Innovative southern African architects, interior designers and engineered wood products manufacturers with project lifecycle and sustainability concerns can consider applying for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Project Certification that confirms that the forest-based materials used in a project come from verifiable FSC-certified sources.
The certification lets architects, builders, contractors, artists, and others use the FSC trademarks to highlight their commitment to sustainable forest management and forest products.
“FSC realised it is complicated for a building contractor to become chain-of-custody certified. Timber is just a component of the building materials. FSC introduced a Project Certification standard, enabling the project manager to verify that the wood is sustainably sourced”, explains Gerard Busse, marketing manager of FSC South Africa.
Project certification verifies that the forest-based materials forming part of a project come from FSC-certified forests, recycled or controlled wood sources. It grants the certificate holder access to the FSC logo and trademarks, making the project more attractive to environmentally conscious customers and investors.
Project certification is designed for organisations and projects of all sizes, including:
- New buildings
- Renovations
- Civil engineering projects, such as timber bridges
- Event infrastructure, such as concert stages and stands at trade fairs
- Art and decorative objects, including statues and sculptures
- Transport vehicles, such as boats and other maritime vessels
Many green building programmes, like the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA), recognise the significance of FSC Project Certification. An organisation may choose to only become certified for the project’s duration (one-time certification) or to apply for continuous certification for managing multiple projects.
According to the FSC Standard for Project Certification FSC-STD-40-006 V2-0 EN, the following project claims can be made:
- Full certification: All forest-based materials and products used in the project are FSC-certified.
- Claims on specific project components, for example, trusses or window frames
- Percentage-claim certification: A percentage of forest-based materials used in the final project is FSC-certified.
