The certification of all four TenCate market groups in Nijverdal, the Netherlands, on the CSR Performance Ladder in accordance with level 3 represents the next step for the TenCate textile technology company in the implementation of its sustainability policy.
On the basis of detailed audits, accredited certification bureaus recently established that the business operation of the Dutch production companies of TenCate demonstrably satisfies this certification standard for corporate social responsibility.
This makesTenCate the first company in the Netherlands to have certified four different divisions simultaneously in a short time on the CSR Performance Ladder.
In the past six months all the TenCate market groups in the Netherlands have implemented the CSR Performance Ladder level 3.
The first three of the four market groups were certified independently for corporate social responsibility at the end of 2012: TenCate Protective & Outdoor Fabrics by Bureau Veritas, TenCate Advanced Composites by certification bureau LRQA and TenCate Grass by DEKRA. And recently the fourth Dutch market group, TenCate Geosynthetics, was also certified for CSR by DEKRA. Each certificate is valid for three years.
CSR guidelines
The CSR Performance Ladder is built around three core components based on the international CSR guidelines (such as ISO 26000, ISO 9001, AA1000 and the Global Reporting Initiative).
The certificate imposes requirements on the management system of each business unit with regard to the introduction and development of corporate social responsibility. Stakeholder management and CSR indicators are guaranteed by procedures and the monitoring of changes. Stakeholders’ interests are also demonstrably taken into account. Each market group reports to them regularly on CSR matters.
Furthermore, the 33 CSR indicators – such as energy consumption, waste and wastewater, safety, sustainability of suppliers and welfare – were also incorporated into the CSR management system for each production company.
CSR Performance Ladder level 3 certification also requires the TenCate market groups to involve direct as well as indirect stakeholders in the company’s activities.
This underlines the value chain management that the textile technology group has pursued for more than a decade on the basis of the TenCate business model. The CSR certification is also based on at least one of the ISO 14001 or ISO 9001 certification standards.
Unique achievement
In preparation for certification, the four TenCate market groups in the Netherlands were advised by Royal HasKoning DHV. Rob van Tilburg, manager, sustainable enterprise, praised the performance delivered: ‘In just a short time TenCate has produced the hitherto unique achievement of obtaining the certificate for the CSR Performance Ladder within four divisions in parallel.
This is a great achievement that will enable the company to excel in sustainability and to make a difference in the field of corporate social responsibility. This certification is further evidence of the fact that the TenCate group is serious about its sustainable solutions’.
The public sector in particular will increasingly require demonstrable CSR during tendering. The TenCate textile technology multinational offers a broad range of sustainable materials and systems, such as protective fabrics for military, emergency response and industrial applications, lightweight composites for the aerospace sector and automotive industry, armour solutions, geotextiles for infrastructure and water management, as well as – recyclable – synthetic turf systems.
In 2013 work will be carried out aimed at obtaining similar certification of the first TenCate business units in other countries. Achievement of this will also be a first, because the CSR Performance Ladder has to date only been implemented by Dutch companies.