CSC certificate for a sustainable concrete sector

The Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC) promotes transparency in the concrete manufacturing process and its value chain, as well as its impact on the social and ecological environment. CSC certification thus leads to a continuous improvement in sustainable management in the cement, raw materials, and concrete industries. In this way, industry is making its contribution to sustainable construction.

Is CSC Certification Right for Your Business?

The certification system is aimed at manufacturers of concrete products and concrete raw materials (cement and aggregates) who strive to

• promote and continuously improve sustainable performance.
• support responsible production and resource use.
• increase the transparency of sustainability initiatives in the concrete industry.
• take a leading role in improving sustainability within the concrete product chain.
• make their products comparable for certification systems such as LEED, BREEAM, DGNB, Greenstar, BES 6001, etc.
• implement “environmentally conscious procurement” in their company.
• improve public perception of the sustainability of the concrete sector.

What is CSC certification?

The CSC (Concrete Sustainability Council) certificate shows the extent to which a company in the concrete sector is committed to sustainable development.

Certification is awarded in four categories: economy, environment, the social aspect of sustainability, and management. The certification covers both the concrete company or plant and its supply chain.

As part of the certification process, assessment points, known as “credits,” are awarded according to these criteria. A maximum of 100 percent of the credits can be awarded to the concrete plant and its supply chain. This overall result is made up of the “concrete result” and the contributions from the supply chain.

Additional certificates: CO2 module and R module

Concrete manufacturers who hold a CSC certificate (silver or higher) can be certified according to the CO2 module and R module. The CSC module is indicated on the certificate by an additional “CO2” or “R” label and the number of stars awarded.

Various building certification systems (including BREEAM and DGNB) take additional certificates into account.

In the CO2 module, the number of stars indicates whether the plant produces optimized concrete that causes fewer GHG emissions [kg CO₂ equivalents per m³ of concrete] compared to a regional reference value. The number of stars in the R module stands for a defined minimum content of recycled material for the declared concrete types.

How does the certification process work?

The certification process consists of the following steps:

1. The manufacturer commissions Kiwa as the CSC certification body to carry out the certification.

2. The certification body draws up an audit plan together with the manufacturer. 3. The manufacturer uploads all evidence for the various CSC criteria via the CSC Toolbox.

4. Kiwa issues the certificate if all relevant requirements are met.

5. A Kiwa auditor checks and validates the evidence uploaded via the Toolbox, conducts an on-site audit of the production facility, and prepares an audit report.

6. The Kiwa certification body reviews the audit report, determines the final CSC score, and decides whether to issue the certificate.

7. The certificate is valid for three years. After the three-year period, a reassessment and an on-site audit are required.

Certification abroad

Regardless of whether there is a regional system operator (RSO) in the country of the plant to be certified or not: Kiwa offers CSC certification in almost every country. In order to shorten travel times, we work together with local auditors from the international Kiwa network wherever possible.

Free “quick scan” Manufacturers can use the CSC Toolbox to check all CSC criteria in advance (takes approx. 20 minutes). This provides information on whether and how a company or plant is likely to be certified.

Kiwa and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)

The CSC certificate is one of the many services Kiwa offers in the field of CSR / ESG. The CSR/ESG services help our customers create transparency for their performance and achievements in the field of sustainability. For more information about Kiwa and CSR/ESG, please follow the links. Further information about the CSC certificate can be found on the CSC website.