Driving 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

Henning M. Bloech  |   EU Director  |   ph: +49 171.210.0080  |   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.

Customer Testimonials

"We are very satisfied working with SCS Global Services for over two years now in various projects including the development of EPDs. They are very knowledgeable and consistently attentive to our needs.”

Paraskevi Fotoglou
Sustainability Engineer, Camira Fabric

"Haworth Europe has been working with SCS for years on sustainability certifications. We gain great benefit from our SCS Indoor Advantage Gold and European LEVEL certifications and enjoy working with SCS Europe. Their experience, subject matter expertise, and customer service make them a valued partner.”

Bianca Dönicke
Head of International Continuous Improvement Systems & Sustainability, Haworth

“We have achieved FEMB European Level Certification with SCS in 2021. Our experience working with SCS Global Services as a certification body has been absolutely positive. They were extremely responsive and professional.”

Michael Schmitt
Head of Quality/Environmental/Helpdesk Representative Environmental Management, Viasit

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

    Meet the World’s First Certified Carbon Neutral Beer: Watch Video 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…
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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 Certification

    Companies around the world 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…
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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) Certification

    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.
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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 increases for transparency in the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Non-GMO Project Verified products are projected to account for thirty percent of US food and beverage retail sales by 2018. Many food companies are working proactively to…
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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…
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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.

Meet The SCS European Team

Henning M. Bloech has worked in sustainability and business leadership positions for over 15 years including as Executive Director of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), Global Sustainability Director for INVISTA, and Commercial Director for Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

Mr. Bloech is an expert in sustainable building performance initiatives and building indoor air quality related standards, programs, and certifications worldwide. He has also developed and led environmental strategies and programs for in the performance surfaces and materials sector.

Miranda von Zomeren | Benelux Representative Miranda van Zomeren holds a BSc in International Management and MSc in Business Science. She has worked in different positions in the Timber Industry since 1992, with a focus on Quality Management (ISO 9001, ISO 14001) both for family-owned companies as well as multinational organizations. She has worked with the practical implementation of FSC-CoC requirements since 1996. Since 2004, Miranda has partnered with SCS Global Services and offers FSC®- and PEFC Chain of Custody Certifications in Benelux countries. She is also a lead auditor for the Round Table of Sustainable Palm Oil (Supply Chain Certification) and an Alliance for Water Stewardship Specialist Professional.

Stefan Teusan For more than 25 years, Dr. Stefan Teusan has worked as an auditor and consultant in the forest and wood-based sectors. As the managing director of Teusan Consulting, he coordinates and manages all aspects of audits conducted by the company on behalf of SCS, with a focus on the chain of custody certification of wood-based products and forest by-products. His expertise and in-depth knowledge of due diligence systems and supply chain mapping are not limited to responsible sourcing of wood-based material, but also include minerals, biomaterials, and recycled content. In addition, Dr. Teusan actively audits companies throughout Europe.

Watch

Watch

Watch as short video of SCS Executive Director of Europe, Henning Bloech, as he answers questions about sustainability certification in Europe.
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Listen

Listen

Listen to the SCS Setting the Standard podcast for insights on the current sustainability landscape in Europe and programs for better business.
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Read

Read

Read and download our EU Sustainability Services brochure to learn more about our certification programs in Europe.
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