Responsible and ethical procurement continues to gain traction across the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sectors. Environmental and social consciousness is encouraging organisations within those sectors to adopt strategies that endorse their recognition and responsibility towards global sustainability initiatives (such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals). With an estimated 950,000 SMEs in the UK, drivers for sustainability rest not only on larger organisations but on smaller suppliers, as well as manufacturers and contractors. This study identifies and appraises a suite of benefits and barriers to implementing the certification of responsibly sourced construction products in the AEC sectors of the UK. Based on a systematic study of recent literature, this is achieved through a questionnaire survey shared with current BES6001 certification holders. Additional corroboration of the study findings is also sought through an interview with a member of the BRE Group (who created the scheme). Findings reveal that most organisations who participated have a formal CSR policy (81%) and have achieved strong scores in terms of their BES6001 certification. Opinions indicate the main advantages of implementing BES6001 include increased stakeholder value, innovation and collaboration, enhanced supply chain performance and improved access to standard frameworks. The main constraints identified are costs (both associated uplifts to capital costs, and management costs such as retraining), industry-specific constraints (training and awareness) and company size. Based on this information, the study’s main recommendation to increase uptake is for the BRE to modify the accreditation process with revisions to the scoring system, and the cost and complexity for SMEs to achieve accreditation. These modifications will allow penetration of the BES6001 philosophy throughout the sector and widen its presence among stakeholders.