SFI vs. FSC vs. all the others

In the green building standards world, sustainable forest certification has been a big debate. The USGBC's LEED program only recognizes FSC, NAHB's National Green Building Standard recognizes all forest certification programs, and Minnesota GreenStar requires that any wood not from Canada or the USA is FSC-certified. So who is right? And as a consumer does it really make a difference which product I choose?

Dovetail Partners, a non-profit organization focusing on accurate non-biased environmental information, has written a few articles that outline the differences and similarities between the third-party certified sustainable forestry standards.

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) - summary
FSC - update
FSC and ATFS (American Tree Farm System) - update
PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certficiation schemes) - summary
SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) - summary
SFI - update*
CSA (Canadian Standards Association) - summary
FSC & SFI report - appendix compares many forest certification programs

(*some updates included that SFI became a 3rd party Chain-of-Custody standard, that its stakeholders and board include affiliates beyond industry, and that social issues are addressed)

The truth is, when choosing between certification programs, it depends on what is important to you. But nit-picking through the details may not get you anywhere. Like green building programs, sustainable forest standards often have prerequisites and then need to meet a certain number of points to become certified. But just because one program has specific indicators does not mean that the certified forest fits all of those indicators, just like not all LEED buildings have a green roof even though it's an option in the program.

So - what to do? First, remember that if a forest is going through a third-party certified program, it means that the forest managers are dedicated on some level to sustainability. Secondly, forest in the US and Canada are in general fairly well-managed, so issues of social responsibility are not as pressing (although always important) as in some third-world countries (which is why it's a good idea for imported wood to be Chain-of-Custody certified). Third, choosing local is very important - FSC, SFI, CSA, and ATFS are also all programs local to Minnesota and the United States and/or Canada. Fourth, clear-cutting is not always bad (see Dovetail's report on why clear-cutting is necessary in some places).

And finally - wood itself is a good product. It is one of the most sustainable building materials we have. It is renewable and natural and durable, and if it's local it's helping nearby communities as well. So regardless of what certification program you choose, by choosing wood, you've made a good choice.

If you have more questions on wood certification, please contact me.

Click here to see more of Dovetail's reports on forest certification, sustainable materials, responsible consumption, and green building.

Following wood from the forest to the home

Wood is a great building material; it sequesters carbon, can be grown and used in non-toxic organic fashions, and is both highly recyclable and renewable. It also has low embodied energy through its harvesting and manufacturing process, and can be tracked in a way that other materials can't.

Forest Floor to Showroom Floor, Part 1



The Blandin Foundation sponsored a very compelling video of Aitkin County, MN - one of the first forests in the United States to become FSC-certified - which follows wood from a sustainable forest through the manufacturing process, onto the showroom floor and into a green building project. It has been broken into two parts for easier loading. Enjoy!

Forest Floor to Showroom Floor, Part 2

Call for LEED Providers

USGBC announces a call for new LEED for Homes Certification Providers.

The attached Request for Qualifications (RFQ) includes background information on the LEED for Homes Program, the submittal instructions for organizations interested in applying to be selected as LEED for Homes Certification Providers, and a six-page submittal form.

USGBC plans to establish contractual relationships with approximately 20 new LEED for Homes Certification Providers. These Providers will be the primary verification and certification agents for the LEED for Homes program, with USGBC providing quality assurance oversight. Each Provider organization will be responsible for the selection, training, scheduling, and quality assurance of a team of in-field inspectors and/or green raters.

Submittals are due to USGBC by 5 PM EDT on Wednesday, November 28, 2007. Submittals that are not complete will be disqualified.

If you have questions, please send them to homes@committees.usgbc.org

In the LEED-Homes pilot program there were initially only 12 providers to be "responsible for selecting appropriate pilot projects and verifying that the homes were built to meet the requirements of the rating system". The provider for the Greenbush LEED-H project has done very well to accommodate our needs, but I have heard that for other projects it can be a challenge, both in terms of scheduling and location.

This is an interesting issue that green building programs face; to truly be a third-party certification system, certifiers should not technically be from either side of the camp (the agency that creates the certification standards nor the builder of the project), and yet they should be knowledgeable enough of both sides to certify a project. Ensuring there are enough qualified certifying bodies can be a demanding goal to achieve.

Now that the USGBC is launching LEED for Homes, they are calling for more providers. This will hopefully make the program accessible to more people in more regions.


By the way, if you are a USGBC member, voting for LEED-EB (Existing Buildings) and LEED-H is now open. Voting ends Monday, November 26, 2007 at 5:00 PM EST.