What is the Forest Stewardship Council?

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international body that sets environmental and social standards for sustainable forest operations.  FSC certification helps consumers sort through the maze of products and advertising so they can be sure their purchase will reflect their values. It also helps sustainable manufacturers and suppliers find their market. Here in B.C., forest certification has been a struggle because it requires a dramatic improvement over current forest practices like clear-cutting.

Although several forest certification systems have emerged in recent years, the Sierra Club BC and other environmental organizations endorse only one: the Forest Stewardship Council. Internationally recognized and administered by an independent body, FSC is the only system that audits operators against stringent environmental and social criteria -- from forest management to First Nations rights. The Sierra Club BC was an integral part of developing the FSC standard for forest operations in BC, approved in 2005. 

Moco Sustainable Connections acts as a clearing house for FSC-certified timber, bringing ethical consumers and sustainable manufacturers together.

For a full list of sustainable timber suppliers, click here.

A golden opportunity

The last couple of years have seen an unprecedented boom in green construction. More than a dozen cities across Canada and the United States -- including Vancouver and Richmond and likely to be followed soon by Victoria -- have adopted green building (LEED) standards for public or municipal buildings. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the eco-certification system of record for the building industry and rewards the use of FSC-certified wood in green buildings.