We Celebrate 10 Years of BES 6001 'Excellent' For Responsible Sourcing
29 November 2024
We are proudly marking a decade of achieving the top-tier 'Excellent' rating under the BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing standard for our UK-manufactured plasterboards and gypsum powders. The milestone, held since November 2014, reflects our enduring commitment to responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility.
The BES 6001 certification evaluates the full supply chain through environmental, social, and economic lenses. For our customers, this certification adds value by contributing credits toward certifications like BREEAM and mitigating supply chain risks through robust sourcing practices.
The path to BES 6001 certification involves thorough audits across key areas, including management systems, emissions, energy and waste practices, and ethical governance. Points earned across these categories determine the rating, with 'Excellent' representing the highest achievement.
Richard Gibbons, Head of Process Sustainability and Compliance at Knauf, describes the challenges behind the accomplishment: "Supply chains for the manufacture of plasterboard can be complex, with raw materials being sourced from a large number of suppliers in multiple geographical locations. Ensuring that our suppliers are maintaining exacting standards of social responsibility and environmental management is a constantly evolving process. Knauf is committed to carrying this work out diligently to guarantee the responsible sourcing credentials of the products that it manufactures.”
We were early adopters of the latest version four of the BES 6001 standard which was released in November 2022 and introduced even more stringent requirements. For the latest version of this standard, 70% of raw materials by weight must come from suppliers with accredited ISO management systems (UKAS in the UK or IAF internationally). The updated standard also mandates ecotoxicity assessments and expands criteria on biodiversity, human rights, and modern slavery. Under previous versions, only 60% of the supply chain was required to follow ISO-based management standards.
In addition to BES 6001, we hold a suite of certifications that underscores our commitment to sustainability and quality, including ISO 45001 for health and safety, ISO 14001 for environmental management, ISO 50001 for energy management, and ISO 9001 for quality management.
Becky Broadbent, Sustainability Proposition Manager at Knauf, highlights the value of these certifications: “It is important for our customers to be able to trust us, and one of the ways we can do this is from having third party assessed and independently validated standards. It means we can work to reduce environmental and social risks and impacts along the supply chain, and help our customers to meet their sustainability certification scheme requirements.”
We value partnership and collaboration with our supply chain as a cornerstone of our sustainability mission. By working closely with suppliers to uphold responsible practices, we continue to work towards achieving our sustainability goals.