, including blockage, as per FSC’s normative
documents.
The Asia Wood Pellets TV loop has successfully brought attention to Vietnamese
wood pellets among NGOs, journalists, and the Japanese government. As a result,
the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of Japan has initiated a fact-finding
investigation into the wood pellets users, including approximately 200 biomass power
plants, as well as conducting hearings with wood pellets importers.
In May 2023, the revised Clean Wood Act, which includes regulations on timber
legality, was promulgated. The case of An Viet Phat Energy has coincided with the
timing of the law’s release, providing justification for strengthening measures that
were passed by the national legislature of Japan. The revised law introduces due
diligence requirements that were not present in the original version, and it is set to
take effect in 2025.
photo:
Guntars
Laguns

Developing assurance
systems for lasting impact
ASI provides advice on system development to support over 24 schemes annually.
We support both newly emerging schemes in the sectors as well as well-established
systems, such as the German textile certification scheme Grüner Knopf or Green Button.
ASI’s engagement with Green Button
The Green Button certification scheme, introduced in 2019 by the German Ministry
for Economic Cooperation and Development and managed by GIZ, aims to identify
sustainable textile purchasing options for consumers while assisting companies in defining
responsible business and purchasing practices. The Green Button focuses on due diligence
requirements along textile supply chains. Since 2020, ASI is working closely with the
Green Button Secretariat to ensure the credibility and quality of the scheme by providing a
range of oversight activities.
Oversight and collaboration
More recently, ASI is supporting the implementation of the Green Button Integrity
Programme which includes evaluation monitoring, review of evaluation reports, ongoing
monitoring, recommending sanctions of CABs and auditors, and handling assurance-
related complaints. Additionally, ASI offers training for new CABs and evaluation personnel
together with GIZ and supports the Green Button Secretariat with continuous technical
and strategic advice to enhance the effectiveness and impact of the certification process.
By diligently overseeing these elements, ASI helps to ensure that companies in the textile
industry comply with the rigorous standard and requirements set by the scheme.
Promoting sustainable supply chains
At the core of the Green Button certification scheme lies the commitment to sustainable
supply chains. Green Button encompasses two sets of requirements: due diligence process
requirements, directed at companies that produce final textile products or that put final
textile products to market, and requirements for upstream production processes.
• The requirements directed at manufacturing companies and
those that sell third-party products under their own brand
name, focus on supply chain due diligence based on the OECD
Due Diligence Guidance and the UN Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights. They define how companies
should engage in responsible sourcing and respect
human rights throughout their supply chains.
• Requirements for upstream production processes stipulate that products bearing
the Green Button logo must originate from suppliers participating in recognized
environmental and/or social programs. Moreover, under the new Green Button
Standard version 2.0, these products are restricted to containing only certain types of
fibers, promoting the use of more sustainable materials.
Looking ahead
ASI’s collaboration with Green Button underscores its contribution to ensuring credibility,
promoting sustainability, and driving responsible consumption. In June 2023, the
national AB of Germany DAkkS, confirmed that the Green Button program meets all the
requirements for accreditation⁷. German CABs that want to continue carrying out Green
Button evaluations and issuing certificates have to achieve accreditation by the end of
July 2024. Going forward, DAkkS will oversee CABs at the system level8, while ASI will
oversee individual evaluation personnel and continue its advisory role with GIZ the Green
Button Secretariat.
With around 80 certified companies in Germany, the Green Button certification scheme
emerges as a vital tool in advancing sustainable consumption options in the country.
Figure: Graphic based on ASI-led International Social and Environmental Accreditation and
Labelling Alliance (ISEAL) Innovations Fund project on risk management and assurance6
⁶ A risk management tool for impactful assurance: https://www.asi-assurance.org/s/post/a1J5c00000UCOYcEAP/p0991
⁷ DAkkS accredits certification bodies for the Green Button 2.0 (in German): https://www.dakks.de/de/pressemitteilung-detail/dakks-akkreditiert-
zertifizierungsstellen-fuer-den-gruenen-knopf.html
⁸ DAkkS will monitor green button test centers in the future | 06/16/2023 (in German): https://www.gruener-knopf.de/presse/dakks-ueberwacht-kuenftig-
gruener-knopf-pruefstellen-16062023
1. Embed responsible business
conduct into policy and
management systems
2. Identify and assess
actual and potential
adverse impacts
3. Prevent, mitigate or
cease actual and potential
adverse impacts
4. Track
implementation
and results
5. Communicate
how impacts are
addressed 6. Provide for or
cooperate in
remediation
when appropriate

Empowering sustainability
auditing practices
through knowledge
One of the key commitments in our Strategic Plan 2025
involves the creation of ASI’s Assurance Academy
dedicated to enhancing competence in assurance best
practices. It is intended to increase collective competences
and ensure that ASI becomes the first choice for training
related to assurance and in particular, accreditation.
Drawing on our extensive expertise and years of experience, we are
continuously refining our training offerings to provide comprehensive and
credible knowledge. We offer tailored in-person or live online trainings, workshops,
and interactive e-learning programs for VSS personnel and auditors and clients from
various industries.
Social auditing practices
ASI is committed to enhancing social auditing competency. Our diverse training materials
cover social auditing methodologies and skills. We provide participants with relevant
knowledge of social auditing techniques and equip them with skills to investigate issues
such as labor rights. Additionally, we provide insights into gender-sensitive auditing
techniques and their positive impacts within sustainability standards.
In 2022, ASI provided a two-day onsite training on soft skills in social auditing for a group
of German companies active in the food and textile sectors. In 2023, we will have five
bespoke live online courses of 2.5 days each, including one course in Spanish.
Promoting awareness about ISO standards
In the realm of ISO training, we promote awareness about ISO 17065. Our ISO 17065
training course provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of the
requirements outlined in the standard ISO/IEC 17065:2012 for bodies certifying products,
processes, and services. Our training is aimed at a deeper comprehension of the
requirements’ intent and their practical application in certification processes, specifically
for SOs.
Since 2022, we conducted four live online courses.
Visit our website for more information about
online courses and our training approach.
“As a former scheme manager, I had knowledge of parts of the ISO
17065 requirements but the course put the whole standard into context,
making it a vital tool for my current role.”
- Billy Hynes, Senior Assurance Manager, MSC
“Being part of the ISO-17065 training was an invaluable experience
for me as an ASI team member. It served as an initial introduction to
the standard and provided me with a comprehensive understanding
of the requirements and their practical application. This knowledge is
essential for my work with assurance topics. Moreover, the interactive
exercises and useful examples shared during the training bridged the
gap between theory and practice, making the training very dynamic.”
- Giovanna Michelotto, ASI Assurance Project Manager
“I found the training and learning approach on ISO 17065 very useful. It
answered questions that I had when it came to interpreting the standard
and the corresponding relevant provisions. The course also provided a
great space for exchange of opinions and experience between trainers
and participants. The various elements of the course complemented
each other and catered to participants’ different ways of learning.
Overall, a great learning tool.”
- Andreea Cojanu-Davidoiu, General Manager - Standards, Assurance
and Certification, RJC
“I found the method of training to be very effective. The preparatory
material as well as exercises made it easier to understand and follow
the training. The group discussions with participants from different
companies were very informative and lively. All the trainers were
very knowledgeable and provided an enabling environment for active
participation by trainees.”
- Nimrod Marango, Senior Supply Chain Standards Manager, MSC
“We are very happy with the intake of our first standing course on
ISO 17065. We developed the course for SOs and initiatives to help
them better understand the requirements that may be the base of
their standard. Our engaging training approach combined with our
experience ensures that participants not only understand the theory
but receive real and practical examples to which they can relate and
are directly useful in their line of work. Besides our tailored trainings,
we hope to make more standing courses available in 2024 related to
other topics.”
- Adriana Guzman, ASI Quality Director

Financial Report
Balance Sheet
IN € (THOUSANDS)
FOR THE YEAR END 2022 2021
Fixed assets 161,227 142,788
Current assets combined 2,834,307 2,676,059
TOTAL NET ASSETS 2,995,534 2,818,847
Equity 1,744,079 1,474,480
Liabilities: middle and long term - -
Liabilities: short term 1,251,455 1,089,842
TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 2,995,534 2,648,029
Cost Distribution
Revenue Distribution
fotografía:
Maris
Zudrags
78.3%
20.7%
1%
RSPO : 13.5%
FSC : 56%
ASC : 10.6%
MSC : 11.8%
OTHER : 8.1%

ASI Annual Report 2022-23

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