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About Our Company

Providing global leadership in third-party environmental, sustainability, food safety and quality certification, auditing, and standards development since 1984.

SCS Global Services is a 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 for over 40 years. 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. SCS is a California-chartered Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.  SCS is also a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business.

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Vision & Mission

Our Vision
A sustainable future that safeguards our environment and our climate, respects and supports the dignity, health and wellbeing of workers and communities, and raises the standard of living for all.
 

Our Mission
To achieve this vision, we have established programs and services designed to recognize the outstanding achievements of companies, institutions, and organizations who are meeting the highest levels of performance in environmental protection, social/ethical responsibility, product safety and quality, while stimulating continuous improvement on the path toward sustainability. In this undertaking, we employ a life-cycle framework, state-of-the-art science, proven analytical methods, performance metrics and professional expertise.
 

Our Commitment
To deliver world-class professional service, uphold our integrity as a neutral third-party, and continually improve our programs and services in order to have the greatest possible positive impact.

Our Contributions

Together with our clients and partners, we are actively impacting the world around us:

  • Advancing sustainable agriculture
  • Securing supply chain integrity
  • Assuring food safety and quality from farm to fork
  • Promoting indoor air quality for building products, furnishings and finishes
  • Encouraging resource conservation and recycling
  • Protecting fragile ecosystems on land and in the ocean
  • Reducing company carbon footprints
  • Supporting informed decision-making
  • Stimulating innovation

Our Role As A Neutral Third Party

Third-party audits, test results, and certifications provide the independent perspective needed to help our clients evaluate their own performance, identify improvement opportunities, determine the best steps forward, and reassure customers and stakeholders.

We vigorously uphold our third-party status through the following steps:

  • Independence

    SCS is beholden to no other organization or entity

  • Fee-for-Service Only

    Our fees are transparent, and not attached to the outcome of any audit assessment or certification, or to the volume of sales of certified products

  • Quality

    Our internal quality system and outside accreditations insulate us from commercial, financial and other pressures that might influence the findings of a certification, verification or validation, and interpretations of test results.

  • Avoiding Conflict of Interest

    All staff and contractors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, and each SCS Program Director and Manager is responsible for identifying, analyzing and documenting potential conflicts of interest in order to avoid such conflicts.

Our History

SCS Global Services offers a comprehensive suite of services to support companies in their circular economy objectives, from strategic planning, goal setting, performance management and reporting to third-party inspection and certification, and standards development.

NutriClean(R) Certification
NutriClean(R) Certification
Established world’s first Pesticide Residue Free certification program for fresh produce, with first voluntary full disclosures from growers.
Pesticide residue and nutrition testing
Pesticide residue and nutrition testing
Established first pesticide residue and nutrition testing QA program for supermarket fresh produce departments.
HACCP Food Safety Training
HACCP Food Safety Training
Launched first U.S. HACCP food safety training and audit programs for food producers, processors, handlers and retailers.
Environmental Claims Validation
Environmental Claims Validation
Launched first third-party U.S. certification program for environmental claims, and initiated sustainability services for retailers.
Life Cycle Assessment
Life Cycle Assessment
Participated in international discussions and standards development for environmental labeling and life cycle assessment.
Responsbily Managed Forest Wood Product
Responsibly Managed Forests
Conducted first international independent certification of wood made from a responsibly managed forest.
Environmental Report Card
Environmental Report Card
Established world’s first Life Cycle Assessment based Type III Environmental Product Declaration label: Environmental Report Card.
Forest Stewardship Council
Forest Stewardship Council
Participated in the establishment of international Forest Stewardship Council® standard, and accredited as one of first certifiers.
Marine Stewardship Council
Marine Stewardship Council
Participated in the establishment of international Marine Stewardship Council® standard, and accredited as one of first certifiers.
SCS Mexico
SCS Mexico
Established SCS Mexico subsidiary as first of many international ventures to expand service offerings in countries around the world.
USDA Organic Certification
USDA Organic Certification
Accredited as one of the first organic certifiers under USDA National Organic Program.
Flavor and Nutrition Management
Flavor and Nutrition Management
Launched flavor and nutrition management services to help growers, seed companies and food retailers optimize these features.
Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices
Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices
Worked with Starbucks to establish C.A.F.E. Practices program for its international coffee supply chain.
Sustainable Agriculture Certifications
Sustainably Grown(R)
Launched sustainable agriculture certification, first for cut flowers and ornamental plants, then for fresh produce.
Greehouse Gas
Greehouse Gas Inventory and Carbon Offset Verification
Launched greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory and carbon offset validation and verification services.
Fair Trade USA
Fair Trade USA
Supported development of Fair Trade USA standard, and became the first accredited certifier.
SCS Global Services Rebrand
SCS Global Services Rebrand
Became SCS Global Services, represented by the SCS Kingfisher certification logo.
Responsible Jewellery Council
Responsible Jewellery Council®
Accredited as auditor to the Responsible Jewellery Council® Code of Practices and Chain of Custody standards.
Sustainably Grown
Global expansion of Sustainably Grown
Expanded its Sustainably Grown® program internationally with certification of bananas and pineapples.
Environmental Product Declarations
Environmental Product Declarations
Accredited by ANSI as an Eligible EPD Program Operator and Independent EPD Verifier.
Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials
Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials
First certification body fully accredited by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials.
UTZ Auditing
UTZ Auditing
Approved to conduct UTZ Code of Conduct and Chain of Custody audits for coffee, cocoa, and tea.
RMAP Certification
RMAP Certification
Accredited certifier under the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process.
Paper Products LCA
Paper Products LCA
Published most comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment study ever conducted for paper products.
Equitable Food Initiative
Equitable Food Initiative
Supported development of EFI standard, and became the first accredited certifier.
Food Safety Certifications
Expanded Food Safety Certifications
Approved certifier for Primus GFS GAP, GMP, FMS, HACCP scopes.
ILFI Living
ILFI Living and Declare.™
Approved certifier for ILFI Living Product Challenge and Declare.™
GSCP Equivalence Process
GSCP Equivalence Process
Sustainably Grown® completes GSCP Equivalence Process.
Non-GMO Project Verification
Non-GMO Project Verification
Approved as Non-GMO Project Verification Standard Technical Administrator.
Responsible Palm Oil Standard
Responsible Palm Oil Standard
Named first North American certifier under Responsible Palm Oil Standard.
Sustainability Leadership Award Winner
Sustainability Leadership Award Winner
Sustainability Leadership Award Winner: Business Intelligence Group.
Formaldehyde Rule
Formaldehyde Rule
Recognized by EPA as a Third-Party Certifier for Formaldehyde Rule.
Gluten-Free Certification
Gluten-Free Certification
Initiated Gluten-Free Certification services.
ISO 22000 Certification
ISO 22000 Certification
Accredited as a certifier under ISO 22000:2005 international standard for food safety management.
asthma & allergy friendly logo
asthma & allergy friendly® certification.
Approved by Allergy Standards Limited to offer asthma & allergy friendly® certification.
SFI
Sustainable Forestry Initiative Certification
Accredited to certify wood fiber sources and chain of custody.
Composite Wood
Composite Wood Products
Accredited to assess composite wood products under EPA TSCA Title VI.
IRMA logo
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance
Approved certifier for IRMA Responsible Mining Standard.
Covid-19 Pandemic Response
Covid-19 Pandemic Response
Developed on-site and remote virtual audit protocols to meet client needs during the pandemic.
LCFS
LCFS Verification
Approved by CARB as verifier for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
SMETA Certification
SMETA Social Compliance Auditing
Sedex-approved for SMETA social compliance audits.
LBMA logo
LBMA and LPPM Responsible Sourcing
Approved as a global provider of LBMA and LPPM Responsible Sourcing certifications for precious metals.
SCS 007 Diamond Standard Logo
SCS 007 Diamond Standard
Introduced the ground-breaking Certification Standard for Sustainability Rated Diamonds, providing a uniform basis for confirming the origin of diamonds and certifying their production.
Zero waste logo over a conveyor of trash
Zero Waste Standard
Introduced a new Zero Waste standard for facilities, enabling companies to demonstrate the degree to which their waste streams are prevented, reused, or diverted from the landfill.
SCS Gluten-Free certification
Launched SCS Gluten-Free certification
Launched SCS Gluten-Free certification standard providing a more robust and thorough audit which exceeds FDA regulatory guidelines.
Carbon Neutral logo over a scenic background of grass and sky.
Carbon Neutral Standard
Launched the expanded Certification Standard for Carbon Neutral Entities, Buildings, Products and Services launched, built around comprehensive life cycle assessment.
WAVE Water Stewardship Verified Logo overlaid on a picture of the ocean
WAVE Water Stewardship
Partnered with The Water Council to launch WAVE Water Stewardship Verification, with SCS as the sole program verifier.
Regenerative
Regenerative Organic Certification Program
Regenerative Organic certification program approves SCS as an accredited certification body.
Zero Waste
Expands Zero Waste Standard
Expands Zero Waste Standard to include Zero Waste projects and events.
Plant Based
Launches Plant-Based Certification
Launches new Plant-Based certification program to help distinguish plant-based brands and support transparency in product labeling.
Bee Better
Bee Better Certification Program
Bee Better Certification Program authorizes SCS Global Services as certifier.
ATFS
American Tree Farm System Standard (ATFS) Certification
SCS becomes accredited to offer American Tree System Standard (ATFS) certification to private landowners and family-owned forests.
Recycled Content Certification Annex for Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Recycled Content Certification Annex for Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Launches new Recycled Content certification for the electrical and electronic equipment industries.
ProTerra Certification
ProTerra Certification
SCS becomes an authorized certification body under the ProTerra certification program.
SCS announces New Certification Program for Water Stewardship and Resiliency
Water Stewardship and Resiliency Certification
SCS announces New Certification Program for Water Stewardship and Resiliency
Sustainability Standard
Sustainable Food Group approves SCS as an authorized CB
Sustainable Food Group approves SCS as an authorized CB for its Sustainability Standard
Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s pioneering Feed Standard
Aquaculture Stewardship Council Feed Standard
Approved as first certification body for Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s pioneering Feed Standard
Global Heat Reduction Initiative (GHRi)
Global Heat Reduction Initiative (GHR)
SCS launches Global Heat Reduction Initiative (GHR), a groundbreaking new climate accounting method to incentivize more effective climate action
U.S. Farmed™ Certification
U.S. Farmed™ Certification
American Farmland Trust approves SCS as certification body for U.S. Farmed™ Certification
New Steel Climate Standard
New Steel Climate Standard
Global Steel Climate Council approves SCS as one of the first verifiers for new Steel Climate Standard
SCS Standards Releases SCS-115 Certification Standard
SCS Standards Releases SCS-115 Certification Standard
SCS Standards Releases SCS-115 Certification Standard for Product Carbon Intensity and Reduction for Chemicals and Co-products
California Proposition 12 Farm Animal Confinement Initiative
California Proposition 12 Farm Animal Confinement Initiative
SCS approved as an auditor for California Proposition 12 Farm Animal Confinement Initiative
2BS Association Approves SCS Global Services
2BS Association Approves SCS Global Services
The 2BS Association Approves SCS Global Services as its Newest Certification Body

A Benefit Corporation

Founded in 1984 as Ohlone Inc., we became Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) in 1988, a name which better communicated our efforts to apply rigorous science to the task of third-party certification of claims, paying attention to holistic, system-wide ramifications. In 2012, we became SCS Global Services, communicating our international reach, and reorganized as one of California’s first Benefit Corporations, a class of corporation that has a corporate purpose to create a material positive impact on society and the environment.