What is "FSC Certified" lumber?

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, not-for-profit organization created in 1994 whose mission is promoting responsible forest management and the production of sustainable lumber and wood products via their "FSC wood certification labels".

Their goal is to protect natural resources by promoting environmentally sustainable, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests, from which the majority of our lumber and wood products are sourced, with the objective of helping to protect animal habitats, indigenous people’s rights and communities, worker’s rights, and areas of significant environmental and cultural importance.

The original concept for the FSC certification of lumber products began in 1990 with a group composed of conscientious consumers, traders and environmental and human rights organizations.

They were concerned about the escalating deforestation, environmental degradation, and social exclusion within forestry around the globe, and so highlighted their aim to develop a responsible, credible and clear certification system to differentiate and promote managed forests and encourage responsibly produced wood products.这就是FSC认证和清晰的FSC认证标签计划如何诞生的。

Why choosing FSC certified lumber is important - Replanting a clear cut forest will never restore biodiversity
Why choose FSC certified lumber? When logging companies replant trees in a clear cut it is usually with a monoculture tree farm that will take generations to regain the biodiversity of plant species or animals and insects

To this day, the Forest Stewardship Council is a democratic organization that is governed by its members, and is widely considered to be the most reliable and effective forestry product certification program.

Criticism of the FSC & the "Greenwashing of Timber" accusation by Greenpeace

Greenpeace released a report in a 2014 slamming the Forest Stewardship Council for standing by as FSC-certified loggers ravaged the Russian taiga, particularly the Dvinsky Forest, more than 700 miles north of Moscow.

Greenpeace accused FSC-certified logging companies there of “wood-mining” forests the way they might strip-mine coal, as a nonrenewable resource, and of harvesting “areas that are either slated for legal protection or supposed to be protected as a part of FSC requirements.”

As much as this, and other upheld discrepancies have been found amongst FSC certified producers and products, a 2016 meta-analysis of scientific studies (here) found that FSC certification in the tropics has reduced degradation and improved labor and environmental conditions in affected forests.

As no system for certifying sustainable production of lumber in far-flung forests is ever going to be perfect, what we are saying by this Guide is that as the world's major environmental NGOs - including WWF, Sierra Club, NRDC, NWF, etc. - including Greenpeace - consider the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) the only credible certification system, by default so do we.

It is the fact that there are well documented occasional failings (as well as FSC's subsequent actions to deal with problems and the problematic FSC certified actors behind these failings) that demonstrates the FSC's existence as a credible, living, evolving system of sustainable certification of lumber.

So what is FSC Certified Lumber and how to recognize it?


Any Lumber or paper producer that carries the FSC logo has been carefully vetted and meets the high standard of the FSC certification program.FSC Certified Lumber aims to be the ‘gold standard’ of ‘eco-friendly’ lumber, and it's an assurance that this wood product has been harvested from a sustainably managed forest. When buying lumber or wood products, likeeco-friendly hardwood flooring, pay attention and look for the FSC certification.

Wood with an FSC logo ensures it comes from sustainably managed forests
Wood with a FSC logo ensures it should come from sustainably managed forests

Wood and paper producers are subject to mandatory verification and must continually seek recertification from the FSC to maintain their status.

所有FSC认证的木材产品都很容易识别，通过携带以下标志之一，这是一个checkmark结合了树木的轮廓。

There are three FSC certifications for wood products:

  1. FSC 100% - This label uses products that are made from 100% virgin material sourced from FSC certified forests.
  2. FSC Mix - This label uses a combination of virgin wood from an FSC certified forest, recycled/reclaimed materials and FSC controlled wood.
  3. FSC Recycled - This label uses pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled fiber products.
FSC labels indicate wood and paper products have been sourced from sustainably managed forests
FSC Certification labels indicate wood and paper products have been sourced from sustainably managed forests

What is the difference between FSC and SFI certified lumber and wood products?

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) can be considered a stronger certification than the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) as it is global and represents civil society, whereas the SFI is a North American certification which is represented mainly by industry.With all the compromises this may imply.

SFI于1994年由美国森林和造纸协会发起，其根源在于伐木业，至今仍从该行业获得资金。SFI与行业的联系让环保组织感到担忧，因为这似乎是行业试图降低“可持续森林管理”的标准，实际上混淆了认证木材实际上是“可持续采伐”的水域。

However, the SFI has since prohibited logging of old-growth forests and limited the use of chemical pesticides in forests – which are both key elements in producing sustainable certified wood products. With this being said, we would suggest that choosingSFI Certified Lumberwould be preferrable to that with no certification, but only if unable to findFSC Certified Lumber,but hey, it's a suggestion, we're not here to make any builder's life more difficult.

Why buy FSC certified wood?

While there are many reasons to buy FSC certified wood products, one of the most important ones is that it helps reduce the impact climate change通过促进负责任的森林管理和木材和纸张的循环利用。

Forests have a key role in regulating the earth’s climate and removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. When making the choice to buy FSC certified wood products, it guarantees that all the trees harvested are replaced, or are allowed to regenerate naturally, minimizing waste and environmental impact.

FSC还承认并保护北美和世界各地的土著社区的权利，防止树木在他们神圣的地方被砍伐，在某些情况下，整个森林受到保护，以保存和保护珍稀动物和植物。

The FSC’s rigorous management of commercial forests and prohibition of uncontrolled deforestation promotes conservation efforts and sustainability around the world. It also ensures better conditions for the people whose livelihoods depend on forests and their sustainable lumber production as a key construction resource.

最终，选择购买FSC认证的木材产品意味着在购买木材产品时，要问心无愧地了解其来源和环境无害证书，并确保后代能够享受森林的全部好处，包括生活在森林中的动物的多样性。

Will choosing FSC certified or SCI wood products gain me LEED points?

The Alternative Compliance Path allows LEED projects to achieve an existing green building credit, using an alternative approach to what is specified in the existing rating tool, yes. The Certified Wood pilot ACP is being used to test new ideas before they are fully integrated into theLEED rating systems.

建筑商和建筑师使用来自可持续林业倡议(SFI)、美国林场系统(ATFS)、加拿大标准协会(CSA)、森林管理委员会(FSC)和森林认证背书计划(PEFC)认证标准的认证木材和纸制品，可以在LEED 2009下的认证木材试点ACP中获得一个点，并在LEED v4下的原材料采购试点ACP中获得一个点。This is an extra reason why Ecohome used FSC certified lumber inthe exceptional Edelweiss LEED Platinum certified houseproject.

Eligibility for LEED points for certified lumber

In order to achieve a LEED point, the user must verify that:

  • 100% of the forest products are from legal (noncontroversial) sources.
  • 70%来自可靠的来源。
  • The remainder must be certified sources as evidenced by a chain-of-custody (CoC) certification.

SFI Fiber Sourcing certificationcounts as legal and responsible, while forest products delivered throughSFI, FSC or PEFC CoC certificationcount as legal, responsible and certified sources.

The Alternative Compliance Path applies to all LEED v4 and LEED 2009 systems, including Building Design and Construction (BD+C), Interior Design and Construction (ID+C), Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M), Neighborhood Development (ND) and Homes (under LEED v4).

我在哪里可以买到FSC认证的木制品?

FSC certified products can be found at many major home improvement stores and building supply retailers such as RONA, Home Depot, Lowe's and even online at Amazon.

Major suppliers throughout the USA include:

  • Builders FirstSource Inc.
  • 84 Lumber Company
  • Lumber Liquidators Inc.

And in Canada include:

  • Home Hardware
  • Timber Mart
  • ILDC (Independent Lumber Dealers Co-operative)

All there is to remember when choosing to make an environmentally conscious choice of sustainable wood products is to seek out genuine FSC certified lumber materials by looking for one of three FSC certified labels listed above, or for SFI certified lumber if local suppliers can't supply it.

To easily find FSC certified products and suppliers locally online, you can also use the search tools provided on the FSC website (below), or forFSC certified plywood products that are also formaldehyde free - see here.

Now you knowhow to choose sustainably harvested woodfrom responsibly managed forests. Learnmore about choosing eco-friendly building materials,building with recyled wood,disposing of construction wasteand other easy choices to make toreduce the environmental footprint of construction projectsin these pages :

Findmore about green home constructionin the EcohomeGreen Building Guide pages- also, learn more aboutthe benefits of a free Ecohome Network Membership here.