USGBC Will Change its Wood Certification Requirements

Proposal would set standards for certification programs that would qualify for LEED points.

Source: PROSALES Information Service
Publication date: August 8, 2008

By Craig Webb

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) issued for comment a proposal that in effect would end the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) monopoly as the only certification system whose wood qualifies for points under the LEED green construction system.

The action starts a process that could end one of the biggest complaints dealers have about LEED: That it doesn't give points for wood certified by the Sustainable Forestry Intiative (SFI), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or similar groups that tend to be much more supported by the timber industry. However, the change is unlikely to bring about the end of some other stomach-churning issues related to green construction--in particular, the need to get chain of custody certification.

USGBC will take comments on the proposal until Sept. 8. USGBC's Materials and Resources Technical Advisory Group then will review the comments and decide whether to put the changes up for a vote by the entire USGBC membership. All LEED programs would be affected by the vote. If the proposal is approved, certification schemes seeking to be recognized by USGBC then would have to have their programs reviewed and approved. All that could take until the middle of next year.

According to an executive summary of the proposal, the proposed new language would make non-FSC certification systems eligible to earn points under LEED provided they meet measurable benchmarks in four areas: governance; technical standards/substance; accreditation and auditing; and chain of custody and labeling.

"The proposed evolution of the certified wood credit in LEED will help focus the forest certification conversation on outcomes and performance," Brendan Owens, USGBC's vice president of LEED technical development, said in a statement.

While groups such as SFI have argued that their standards are at least as good--if not better--than FSC's in many levels, the proposed benchmarks reflect USGBC's preference for certification systems that follow the spirit if not the letter of FSC's rules. For instance, according to a not-for-circulation draft made available to ProSalesby SFI, the benchmarks state:

Lumber interests have complained about the FSC monopoly under LEED since the first standards were issued. Lumberyard groups have complained particularly about how the standard was unfair and unworkable because it was so hard to get FSC-certified wood--a result of many major timber companies' refusal to abide by FSC standards and instead promote other standards, particularly SFI. USGBC has formally been reviewing this issue for more than two years.

"SFI Inc. is pleased to see this next step in the evolution of the LEED program," an SFI spokesperson said. " It reflects the reality, that even with over 50 forest certification programs worldwide, there are still only 10% of the world's forests certified to any program."

NLBMDA Urges USGBC To Add Eco-Label To its Certified Wood Plans

Group argues that a label on lumber that's certified as green would be easier and simpler to handle.

Source: PROSALES Information Service
Publication date: September 9, 2008

By Victoria Markovitz

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) should go beyond simply encouraging the use of certified wood by adopting a new way to brand lumber that frees dealers of the constraints of chain-of-custody certification, a national association for dealers urges.

The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) made its proposition in a letter to the USGBC, which was seeking comments on its proposal to award credits for sustainable wood that are certified by a number of organizations. The NLBMDA's plan is part of over 1,800 comments the USGBC received in its 30-day public comment period on the certified wood credit.

The eco-label would work like existing grade stamps, says Colleen Rocha Levine, director of government affairs for the NLBMDA. The association proposes for the eco-labels to be "permanently marked by the producing mill on a face or side of each piece of dimension lumber." The label would "serve as a producer's warranty (subject to a third-party inspection) or origin of timber" and provide "permanent and transparent documentation" throughout the product's life cycle, the organization said in its comments to the USGBC.

"There are currently five branded eco-forest certifications programs that require dealers to keep separate purchasing, inventory and sales records to document compliance with LEED or [National Association of Home Builders] projects," Levine says. "A new eco-label would eliminate those duplicative record-keeping requirements and speed the flow of certified wood products into the supply chain."