Analysis of responsible sourcing performance in BES 6001 certificates

Responsible sourcing (RS) of materials is defined as the ethical management of sustainability issues within the construction supply chain, and engagement is typically evidenced by certification to BES 6001, the framework standard for the RS of construction products. Points are scored in BES 6001 under a number of clauses, yet little is known about RS practices. The aim of this study was to extract knowledge about RS practices from all 138 BES 6001 certificates issued to UK companies between 2008 and 2013. Data by performance rating, company size and product sector were analysed using Spearman's rho (ρ) and Cronbach's alpha (α). Performance against the life cycle assessment and resource use clauses was found not to influence overall performance significantly, so neither of these clauses can be assumed to represent good summary measures of sustainability performance. This suggests that a refocusing of the scope of both these clauses might be appropriate in future developments of the standard.