“The establishment of the Certification Standards Board as the main governance body of the product certification methodology is a milestone for the Institute, a further step in our effort to create a more public and responsive standard,” said Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute president Bridgett Luther.

The Certification Standards Board membership includes respected industry leaders with backgrounds in chemistry, chemical engineering, toxicology, environmental science, product design, business, and manufacturing. “The Institute and the new board will play a critical role in Cradle to Cradle certification, and create an incentive for continual improvement in the environmental and social qualities of the products people use,” said board member Adam Lowry, co-founder of Method.

“I am privileged to join the newly established Certifications Standards Board,” said Rudi Daelmans of Desso, a leading carpet manufacturer based in The Netherlands. “Transparency is the new business standard, as are independence and active stakeholder engagement.”

The new Certification Standards Board includes:

Adam Lowry, Method
Angela Nahikian, Steelcase
Christoph Semisch, Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA)
Gabe Wing, Herman Miller
Jay Bolus, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC)
Dr. John Warner, Warner Babcock
Maureen Gorsen, attorney
Paul Murray, Shaw Industries
Rudi Daelmans, Desso
Dr. Susan Klosterhaus, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute

About the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is a non-profit organization, co-founded by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, to bring about a large-scale transformation in the way we make things. The Institute’s mission is to provide a continuous improvement quality standard to guide product manufacturers and designers in making safe and healthy things for our world.

The Institute, using the Cradle to CradleÃ?? framework, works with leaders from academia, the NGO environmental community, government, and industry to implement a standard for assessing and constantly improving products based on five criteria:

Safe and appropriately sourced materials
Material reutilization
Renewable energy
Release of clean water
Social fairness

Products that meet the transparent criteria of this rating system will receive the Cradle to Cradle (CM) certification mark.