Feature Article

Wood Certifications: How FSC, PEFC, and SFI Compare

Timber from working forests can be an attractive climate solution, but only if the land is managed for sustainability and resilience. We analyzed forestry standards to find the most reliable markers of responsible sourcing.

by P.J. Melton

A dramatically backlit forested slope.

Can we preserve forests and also get timber from them? Forest certifications have been trying to answer ‘yes’ for decades.

Photo: P.J. Melton
Editor’s note: This online piece is an edited and condensed version of an extensive, in-depth report on wood certifications. Download the PDF to benefit from the comprehensive research that informed the analysis and procurement recommendations presented below.

Other readers may wish to begin with the takeaways: click here to go straight to our recommendations.

Brent Ehrlich and Nadav Malin contributed to this piece.

Climate change is upon us—and accelerating. People and organizations around the globe are looking for reliable, replicable ways to:

  • Slow greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Draw down carbon that’s already in the atmosphere.
  • Build social, ecological, and economic resilience to rising temperatures and unpredictable, catastrophic weather anomalies.
  • Assist with recovery from climate-related disasters.

There is one set of strategies that, in theory, can do all four of these things at once: nature-based solutions.

Published November 18, 2024

Melton, P. (2024, November 18). Wood Certifications: How FSC, PEFC, and SFI Compare. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/feature/wood-certifications-how-fsc-pefc-and-sfi-compare

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