SFI Program and Green Building
Environmentally friendly buildings are become increasingly mainstream. Green building is attracting consumer demand and being embraced by planners, designers, architects, builders and customers.
The choice of building materials has a huge impact on the environment. And wood’s inherent properties – as a sustainable, natural, recyclable, and renewable resource – make it an excellent environmental choice for any new construction or renovation, as long as it is from a well-managed forest. SFI certification can deliver this assurance and, as one of the largest forest certification standards in the world, it is well positioned to meet the growing demand for certified products.
When compared to non-renewable products such as steel or concrete, wood’s outstanding environmental lifecycle characteristics, and desirable aesthetic and construction characteristics make it one of the most environmentally friendly and popular of building materials.
Overall, wood production consumes less energy, emits less greenhouse gases, releases less pollutants into the air and generates much less water pollution compared to steel and concrete. In addition, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, reducing greenhouse gases and improving air quality.
More and more buyers – including governments, businesses and individuals – are asking for wood products from well-managed forests. SFI-certified products are recognized by many leading green building rating programs in the United States, Canada and overseas, including the National Association of Home Builders and Green Globes.