SCS Standards
Building Sustainability from the Ground Up.
SCS Standards is a leader in the field of sustainability standards, combining scientific expertise across a wide variety of industries with more than three decades of experience to develop leadership standards to drive sustainable development and a circular economy.
Standards Development
Our standards are developed in alignment with best practices and guidelines provided by internationally recognized bodies such as ANSI, ISEAL and ISO to ensure a robust, transparent and collaborative approach.
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Standard Development
Standards are drafted by our inhouse experts based on scientific data and research. This draft is reviewed by a Standard Development Committee consisting of representatives of industry, potential users, NGOs, and subject matter experts. During this period, pilot assessments may also be conducted to test the draft standard against real-world conditions. The Standard Development Committee provides comments, leading to preparation of a final draft for public stakeholder review and consultation.
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Stakeholder Consultation
We are committed to providing a transparent forum for receiving and addressing comments in a way that improves the standards we develop. Standards in development are posted for review and comments for a minimum of 60 days. We reach out to a wide range of stakeholders for comment to assure a balance of perspectives. After incorporating feedback and completing an internal review, we will make available, upon request, versions of the standard with a summary of our response(s) to stakeholder comments.
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Final Standard Draft
Our team incorporates stakeholder feedback, and completes an internal review. If deemed necessary, another 30-day public consultation is held. Upon completing this process, the standard is finalized, published, and available for use.
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Standard Maintenance
Just as industry practices and scientific understanding evolve over time, so do our Standards.
We review and update our standards at regular intervals to ensure they remain relevant and continue to drive leadership in sustainability. In addition, we accept and review comments and revision suggestions on an ongoing basis.
SCS Standards in Development
SCS 007 Draft Standard, V1 Certification Standard for Sustainable DiamondsFirst comprehensive, multi-stakeholder sustainability standard serving the entire gemstone diamond and jewelry market, backed by third-party certification.
Public Consultation period announced: January 13 – March 15, 2021. SCS will be conducting an informational webinar about the draft standard on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. Please notify us here if you would like to participate in the informational webinar and if you plan to submit comments. Comments will be considered when submitted on the Public Consultation Comment Form below. You can obtain a copy of the Draft Standard here.