WASHINGTON (Sept. 15, 2014)—The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) has been recognized by BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) for its ability to allow the construction industry to responsibly source forest products. The announcement was made by BREEAM on September 12th.
BREEAM's recognition of SFI joins the growing list of standards and organizations that continue to recognize the merits of all forest certification programs. Organizations like the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, The Sustainability Consortium, GreenBlue and the National Association of State Foresters; and green building tools like the International Green Construction Code, Built Green Canada, and the ANSI accredited Green Building Initiative's Green Globes standard.
"We are extremely pleased to be recognized by BREEAM. The responsible sourcing of materials is an increasingly important element of sustainable construction. It includes resource stewardship, corporate responsibility and sustainable procurement issues throughout the supply chain from landowners to brand owners," said Kathy Abusow, president and CEO of SFI Inc. .
Worldwide, there are more than a quarter of a million buildings with certified BREEAM assessment ratings and over a million registered for assessment.
Alan Yates, the technical director of sustainability at BRE Global — an independent, third-party approvals organization that oversees BREEAM — said, "Our approach provides a way of comparing the rigour and robustness of the various responsible sourcing standards against a single common set of criteria. SFI meets a common set of requirements based on current best practice."
BREEAM also recognizes the Forest Stewardship Council and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). In 2005, the SFI program was endorsed by PEFC. This endorsement adds international value to SFI Inc.'s position as a highly respected, third-party certification program in North America.
Forest certification standards like SFI can serve as an important proof point for responsible forestry and wood sourcing. The SFI Standard offers a proof point that the forest has been managed for multiple environmental, social and economic values.
