EDGE Certification, the Leading Global Standard for Workplace Equity, Strengthened by Release of Version 6
The EDGE Certified Foundation (ECF) announces the EDGE Standards Version 6. This marks a significant milestone in our ongoing mission to provide organizations worldwide with a rigorous, credible and impactful framework for advancing workplace gender and intersectional equity.
Since 2011, the EDGE Standards and Certification have been helping organizations in creating fairer places to work for employees, empowering employers to attract, develop, and retain high-performing diverse teams, and delivering sustainable business value to the investor community. Version 6 continues this legacy, reinforcing EDGE’s data and evidence-based approach to measuring progress in gender and intersectional equity, while responding to the evolving realities of today’s workplaces.
“Our Standards have always been about fostering fairness in workplaces, and ensuring that organizations have a rigorous, credible pathway to do so,” said David Pritchett Managing Director of the EDGE Certified Foundation. “Version 6 reinforces the strength and integrity of the EDGE Standards, bringing added clarity and confidence to organizations as they continue their journey towards workplace fairness.”
Achieving Workplace Fairness Legally, Ethically, and Meritocratically. Here’s How the EDGE Standards and Certification Make It Possible.
The completion of the EDGE Standards Version 6 follows a comprehensive review process initiated by the ECF Board in 2024 to ensure the continued relevance, scientific rigour, and fitness for purpose of the EDGE and EDGEplus Standards.
Conducted in line with global leading practices for sustainability standards systems, the review included structured stakeholder engagement, targeted data analysis, and expert consultation. Central to the process was the work of the EDGE Standards Review Technical Committee, composed of EDGE clients, certification bodies, leaders in ESG data and research, and independent experts in diversity, fairness, inclusion, and workplace dynamics. Their work was complemented by input from the ECF Academic and Scientific and Global Advisory Councils, alongside an open public consultation period.
The EDGE Standards continue to:
The resulting updates were approved by the ECF Board in March 2025 to be made effective from January 2026*. They reaffirm the EDGE Standards and Certification’s role as a trusted global framework for assessing and accelerating gender and intersectional equity in the workplace.
An independent third-party review has confirmed that the EDGE Standards continue to be consistent with current U.S. anti-discrimination law, including recent actions taken under the Trump Administration. This underscores the legal robustness of the EDGE Certification system and its alignment with global principles of non-discrimination. For U.S.-based organizations, the EDGE Standards continue to offer a safe, comprehensive, and legally sound framework for advancing diversity, fairness, and inclusion in the workplace.
Shaping and Aligning with Today’s Workplace Realities
The EDGE Standards Version 6 introduces a series of enhancements designed to reflect the latest research, respond to the shifting needs of certified organizations, and anticipate future regulatory expectations.
The EDGE Standards Provide a Future-Fit Framework for Advancing Workplace Fairness and Sustainability Reporting
The updated EDGE Standards align, where relevant, with other sustainability-related frameworks such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the EU Pay Transparency Directive, and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), while continuing to provide a focused, in-depth assessment of the key drivers of a diverse, fair, and inclusive workplace.
At its core, the EDGE Standards Version 6 remains true to what has always set the EDGE Standards apart: a continuous commitment to measurable progress, methodological rigour, and ethical accountability.
*The EDGE Standards Version 6 will be effective for certifying organizations with a reference period starting on or after January 2025.
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