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ListenDriving Your Corporate Sustainability Goals with Expert Verification & Certification
We’ve been a global leader in certifying achievements in agriculture, forestry, green building, consumer products and much more since 1984.
Welcome to SCS Europe
Building Business Value Through Sustainability
Karen Righthand | Vice President, Corporate Sales and Marketing | ph: 510.452.6817 | Contact
Since 1984, SCS has been a global pioneer and leader in the field of sustainability standards and third-party certification, working across the economy in the natural resources, built environment, food and agriculture, consumer products and climate sectors. Partnering with companies, government agencies, NGOs, and stakeholders, we are striving to advance sustainable development goals through independent assessment, the application of sound science, and innovative solutions. Through these services, we are enabling decision-makers and purchasers to make informed decisions, giving innovators a competitive edge, and helping to drive the development of leadership standards to create a framework for continuous improvement.
Our programs in Europe span a wide cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, retail, and more. We are accredited to provide services under a wide range of nationally and internationally recognized certification programs and are uniquely positioned to provide comprehensive, market driven sustainability solutions to create value for businesses.
Recent Posts
- Oct 14, 2021
- Aug 31, 2021
- Aug 4, 2021
- Jul 6, 2021
Customer Testimonials
Environmental Certification & Verification Services
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BIFMA LEVEL®
Developed by the Business and International Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA), LEVEL® is a multi-attribute standard created to deliver the most open and transparent means of evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of furniture products in the built environment. It’s the leading multi-attribute…
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Carbon Neutral Certification
Demonstrate market leadership for your products through our carbon neutrality certification label based upon the international recognized standard PAS 2060 or the Carbon Neutral Protocol. SCS offers complete service options to achieve carbon neutrality that include establishing your product carbon footprints and guidance on purchasing verified…
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Environmental Product Declarations
Architects and designers increasingly specify products with transparent LCA-based environmental impact reports. An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a transparent, objective report that communicates what a product is made of and how it impacts the environment across its entire life cycle. A verified EPD can earn your products credits for…
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FEMB level®
The FEMB “level” certification programme follows the experience gained by BIFMA in North America and proceeds along a similar path to provide a voluntary certification scheme for office furniture manufacturers. FEMB level is a pan-European certification scheme designed to deliver the most open and transparent means of evaluating and communicating…
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FloorScore®
FloorScore® is the most recognized indoor air quality (IAQ) certification standard for hard surface flooring materials, adhesives, and underlayments. Developed by SCS with the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI), a leading industry trade association of flooring manufacturers and suppliers, it qualifies for many green building schemes…
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Indoor Air Quality Certification
Certify your interior products for low VOC emissions with the most transparent indoor air quality (IAQ) standard for furniture and building materials. The Indoor Advantage and Indoor Advantage Gold standard aligns with both ANSI/BIFMA M7.1 and X7.1, and CA 01350. It is recognized by the EPA and GSA, and qualifies for many building rating systems,…
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Greenhouse Gas Verification
Improve data reliability and increase Stakeholder confidence through third party verification of your organization’s GHG inventory. SCS offers verification services across a wide range of voluntary and regulatory driven GHG reporting frameworks including expertise within the manufacturing, education, healthcare, transportation,…
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Health Product Declarations (HPDs)
Health Product Declarations (HPDs) provide a full disclosure of the potential chemicals of concern in products by comparing product ingredients to a set of priority “hazard” lists based on the GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals and additional lists from other government agencies. HPDs qualify for numerous green building schemes, including…
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ISCC EU Certification
Demonstrate your compliance with the European Renewable Energy Directive requirements for sustainable biofuels, biomass, and bioenergy production with the ISCC EU scheme. ISCC EU certification provides proof of compliance with environmental, social and traceability criteria, and qualifies biofuel or biomass companies for legal recognition under…
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Life Cycle Assessment
Differentiate your product in the market place using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology that is based in cutting-edge science and widely supported by industry, government, academia, and environmental groups. With over 30 years of experience in LCA, working with SCS will ensure your LCA is complete and accurate, enabling meaningful product…
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Product Carbon Footprint
Establish your carbon footprint for products or services professionally and cost-effectively with SCS Global Services. We specialize in helping you understand your life cycle GHG impacts, identify hot spots in your supply chain, determine continuous improvement strategies, and satisfy customer and stakeholder expectations. Your product carbon…
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Recycled Content Certification
Recycled content certification demonstrates your commitment to conserving natural resources, helps you meet customer specifications, can qualify your products for LEED and environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) programs, and supports your sustainability goals. Manufacturers of carpet, textiles, building products, wood and paper products,…
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Global Recycled Standard
The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is a voluntary product standard for tracking and verifying the content of recycled materials in a final product. The standard applies to the full supply chain and addresses traceability, environmental principles, social requirements, chemical content and labeling. GRS covers processing, manufacturing, packaging,…
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Recycled Claim Standard
The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) is an international, voluntary standard that sets requirements for third-party. It is a chain of custody standard to track recycled raw materials through the supply chain. It uses the chain of custody requirements of the Content Claim Standard (CSS). The Recycled Claim Standard is intended for use with any product…
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Zero Waste Facility Certification
Companies looking to lower their environmental impact and carbon footprint are turning to sustainability initiatives such as Zero Waste to significantly improve their environmental stewardship, corporate responsibility profile, and ESG rankings. To help you communicate how you reduce, recycle and re-use your waste, the SCS Zero Waste Standard…
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Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB)
Distinguish your biomass, bio-based fuels, advanced fuels, and advanced (non-fuel) products in the market by providing social and environmental assurance through certification to the Roundtable for Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) standard. The RSB standard recognizes biomass and biofuel producers and processors who adhere to stringent social…
Food & Agriculture Certification & Verification Services
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Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Services
The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard is the first comprehensive global benchmark for responsible water stewardship. It provides guidance to major water users and managers seeking to assure responsible water governance, sustainable water balance, good water quality, and healthy water-related sites and values. Join leaders in the…
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Bonsucro Certification
Bonsucro Certification is a multi-stakeholder led certification program developed for the sugarcane industry to meet purchasing policies of large-scale sugar buyers seeking suppliers who support fair labor and environmental protection in sugar producing communities. Based on the Bonsucro Production Standard, a metrics-based standard for sugarcane…
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BRCGS Food Safety Certification
Manage your risk and build confidence in your products with certification to the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety. BRCGS certification meets the GFSI compliance requirements for suppliers to major retailers, brand owners and manufacturers. BRCGS certification is relevant to any food processing or packing operation in which food is handled,…
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Fair Trade Certification
Fair Trade Certified™ products provide the rigorous social and environmental guarantees that many retailers and buyers are now demanding. The Fair Trade USA certification model is designed to ensure that trade practices at every level of the supply chain are registered and audited to the Fair Trade USA Agriculture Production and Capture Fisheries…
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Non-GMO Project Verification
The Non-GMO Project seal is one of North America’s fastest-growing food labels as consumer demand for transparency in the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) increases. Non-GMO Project Verified products account for over thirty percent of US food and beverage retail sales. The Non-GMO Project’s distinctive butterfly label is the leading…
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Rainforest Alliance Certification
Rainforest Alliance certification strengthens your position in the marketplace – assuring your customers that your agricultural products are grown and harvested on farms that promote social, economic, and environmental standards for sustainable agriculture. Certification to this standard encompasses ecosystem conservation, wildlife protection, and…
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RSPO Supply Chain Certification
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is an internationally recognized standard for assuring sustainable production of palm oil and palm kernel oil across the supply chain. Many of the world’s major brand owners and retailers now require their suppliers to become RSPO certified. SCS provides certification for RSPO Supply Chain Certification…
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SCS Gluten-Free Certification
Gluten intolerance afflicts millions of people. Up to 18% of the global population suffers from some level of gluten sensitivity, while 1 out of 100 people have celiac disease, which compromises the body’s ability to digest gluten and can lead to debilitating illness. Gluten-Free certification enables food brands to reach these individuals,…
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SMETA Social Audit
Choose SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audits) – one of the world’s most widely used social compliance audits – for your farm, factory, processing plant or manufacturing facility. Developed by Sedex, SMETA audits are recognized by Wal-Mart, Costco, Amazon, Whole Foods, Target and other leading retailers. Based on the Ethical Trading Initiative…
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Sustainably Grown
Join the growing body of agricultural producers, grocery retailers, and food and beverage companies that use Sustainably Grown to recognize innovation in sustainability, map risk in supply chains, and identify opportunities to improve practices. Sustainably Grown is a detailed framework that is applied to agricultural operations around the world,…
Natural Resources Certification & Validation Services
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Responsible Source - Textiles
Third-party recognition as a Certified Responsible Source™ confirms that your synthetic fiber and resin have been produced in accordance with fundamental benchmarks of environmental, social and ethical accountability. This certification reinforces the sustainability objectives of your business customers manufacturing or merchandising a wide…
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RSPO Supply Chain Certification
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is an internationally recognized standard for assuring sustainable production of palm oil and palm kernel oil across the supply chain. Many of the world’s major brand owners and retailers now require their suppliers to become RSPO certified. SCS provides certification for RSPO Supply Chain Certification…
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RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) Certification
RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) Certification is the best way to demonstrate globally that palm oil production is sustainable, legal, economically viable, and does not negatively impact the environment, wildlife, workers, or communities. The updated RSPO P&C Standard 2018 promotes zero deforestation, shared responsibility, zero burn,…
Forestry Certification & Verification Services
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FSC® Chain of Custody
Assure customers that your wood and paper products meet the world’s most stringent environmental, ethical, and economic sourcing standards with Forest Stewardship Council® Chain of Custody (FSC CoC) certification. Whether you are a sawmill, papermill manufacturer, broker, distributor, wholesaler, retailer, or printer, FSC CoC certification gives…
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FSC® Forest Certification
Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) forest management certification strengthens your position in the marketplace - guaranteeing your customers that timber from your forestry operations meet the world's most stringent environmental, economic, and social standards for responsible forest management. Forest landowners and managers can achieve forest…
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PEFC Chain-of-Custody
If you are seeking to assure your customers that your wood and paper products meet the Chain-of-Custody (CoC) requirements of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) program, SCS can help.
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SBP Certification
Demonstrate that your woody biomass feedstock is sourced responsibly and can be effectively tracked through the supply chain by becoming certified under the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) standard. SBP exists to ensure that woody biomass producers comply with the legal, regulatory and sustainability requirements for European power generators.…
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Timber Legality Verification - Legal Harvest™
Risk Mitigation and Traceability for Wood Products Reduce supply chain risk, reinforce customer confidence, and maintain strong market presence with third-party verification of wood product sources by SCS. Our LegalHarvest™ standard is the most robust timber traceability and legality verification option in the market today.
Consulting Services
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CDP Consulting
Over the past two decades, CDP (formally Carbon Disclosure Project) has created a global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states, and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Using an independent scoring methodology, CDP measures organizational progress on climate change, forests and water security, and transparently…
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Carbon Footprint Consulting
Calculating your company’s carbon footprint (Greenhouse Gas emissions) is an essential part of your corporate sustainability program. With 30+ years assessing carbon footprints for clients in major industries, SCS provides a one-stop-shop for assessment of your organization’s Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, identification of strategies for…
Frequently Asked Questions
- What regulations are impacting the adoption of sustainable business in the EU?
The EU Green Deal is currently driving sustainable business in Europe. This is impacting every manufacturer and organization doing business in Europe. Over the coming years, a number of regulations are set to be passed to support the objectives of the EU Green Deal. For example, the Supply Chain Due Diligence draft Directive, the Non-Financial Reporting Directive, and the Renewable Energy Directive are already impacting business in the EU. SCS is currently working with companies in the EU to navigate the new Green Deal business landscape. - Are there any new regulations which may soon be introduced that will further impact sustainable business operations in Europe?
Some additional upcoming regulations that SCS is monitoring for our customers include the EU Climate Law which is the legislative backbone to the 2050 climate objective of the EU; the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability that includes the SCIP Databased for substances of very high concern; the Circular Economy Action Plan which includes a strategy for plastics; and a possible Product Environmental Footprint initiative which went though a pilot phase a few years ago. All of these regulations could potentially become law in the near future and impact sustainable business practices in Europe. - How does SCS work with companies, government agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders in building a more sustainable EU economy?
We work closely with companies to try to solve sustainability issues, develop sustainability certification and verification standards, and work towards creating more sustainable products and processes. For example, SCS participates in sustainability standards development through participation in ISO committees or other committees for technical certification standards such as BIFMA or FEMB Level®, FloorScore®, the Global Recycling Standard, and many more. We also work with multipliers and demand drivers for sustainable products and services such as purchasing and procurement organizations and major retailers, as well as other certification programs such as LEED or WELL. - What are some of the specific sustainability programs that SCS offers to companies in the EU and companies doing business in the EU?
SCS has been specializing in sustainability and environmental certification and verification services supporting manufacturers and organizations throughout the world for more than three decades. With this expertise, we have helped companies navigate European and international regulatory requirements with circularity or recycling specific assessments, supply chain due diligence, or other services such as conflict mineral reporting. We do a lot of work in greenhouse gas and carbon reporting such as carbon footprint reporting, carbon offset verification and carbon neutral certification. SCS also offers many other programs including Life Cycle Assessments and Environmental Product Declarations, water stewardship and indoor air quality programs, biofuels and many food and agriculture sustainability certifications. For a complete listing of all of SCS’ global sustainability services, please visit our global website at https://www.scsglobalservices.com. - Other than offering specific auditing and certification services, how else does SCS help companies navigate all the various sustainability and ESG standards and best practices in Europe?
SCS also offers ESG and sustainability consulting services in Europe to help manufacturers in developing their sustainability strategies, decarbonization or greenhouse gas programs, circularity or innovation projects, and many other sustainability projects. The big advantage of partnering with SCS is that we bring to our customers and the market nearly 40 years of auditing, certification and business expertise with a single focus on sustainability and environmental performance. SCS has deep subject matter expertise and deep industry expertise, and we have worked with global companies in a wide variety of industries to navigate their sustainability objectives and challenges, helping them to build better business through sustainability. - How do SCS’ services fit into the whole green building boom in the EU?
The Green buildings sector is a major focus of the SCS Europe team as we help manufactures of building products, furniture and other products that go into buildings optimize their products through sustainability best practices to meet the demands and expectations of the green building market. We offer Low VOC emission certifications such as SCS Indoor Advantage Gold and FloorScore®. We offer Lifecycle Assessment, Environmental Product and Health Product declarations, and recycled content certification among others. - What are the SCS programs offered in the EU that specifically target safeguarding the planet?
SCS has been working for many years to help manufacturers actively report and reduce their carbon emissions. We provide greenhouse gas footprinting services and consulting services to decarbonize a corporation’s own emissions as well as the emissions along their supply chain. We help companies with CO2 management plans, review and verify greenhouse gas calculations and reports, and we also provide carbon neutral certification for companies that want to offset the remainder of their carbon footprint. But really all of our programs and services are geared towards safeguarding the planet and making the world a cleaner and safer place for everyone.
