PEFC adds pressure on USGBC

PEFC has added its voice to calls for the US Green Building Council (USGBC) to accept more forest certification schemes.

Seventy-two US congressmen have already written a letter to the USGBC’s CEO, asking him to ditch the FSC-only policy for its LEED rating tool.

Now 12 national PEFC schemes have added to the pressure. They include PEFC standards in the UK, the US, Canada and Ireland.

“Less than 10% of the world’s forests are certified, yet LEED does not recognise the more than two-thirds of the world’s certified forests that meet PEFC’s sustainability benchmarks,” said PEFC International secretary-general Ben Gunneberg.

He also said that the USGBC needs to recognise the benefits of building with wood if it wanted to demonstrate environmental leadership. “To qualify for one LEED credit, wood must comply with 81 individual benchmarks – “something no other building material is required to demonstrate,” he added.