Comment period for LEED wood ratings begin

Aims to develop more transparent, holistic approach

Staff Staff -- Furniture Today, August 27, 2008

WASHINGTON - This month, the U.S. Green Building Council opened its first 30-day public comment period for proposed changes to how its LEED green building rating system awards points for the use of certified wood.

The comments may help form metrics for forest certification that would be recognized within the LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, which awards points for the use of certified wood.
Currently, only wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council are eligible for LEED points.
The comment portion of the USGBC's Web site allows viewers to read and comment on the current draft of the program. Click here to read the current draft.

The USGBC has been studying this issue for two years. It began re-examining wood certification and looking at the possibly of revising the credit section in 2006.

Under newly proposed credit language, wood certification systems could earn points against a measurable benchmark that includes governance, accreditation and auditing, chain of custody and labeling.

Wood certification deemed compliant with the benchmarks would be recognized by LEED, a press release said. Programs that are not found to be in alignment with the benchmark would have a clear and transparent understanding why, it added.
"It was clear from our extensive research that the increasing internationalization of the wood supply chain, the changing ownership structure of American forests, and the increasing diversity of wood certification programs globally demanded a more holistic, transparent approach," said Brendan Owens, vice president of LEED Technical Development for the USGBC.

The public comment period began Aug. 8.