{"id":1240,"date":"2012-03-06T15:36:15","date_gmt":"2012-03-06T20:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodforforests.com\/?p=1240"},"modified":"2023-03-23T17:01:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T21:01:01","slug":"leed-approach-to-certification-slogans-or-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forests.org\/fr\/leed-approach-to-certification-slogans-or-science\/","title":{"rendered":"LEED Approach to Certification: Slogans or Science?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who knows what U.S. Green Building Council hopes to achieve with its latest draft language on forest certification in LEED.\u00a0 The new draft LEED requirement \u201cFSC or better\u201d feels more like a slogan than thoughtful language intended for a green building rating tool \u2013 probably because that\u2019s exactly what it is. \u00a0Those were the words on buttons worn by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) supporters at the 2011 USGBC GreenBuild show.<\/p>\n

USGBC is moving away from science when it comes to forest certification.\u00a0 While the latest draft language has some new opportunities for life cycle assessment and environmental data which is of relevance to wood, there remains a disconnect in terms of promoting and recognizing wood from responsibly managed forests.\u00a0 There is a real disconnect when USGBC claims to be a standard that supports market transformation and yet chooses language that can undermine and disadvantage markets for three quarters of the certified forest products from North America.\u00a0 Healthy markets for products from responsible forests means more forests will be managed responsibly.\u00a0 Undermining those markets, however, can have numerous consequences, be they intentional or unintentional.<\/p>\n

USGBC\u2019s unwavering support for FSC shows it understands the value of third-party forest certification. But it is painting itself into a corner through a credit structure that could enable builders to turn their backs on 75 percent of North America\u2019s certified forests if they want to chase LEED credits for certified wood. \u00a0The potential for this to happen is evidenced by FSC\u2019s own 2010 Business value and Growth market survey (page 6) which found: \u201cNearly half of respondents have sought out an alternative supplier in another country when FSC certified timber or products were not available in their own country<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 USGBC is reinforcing the myth that only one forest certification standard is worth supporting \u2013 ignoring the fact respected organizations<\/a> say otherwise and ignoring the fact that 90 percent of the world\u2019s forests aren\u2019t even certified.<\/p>\n

SFI remains committed to ensuring all forest products from responsible sources and certified forests gain equal access to credits in LEED rating tools.\u00a0 While we agree that the 90% of FSC\u2019s certified forests that are certified outside the US, i.e. outside USGBC\u2019s home turf, should get access to LEED, not for a minute do we believe that these FSC products should get preferential access to LEED certified wood credits over products certified to standards in use in North America, such as SFI, ATFS and CSA \u2013 all of which SFI recognizes.<\/p>\n

If through the language \u201cFSC or better\u201d USGBC\u2019s aim is to allow credits for certification standards that are better for forests, for other forest values and for forest communities, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative\u00ae <\/sup>(SFI\u00ae<\/sup>) can certainly show we match \u2013 and often exceed \u2013 FSC requirements. \u00a0\u00a0SFI will post a number of blogs between now and March 20 when the LEED public comment period ends to show how many unique attributes the SFI standard has that supports responsible forestry in communities across North America.\u00a0 We will show how SFI goes beyond and above the uneven nature of FSC\u2019s varied standards and how SFI focuses on things that matter here at home, such as research, logger training and landowner outreach. But let\u2019s be clear, SFI is a standard that is grounded and founded in North America, that reflects social, economic and environmental priorities that are of relevance here at home \u2013 this is our strength and this should not be overlooked.<\/p>\n

The decisions USGBC makes today about green building and certification will affect our forests and our communities well into the future. By refusing to be inclusive like other green building rating tools, it diminishes the value of certification and that diminishes the value of our forests.<\/p>\n

More to come\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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