Organisations use third-party audits and certifications to ensure their suppliers provide decent working conditions to their employees, source their materials sustainably and respect the environment — among other criteria. But with hundreds of schemes on the market to choose from, and dozens more emerging each year, it can be challenging for organisations to know which scheme to trust. The decision becomes more challenging given that not all auditing, monitoring and certification schemes cover social sustainability measures the same way, resulting in distrust in audits and misalignment in the industry.
To support companies in their supply chain due diligence, The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) launched the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) in 2017 to recognise third-party auditing, monitoring and certification schemes and programmes that cover key sustainability requirements and apply relevant governance and verification. Through a comprehensive benchmarking process built on criteria developed by CGF members and expert stakeholders, the SSCI currently recognises independent auditing, monitoring and certification programmes that meet industry expectations on social sustainability, and will later focus on environmental sustainability as well. As a result, the SSCI is able to provide trusted guidance to organisations on which schemes are credible and trustworthy.
It was created by replicating the successful approach taken by the CGF’s Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) for recognising standards and builds off the work of the CGF’s previous initiative on supply chain compliance, the Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP). In 2020, in-line with the CGF’s new global strategy, the SSCI became a key Coalition of Action for our industry.
Learn more about how the SSCI supports companies and organisations in their supply chain due diligence in this new short video:
In benchmarking and recognising third-party audit and certification schemes, the SSCI drives alignment among sustainability standards in the consumer goods industry and helps ensure confidence in sustainable sourcing.”
Didier Bergeret, Director, Sustainability, The Consumer Goods Forum
The SSCI is not another social compliance standard or certification scheme; instead, it seeks to align different schemes on industry-defined expectations for sustainability and provide buyers and suppliers with clear guidance on which schemes cover key sustainability requirements and apply relevant governance and verification practices. It helps ensure confidence in sustainable sourcing, enables the limitation of audit duplication, reduces complexity and cost for all stakeholders; and ultimately drives positive social and environmental impacts on the ground.
By demonstrating alignment with the SSCI Criteria and achieving SSCI Recognition, third-party auditing, monitoring and certification scheme owners signal a strong commitment to raising the bar in their certification process while driving harmonisation and alignment within the consumer goods industry as a whole.
Support companies in their supply chain due diligence and build trust in sustainability standards worldwide
Benchmark third-party auditing, monitoring and certification programmes on industry expectations around social and environmental criteria and how they manage their schemes. Relevant topics covered range from forced and child labour, discrimination, operational health and safety, community impacts to business ethics. All of which encapsulates the key points of CGF Board Resolutions, CGF Priority Industry Principles and other international guidance and standards
Drive alignment among and the continuous improvement of schemes in alignment with the CGF Board Resolutions and international guidelines, such as the CGF Priority Industry Principles, UNGP on Business and Human Rights, and ILO Guidelines/Conventions
Since 2018, the SSCI has partnered with the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), the leading environmental compliance recognition organisation in the seafood industry. Together with the GSSI, the SSCI has developed a social compliance benchmark for third-party auditing, monitoring and certification schemes in the fishing and aquaculture sectors.
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