Wood from responsibly managed forests is an excellent choice for any new construction or renovation project.
Architects and builders choose wood because it looks great, has numerous environmental characteristics – including renewability – and is easy to work with.
In addition, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, sequestering and storing the carbon while producing oxygen – this reduces greenhouse gases and improves air quality. Forests provide many other benefits, including clean air and water, habitat for wildlife, commercially valuable products like wood, and employment for local communities.
Many of wood’s positive attributes depend in part on whether the forest resource is renewed. Third party- forest certification standards like the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) offer a proof point that the forest has been managed for multiple environmental, social and economic values – today and into the future.
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FORESTRY THROUGH GREEN BUILDING PROGRAMS
There are many credible green building rating systems that recognize the value of multiple forest certification standards, and offer credits for products certified to these forest certification standards, including SFI.
GREEN BUILDING EDUCATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
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SFI and Green Building Fact Sheet |
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Build Responsibly: Source Forest Products Certified to the SFI Standard |
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How to Count Your Certified Wood for a LEED Point
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How to Count Your Certified Paper for a LEED Point |
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Creating a New Path for Forest Products in Green BuildingsContinuing Education Unit from McGraw-HillJuly 2016Take the online test and receive an AIA credit or GBCI CE credit, click here. |
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Sustainable Building with SFI Certified WoodContinuing Education Unit from McGraw-HillJune 2013 |
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Certified Wood Branches OutContinuing Education Unit from McGraw-HillJanuary 2012 |
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Four Ways Responsible Forestry Supports Wood ConstructionTreeHugger: March 2017 |
Documents:
- Article: B.C.'s Forest Sector: Writing the Book on Innovation (April 9, 2018)
- News Release: Whistler's Solana Condos Win the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Certified Wood Award (February 27, 2018)
- Article: The Clear Choice - Wood design ideal in the South (July 24, 2017)
- Article: The Perks of SFI Certification (June 2017)
- Infographic: Four Ways Resonsible Forestry Supports Wood Construction (March 28, 2017)
- News Release: Black Butte Ranch Wins SFI Wood Works! Award (March 7, 2017)
- News Release: USGBC Announces New Pathway to Encourage Environmentally Responsible Forest Management in LEED (April 6, 2016)
- News Release: Community Cornerstone Quilakwa Center Wins SFI Award (March 1, 2016)
- News Release: BC Architects Win SFI Wood Design Award for Putting Sustainability and Community First in the Askew's Foods Uptown Store Design (March 2, 2015)
- Fact Sheet: How to Count Your Certified Wood for a LEED Point
- Fact Sheet: How to Count Your Certified Paper for a LEED Point
- Fact Sheet: Build Green with SFI-Certified Wood
Learn More:
- Continuing Education Unit: Creating a New Path for Forest Products in Green Buidings (2016)
- Continuing Education Unit: Sustainable Building with SFI Certified Wood (2013)
- Continuing Education Unit: Certified Wood Branches Out -- Forest Certification's Evolving Role in Green Building Rating Systems (2012)