Albion Stone, which quarries and mines Portland limestone from the Dorset island that the stone takes its name from, has achieved a first with its ‘Very Good’ rating from BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products standard.

The standard, established by BRE, provides an all-inclusive approach to managing a product throughout the manufacturing process and supply chain.

As part of the standard, Albion addressed aspects such as management of its supply chain, labour practices and stakeholder engagement.

This certification has built on Albion’s existing ISO 9001 Quality Management and ISO 14001 Environmental Management accreditations.

Albion Stone is currently in the process of securing certification for BS OHSAS 18001, which will contribute to future assessments for BES 6001. Albion aims to secure an ‘Excellent’ rating from BES 6001 in the near future.The 'Very Good' rating is just one down from that.

David Richardson, Group Director of Sustainable Products at BRE, says of Albion's achievement: "Responsible sourcing of construction products is an increasingly important issue for specifiers and clients around the world. Albion Stone is not only doing the right thing environmentally and ethically with its certification to the standard but is also enhancing its competitiveness in the international arena.

"Well done to Albion – we look forward to certifying them to the next level of excellence soon!"