What does CSE mean for a company and how can the complexity of CSE corporate sustainability certification be communicated to employees and stakeholders?
We visited BÖRLIND and gave a presentation on CSE. The result is an ingenious FAQ summary, which we are publishing here with the kind permission of BÖRLIND GmbH.
The summary is also available for download here.
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CSE certification
1. what does the abbreviation CSE stand for?
CSE stands for Certified Sustainable Economics. This translates as “certified sustainable economics”. CSE is a quality standard for sustainable corporate management.
2 Which company or organization awards the CSE seal?
The seal is awarded by the GfaW (Society for Applied Business Ethics). The GfaW is the standard setter for product certifications and a pioneer in the field of sustainability certification for companies.
The certification and inspection bodies approved by the CSE standard work in accordance with ISO 17065. The global inspection and certification body EcoControl GmbH coordinates the certification and issues the certificate. In addition to CSE certification, EcoControl also carries out certifications for NaTrue, Demeter etc. At the same time, EcoControl is also audited by an independent certification body, which underlines its seriousness.
3. since when has BÖRLIND been certified by CSE?
BÖRLIND GmbH has been a CSE-certified company since 2012. Previously, the products of BÖRLIND GmbH were labeled with the EcoControl seal. This certification related exclusively to the products and company values.
4 Which areas are certified by CSE?
The CSE seal not only distinguishes the products. All company activities are subject to continuous monitoring in accordance with the three pillars of sustainability (ecology, economy, social responsibility). From the ingredients to the handling of waste water and waste, as well as the working conditions and further training opportunities for employees, all of the company’s areas of activity are reviewed. The review goes beyond the company’s own activities and also examines the sustainability efforts of suppliers. For this reason, BÖRLIND GmbH’s suppliers are regularly asked about their sustainability measures and encouraged to optimize them.
5. what criteria does CSE have regarding the ingredients for natural cosmetics?
The common natural cosmetics seals such as BDIH etc. confirm that the cosmetic product has been developed on the basis of natural ingredients. However, there are differences between the seals with regard to the permitted ingredients. For example, some seals allow the use of animal ingredients such as carmine or silk, which BÖRLIND GmbH is against. These differences do not call into question the classification in the “natural cosmetics” category. CSE has also defined criteria regarding the ingredients of natural cosmetics. For example, at least 75% of the mass produced must comply with one of the current natural cosmetics standards. Furthermore, no product may contain genetically modified or petrochemical substances. Preference must be given to using substances from certified organic cultivation or from wild collections. These are the basic requirements for natural cosmetics.
6 How often does a company have to undergo CSE certification?
An audit is carried out once a year by the inspection and certification body EcoControl. This audit not only checks whether the specified sustainability standards are being adhered to, but also whether the company has continued to develop. The improvement measures specified in the previous year must have been implemented. Furthermore, the company is obliged to set sustainability targets for the following year and to demonstrably comply with them.
7 What are the advantages of CSE?
The CSE seal recognizes companies and their products as sustainable. Consumers can find the CSE seal on ANNEMARIE BÖRLIND products. This means that the product can be recognized as coming from a certified sustainable company. With this certification, sustainability is not only practiced, but also tested and confirmed by an independent institute. This creates transparency for consumers.
CSE goes far beyond the usual natural cosmetics and sustainability representations. The CSE guidelines stipulate that not only the products, but also the entire company and its activities are reviewed annually. The aim is to fulfill the respective CSE requirements 100 percent. Furthermore, in order to receive the seal again, it is not only necessary to meet the standard, but also to continuously develop in the area of sustainability. The CSE seal was classified as “particularly recommendable” by www.label-online.de, the Verbraucher Initiative e.V. (federal association). Claims, independence, control and transparency were tested.
8 What are the disadvantages of CSE?
The disadvantage of CSE is the low level of awareness of the seal. One of the reasons for this is that only a few companies have been awarded this seal to date, as the guidelines for obtaining the CSE seal are very strict.
9. is CSE an internationally recognized certification?
The CSE seal is internationally recognized. BÖRLIND GmbH receives the certificate in English as well as in other languages.
10. which other companies carry the CSE seal?
So far, 10 European companies have been awarded the CSE sustainability seal. These include the detergent and cleaning agent manufacturer Sonett and the cosmetics brand Farfalla. A landscape architect and a management consultancy have also been certified.
11. is DADO SENS DERMACOSMETICS also CSE-certified?
CSE certification applies to both BÖRLIND GmbH with the ANNEMARIE BÖRLIND – Natural Beauty brand and DADO-cosmed GmbH with the DADO SENS DERMACOSMETICS brand.
12. would BÖRLIND also like to be certified with common seals such as NATRUE or COSMOS in the future?
A large number of Börlind products comply with the neuform guidelines or are BDIH or NCS certified. This is also necessary in order to comply with the CSE guidelines. These require that at least 75% of the manufactured product mass complies with an existing product standard for the industry (NaTrue, COSMOS, BDIH, Ecocert, Soil Association, Cosmébio, ICADA, demeter, naturland, Vivaness 2011, Regulation on Natural Cosmetics according to the Austrian Food Code, NCS). However, the company deliberately refrains from claiming product certification, as it considers the CSE seal to be of higher value.
13. is ANNEMARIE BÖRLIND natural cosmetics certified by the CSE seal?
The term “natural cosmetics” is not protected by law. For this reason, manufacturers make use of natural cosmetics seals such as COSMOS, NaTrue, Ecocert etc. The term “certified natural cosmetics” is used by natural cosmetics standards, which have roughly agreed on the following guidelines: The products are free from petroleum derivatives, PEGs, silicones, microplastics and parabens. This naturally also applies to the products of BÖRLIND GmbH. For BÖRLIND GmbH, the term “natural cosmetics” goes beyond the focus on the products. Natural cosmetics means not only paying attention to the ingredients, but also to the entire company and its basic socio-ecological attitude. This is why the products of BÖRLIND GmbH are sustainably certified natural cosmetics according to CSE.
14. does BÖRLIND GmbH undertake further activities in terms of sustainability?
The sustainable activities of BÖRLIND GmbH exceed the CSE guidelines. A corporate carbon footprint is created annually. The company offsets these CO2 emissions by investing in a project to treat drinking water in Cambodia. With the help of the project, water filters can be used that eliminate the need to cut firewood to boil the water. This makes BÖRLIND GmbH climate-neutral. The company is also involved in numerous other socio-ecological projects. The focus here is on projects related to the cosmetic products. This has resulted in commitments such as jojoba oil from Namibia, aloe vera from Guatemala and rose cherry oil from Nepal. BÖRLIND GmbH is also a member of FONAP (Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil). This forum is trying to establish the use of 100% sustainable palm (kernel) oil in all sectors.
