BETTER BUILDING SOLUTIONS

SFI-certified wood is a good choice for construction and renovations because it is a sustainable, natural, and renewable resource. The SFI label means the forest the wood comes from is managed sustainably to ensure many benefits, like mitigating climate change. SFI is also implementing a new Climate Smart Forestry Objective that will require SFI-certified organizations to ensure forest management activities address climate change adaptation and mitigation measures.

Building with wood has environmental and economic benefits. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, sequestering and storing carbon while producing oxygen—this reduces greenhouse gases and improves air quality. The benefits of building with wood also include conserving water, ensuring biodiversity, and supporting sustainable jobs in rural areas.

The U.S. Green Building Council recognizes SFI‑certified wood. This means using SFI-certified wood can earn points in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) projects. LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.

Demand is growing for mass timber, including cross-laminated timber (CLT). CLT—a prefabricated, solid engineered wood panel product—is as strong as traditional building materials like steel and concrete, yet it offers the additional environmental benefits associated with wood. Highly technical and precise, CLT is made by compressing and bonding layers of wood together in alternating directions. Building with CLT is generally faster, safer, and more efficient than traditional building materials and processes. SmartLam, Katerra, and Structurlam, all prominent CLT manufacturers in Canada and the US, are certified to SFI, meaning they and their customers are furthering the environmental benefits of CLT.

Building with wood has health benefits. In the U.S., humans spend 90% of time indoors and have become increasingly disconnected from nature. Building with wood supports biophilia—humans’ innate draw and affinity for nature—and has been linked to reducing stress, improving cognitive function and creativity, accelerating healing, and fostering an overall sense of well-being. By increasing connectivity to the natural environment, biophilic design helps connect people to nature in the buildings we live and work in.