The Concrete Sustainability Council is an industry organization and standards body focused on decreasing the environmental impact of cement, concrete, and aggregate.^[1][2] The group was originally launched by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development as the Concrete Sustainability Initiative in 2013.^[3][4][5] The project has been managed by the Global Cement and Concrete Association since 2019.^[6]

This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. (May 2024)

The initiative's initial goal was to establish a certification system for responsibly sourced concrete and its supply chain. The initiative launched the CSC certification system,^[7][8] which is an industry certification that can contribute to LEED certification related to materials.^[9] The process evaluates both supply chain and process used for the production of concrete, and other Environmental and Social consequences.^[10] Parts of the certificate are optional, such as the CO2 certification -- so not all CSC certified products are low carbon.^[11] The certificate is administered by "regional system operators" such as German Ready-Mixed Concrete Association in Germany.^[12][13] As of 2021, 485 concrete industry organizations had the certification.^{[citation needed]}

The certificate comes in four levels Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze -- with platinum complying with more of the certification requirements.^[2] The standards for cement, aggregate and concrete are different.^[2]The certification allows designers and architects to better understand the lifecycle and impact of concrete in their construction projects.^[12] Cement plants that are retrofitting or trying to become more sustainable, can use the standard to redesign their processes.^{[citation needed]}

Beyond certification, the initiative also supports research for the cement industry, such as a technology roadmap of the cement industry with the IEA.^[14]