Forest certification is a voluntary tool that allows forest companies to demonstrate the sustainability of their practices by having them independently assessed against a standard that goes beyond regulatory requirements and takes into consideration environmental, economic and social values.
Although green building rating systems differ in specifics, most reward the use of certified wood. The Green Globes environmental and rating system, for example, gives points for lumber and timber panel products that are certified through any system recognized as credible—including the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). LEED rewards timber certified through FSC only, which, aside from the fact that independent research has shown all of the systems above to be effective, creates an issue of supply. There are 390 million acres of certified forests in North America, but less than 1/6 of that amount is certified by FSC.
The bottom line: providing forests are managed responsibly, wood is a natural choice for green building. It’s a renewable resource that’s sustainable over the long term and, according to life cycle assessment studies, has far less impact on the environment, from cradle to grave, than either steel or concrete.
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