Towards a uniform 'green' certification in the concrete sector

With its CSC label, it recognizes companies that pay particular attention to social and sustainable enterprise at every level. Not only manufacturers of in-situ concrete and/or (precast) concrete elements qualify for this, but also suppliers of raw materials are involved. In the Netherlands, more than 160 companies have now obtained the CSC label. Belgium, which started later, is still slightly behind, but has meanwhile started to catch up strongly.

4 achievable levels

In Belgium, the CSC label is promoted by Fedbeton, the sector organization for companies active in the production, transport and pumping of ready-mixed concrete.The certification itself is done by independent parties and auditors such as SGS and KIWA. There are 4 levels achievable, according to the established results: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. It is important that in awarding the labels, not only the environmental performance of the products is considered, but also the way in which the companies deal with their own employees, with customers and with local residents. This social component is very important in awarding the label.

Criteria used

Needless to say, concrete, by far the most widely used construction material worldwide, is itself an extremely durable product. Furthermore, concrete is so popular because of its intrinsic qualities like there are: fire safety, thermal inertia, local availability and freedom of form. It is essentially a building material with a low ecological footprint. When awarding the CSC label, however, it looks beyond that. Throughout the production chain, for example, one checks the extent to which attention is paid to reducing air pollution, improving air quality, CO2 emissions and limiting water consumption.

Increasing support, including from the government

Bert De Schrijver, Technical Advisor at Fedbeton: "On a large scale, the CSC certification is increasingly recognized worldwide. BREEAM also underlines the importance of the label and assigns no less than 7 points to the Platinum label in its assessment. On a smaller scale in Belgium, the Federal Institute for Sustainable Development and the Flemish Government recognize the CSC label as particularly valuable. Because there are other certificates in this segment worldwide, it is difficult to predict whether the CSC label, by analogy with the FSC label, will ever become compulsory in public tenders but it is certainly something we will be happy to pursue in the future."

Corporate Social Responsibility

With the promotion of the CSC label, Fedbeton aims to respond to the increasing demand for transparency in and information about the social and environmental performance of building materials. Also important here is providing added value to customers who participate in projects focused on Green Building rating Systems. Through initiatives such as CSC, the industry's best practices can also be brought to the attention of a wider audience, as well as the high standards the industry maintains.

In conclusion, CSC has developed a valuable label delivered only by independent certification bodies. CSC applies worldwide and is supported by numerous governments and NGOs, which only confirms the credibility of the system. Obtaining the label is recognition of sustainable business practices, as well as a strengthening of the brand and reputation of the companies involved.