Read Kathy Abusow’s latest blog post on goodforforests.com encouraging responsible forest management.
Earth Day messages and actions around reducing, reusing and recycling have been a great success. But when it comes to wood products like paper and lumber, consumers have two ways to take care of the forests – buying recycled and certified products.
OAKVILLE, ONTARIO – Habitat for Humanity Halton will build two homes in Oakville with high environmental standards thanks to the involvement of Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc. (SFI®) and Built Green Canada.
The 900-square-foot homes on Elmwood Road will be the first in Ontario certified to Built Green Canada standards. Three SFI program participants – Weyerhaeuser Company, Norbord Inc. and AbitibiBowater – will donate engineered wood products, dimension lumber and OSB from responsible sources. A ground-breaking ceremony was held today, and construction of the homes, which will also meet Energy Star standards, will start in June.
The independent non-profit SFI forest certification program is the largest single standard in the world, with principles and measures that promote responsible forest management. The non-profit Built Green™ Program supports resource-efficient and environmentally responsible construction practices. It has enrolled more than 13,500 homes in Alberta and British Columbia since 2004, and recently announced it is expanding across Canada.
“Oakville, like other communities, has its share of low-income households looking for decent housing,” said Anne Swarbrick, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Halton. “The SFI and Built Green programs are helping us make home ownership possible for two families – with the added bonus that the homes will have a lighter environmental footprint.”
“Habitat for Humanity is a great organization, and we are delighted to be able to work with them on this project. Habitat can achieve so much by participating in the Built Green Program,” said David Bengert, President of Built Green Canada, which donated its services to Habitat for Humanity Halton for the two homes. “Built Green homes are good for the environment in that they are comfortable in any climate, have great indoor air quality, lower utility bills, and a solid resale value.”
“Habitat for Humanity captures the community spirit of the SFI program perfectly – it means we can use products from local communities to support local communities,” said SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow. “Our partners and participants have donated time and resources to build Habitat homes in Ontario, Manitoba, Tennessee, Maine and Minnesota – and there are more in the works.”
About Habitat for Humanity Halton
Habitat for Humanity Halton (www.habitathalton.ca) is a community-based, non-profit, faith-based organization working for a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. Its mission is to use knowledge, skills, community relationships, volunteers and other resources to create and promote safe and affordable home ownership options with the aim of alleviating the cycle of poverty within the community. In 2006, Habitat for Humanity Halton won a Donner Award, which recognizes and encourages best practices in non-profit management.
About Built Green
The Built Green™ Program (www.builtgreencanada.ca), owned and managed by the non-profit Built Green Canada, is an industry-driven voluntary program that promotes green building practices to reduce the impact building has on the environment. Successful completion of the Built Green™ Builder Training is required to become a Built Green™ Certified Builder member. Membership in Built Green Canada is open to all members of participating home builders’ associations, including builders, renovators, product suppliers or manufacturers, service providers, community developers and municipalities.
About SFI Inc.
Independent SFI Inc. is a non-profit charitable organization solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program (www.sfiprogram.org). Across North America, close to 80 million hectares are certified to the SFI forest management standard, making it the largest single forest management standard in the world. SFI chain-of-custody certification tells buyers how much certified, responsibly sourced and/or recycled content is in a product. The SFI program’s unique fiber sourcing requirements promote responsible forest management on all suppliers’ lands. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally.
Read Kathy Abusow’s latest blog post on goodforforests.com about Built Green Canada and their inclusive approach to forest certification…..
The fact non-profit Built Green Canada is expanding across Canada is wonderful news for anyone who views wood as a great environmental choice – the Built Green™ program is one of many green rating tools with an inclusive certification policy.
Read Kathy Abusow’s latest blog post on goodforforests.com regarding an op-ed about opening the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standard published in The Seattle Times.
Michael T. Goergen, executive vice president and CEO of the Society of American Foresters, recently had an op-ed about opening the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standard published in The Seattle Times. One important point he makes is…
An online petition demanding changes to the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standard is receiving tremendous support. Since launching on March 16, 2010, the petition has more than 5,000 signatures from across the globe. The petition calls on the USGBC to open LEED to all “wood and paper products certified to independent, respected and credible standards including SFI, ATFS, CSA, FSC, and PEFC.” Currently LEED only recognizes certified products from one standard. The petition was launched by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®.
“Our online petition has sparked a groundswell of support, providing a collective voice to the vast community of those who care deeply about sustainable forestry and feel strongly that USGBC should open LEED to SFI and other credible forest certification standards,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. “The thousands who have signed this petition are joined by many forestry and sustainability experts in demanding change.”
In fact, National Association of State Foresters (NASF) President Steven Koehn recently put out a letter on behalf of his organization to the U.S. Green Building Council in support of opening LEED. Additionally, Michael Goergen, president of the Society of American Foresters, penned an op-ed in the April 2 edition of The Seattle Times voicing his support for LEED becoming more inclusive.
Even government leaders are stepping up in support of opening LEED. In a letter to USGBC expressing concern with USGBC’s bias towards FSC, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty stated, “Recognizing only FSC-certified wood in the LEED benchmarks will result in discrimination against wood products derived from well-managed lands in green building projects. The USGBC should fairly assess and include all credible forest certification programs, including SFI and ATFS systems.”
More than three-quarters of North American certified forests are certified to standards not currently recognized by the USGBC, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), American Tree Farm System (ATFS), and Canadian Standards Association (CSA). At this time LEED only recognizes FSC certification, which accounts for less than one quarter of the North American certified lands. The majority of FSC’s certifications are outside of Canada and the USA. An unintended consequence of the USGBC’s current policy is that builders, architects and designers seeking the LEED forest certification credit cannot get credit for the vast majority of certified domestic sources of supply. “It is counterintuitive that green building discriminates against domestic sources of supply and we hope that the USGBC will come to realize that this doesn’t make strong environmental, economic or social sense,” Abusow said.
The petition concludes, “For the sake of our forests, our communities, the tens of thousands of family foresters who make their livelihoods from forestry and the future of green building across North America and globally, it is time for USGBC to do the right thing and recognize all credible forest certification standards: SFI, ATFS, CSA, FSC, and PEFC. “
Selected Comments from the petition:
“There is no doubt that SFI has established credible standards supporting best management practices in forestry along with verifiable data. It is time for science and verifiable data to drive the certification. Good forestry follows good markets as data will show. We will plant, grow, harvest, and replant as the market grows. This will enhance clean air, clean water, wildlife and all the supports of our quality of life. As 2009 National Tree Farmer of the Year and 2010 Governor’s Agricultural Stewardship Award winners, Earl and I know firsthand how important sustainability, stewardship and conservation are to our industry, state and nation.“
Wanda T. Barrs
“I strongly urge the USGBC to expand the rating system to wood and paper products certified to independent, respected and credible standards, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), American Tree Farm System (ATFS), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). These organizations are recognized and well respected. We need to take advantage of all these organizations and level the playing field. Only relying on FSC does not provide a competitive business environment or allow suppliers to take advantage of products certified under these other organizations.”
Paul Robbertz VP, EHS Pitney Bowes Inc.
“I respect the LEED standard, but LEED seems not to have respect for SFI, ATFS or PEFC. We all want the same thing…and it is a great shame that LEED wants to lock out these wonderful groups with the highest of standards that include so many good stewards of the land. WAKE UP, LEED!”
Chuck Leavell, Director of Environmental Affairs at The Mother Nature Network, Family Tree Farmer and keyboardist for The Rolling Stones
About SFI Inc.
SFI Inc. is an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization, and is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program (www.sfiprogram.org). Across North America, close to 200 million acres/80 million hectares are certified to the SFI forest management standard, making it the largest single standard in the world. SFI chain-of-custody certification tells buyers how much certified, responsibly sourced and/or recycled content is in a product. The SFI program’s unique fiber sourcing requirements promote responsible forest management on all suppliers’ lands. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally.