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Search Certifications are a key tool for organisations to use when conducting supply chain due diligence. However, with dozens of standards to choose from, and more emerging each year — all of which approach sustainability differently — it can be difficult for organisations to know which schemes to trust.
The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF)’s Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) benchmarks third-party sustainability auditing, monitoring, and certification standards against industry-developed criteria to provide trusted guidance on which standards cover key sustainability topics and operate responsibly. The SSCI currently operates a social sustainability benchmark and has been working with members since 2022 to expand its scope to environmental sustainability.
Today the SSCI opens a public consultation on the draft environmental sustainability criteria and calls on expert insights to ensure this process is successful. By participating in development of the criteria, stakeholders will help contribute to a more transparent, credible, and sustainable environmental certification system.
With the new environmental sustainability benchmark criteria, the SSCI Benchmark will be able to recognise independent environmental sustainability certification, auditing, and monitoring schemes and programmes that meet the industry’s expectations for the kind of sustainability topics standards should cover and how assessments should be carried out.
Similar to the Benchmark’s scope-based approach to social sustainability, the Environmental Benchmark Criteria will apply to schemes and programmes working in the Manufacturing & Processing; Primary Production; and Forestry sectors.
The SSCI now invites the public to provide feedback on the draft Environmental Sustainability Benchmark Criteria for these three scopes. The topics covered by the Benchmark Criteria are:
- Environmental Management System
- Compliance, transparency and complaints
- Pollution prevention
- Management of potentially hazardous substances
- Pest Control
- Soil Health
- Energy Use and GHG emissions
- Water Protection
- Waste
- Land use and biodiversity
- Animal welfare (Livestock only)
- Forest postive practices (Forestry Only)
- Ecodesign
Your input is needed to set the bar for sustainability standards in our industry
With your help, we will ensure that the SSCI recognises the best environmental certifications and sets a bar for our industry that meets the expectations of all stakeholders. We believe that this benchmarking process is a game-changer for the environmental certification landscape, and we need your help to make it a success. Join us in this movement and make a positive impact on our environment!
All are invited to participate in a this consultation and evaluate the final draft criteria which is available here and returning any feedback on this sheet via email before 9 April 2024.
