As part of its efforts to expand its Benchmark to include environmental sustainability, The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) has today opened a stakeholder consultation on its draft Environmental Benchmark Criteria. The SSCI Benchmark currently recognises third-party social sustainability standards, and the SSCI Steering Committee initiated work in 2022 to do the same for environmental sustainability standards.

With the new Environmental 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 stakeholders to provide feedback on the draft Environmental Benchmark Criteria for these three scopes. The topics covered by the Benchmark Criteria are: 

  • Environmental Management System
  • Legislation and Transparency
  • Pollution Prevention and Management of Potentially Hazardous Substances
  • Major Incident Prevention and Management
  • Soil Preservation
  • Energy Use
  • Water Use
  • Emissions to Air
  • Wastewater
  • Waste
  • Land Use and Biodiversity
  • Grievance Mechanisms

Applicant schemes will ultimately be benchmarked against both the Environmental Criteria and the SSCI’s existing Scheme Management Criteria.

Stakeholders are invited to learn more about the consultation opportunity here and contact the SSCI team here to receive the draft Benchmark Criteria. The deadline for feedback via email to the SSCI team is 30th June.

Learn More about Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative

Mission
SSCI Benchmark
SSCI Recognition
Back to all news