Standards developments, accreditation activity, and guidance from ASCB.
Why an accredited certificate can be trusted, from the decision process behind accreditation to sustainability claims, new technology and the equal weight of certificates held by smaller organizations.
The redesigned ASCB website is live, with a public Resource Center covering the standards ASCB accredits against, guidance on applying, and buyer and procurement guidance.
The tiers of TP:2025 and TC:2025 are now Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3. The requirements are unchanged, and existing accreditations are unaffected.
The eight misunderstandings that come up most often about what an accredited certificate does and does not mean.
World Standards Day 2026 takes the theme "Shared vision for a better world", with a focus on affordable and clean energy. ASCB looks at the part accreditation plays once the standard is written.
The sixth edition of ISO 9001 was published on September 16, 2026. Certificates issued by ASCB-accredited certification bodies transition by September 30, 2029.
ASCB has issued guidance to its accredited certification bodies on auditing and certifying AI management systems against ISO/IEC 42001. The requirements on the certifying body differ from ordinary management system certification in ways worth knowing if you rely on one of these certificates.
The new edition of the environmental management standard was published on April 15, 2026, broadening environmental context beyond climate and adding requirements on managing change.
ISO/IEC 17020 and ISO/IEC 17024 were both revised in March 2026, the first update to either since 2012. Both set requirements on the body that issues an inspection report or a personnel certificate.
ISO writes international standards. It does not audit companies, issue certificates, or approve the bodies that do. A company cannot be "certified by ISO".
ASCB was established in 1995, as third-party certification was beginning its long expansion. Thirty years on, the scale has changed completely and the principle has not.