Ecolabels and Green Purchasing 7) False . 6) False Claims;and 5) Lesser of Two Evils; 4) Irrelevance; 3) Vagueness; 2) NoProof; Hidden Trade1) The Off; by Terrachoiceas: The seven sinsofgreenwashing are described environmental. orservice” benefitsofaproduct environmental practices ofacompanythe or ofmisleadingconsumers regardingthe “The act GR to-business andbusiness-to-government inbusiness- arebut alsonowimportant Ecolabels are traditionally consumers aimedat toward reducing environmental impacts. arethose that produced withconsideration market betweenproducts andtohighlight designed toprovide differentiation inthe certifications, orsealsofapproval are that Ecolabels are typicallystamps, labels, Ecolab EENW i Purchas els Inform ASH I NG ng substantiate claims. removenot themarketer’s obligation to FTC does certification third-party notesthat and substantiated. With regard toecolabels, FTC beclear, urges claimsmust that specific terms usedinenvironmental marketing. provide2012) that specificguidanceon of the“Green Guides” (updated October Inthe U.S.,activities. thisresulted inrelease their environmental consumer protection Bureau ofCanada tobeginoverhauling Trade Commission (FTC) andCompetition was for citedasacatalyst theU.S. Federal research America, of2,219products inNorth Report, whichwas basedonconsumer The publishingof Terrachoice’s tool intoday’s globalmarket. expected purchasing toremain animportant information continues togrow, ecolabels are for andenvironmental impact reviewedthird-party information. Asdemand to evolve duetodemandfor science-based, 500 ecolabels worldwide andthesecontinue purchasing decisions. There are approximately MARCH 2013 Forest certification can ECOLABELS, ATTRIBUTES, AND FOREST CERTIFICATION CLIMATE DECLARATIONS, INDUSTRY, EPDS, AND LCA CARBON FOOTPRINTING, AND be used in conjunction Credible ecolabels tell consumers or end a company to use the mark or logo (the REPORTING users what attributes of products are being ecolabel) associated with the standard in its Today there is a high demand for with Ecolabels, LCA, recognized by the organization issuing the product marketing. full disclosure and transparency of , such as carbon emissions, energy- Climate declarations and carbon footprinting environmental impacts. To meet this carbon reporting, and efficient or indoor household contaminants, are important trends. Climate declarations demand, the North American forest or a commitment to sustainability. are product-related and can be derived products industry is producing generic directly from an LCA or the related EPD. industry EPDs for structural and non- An ecolabel may focus on one attribute, such Climate declarations show only the climate to meet evolving green structural wood products. An EPD on as reducing water consumption, or multiple impact (or greenhouse gas impacts) of a western red cedar is currently available, attributes throughout a product’s life cycle, product or service throughout its life cycle; purchasing trends. and soon, through efforts of the American such as global climate (carbon footprint), whereas LCAs and EPDs are much broader Wood Council (AWC), Canadian Wood Council energy consumption, material content, in what they cover. An organization’s carbon (CWC), and a number of other organizations, human toxicity, and many others. These footprint is measured by undertaking a more generic EPDs will become available, multi-attribute standards often include fibre greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment and including softwood lumber, glulam, plywood, certified to a forest certification standard EcoLogoTM is an example of a multi-attribute international determining the total for GHG emissions OSB, LVL, and I-Joist. ecolabel with more than 10,000 diverse certified products resulting from its operations. as one of many criteria within the standard. and services. Forest certification and criteria related to fibre Certification to ecolabel standards allows source are addressed within EcoLogo’s standard. Using these EPDs as a guide, individual The Carbon Trust Carbon Disclosure Project manufacturers can also benefit from and Global Reporting Institute (GRI) are development of life cycle assessments examples of organizations that provide LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT AND on their own products, the impact data Western red cedar siding EPD resources for learning about carbon ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS from which can be used to produce EPDs. measurement and reporting, software tools, These are called manufacturer- or brand- comprehensive approach where the initial and certification. Additionally, the World Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the scientific data without a judgment on the attributes. specific EPDs and may in the future have steps include developing an LCA study, Resources Institute/World Business Council quantification of potential environmental The International Organization for value to companies wanting to describe, which is followed by the preparation and for (WRI/WBCSD) impacts of products or services throughout Standardization (ISO) provides administrative in EPD format, the specific environmental use of a data gathering questionnaire. That has issued the Greenhouse Gas Protocol a product’s life cycle. It provides a basis for and process guidance for the creation and footprint of their products. Embarking data is then used by the expert to develop and the National Council for Air and Stream comparing environmental performance and use of environmental labels and declarations. on this data analysis effort requires a the full LCA for review. Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) has developed an substantiating marketing claims. It measures Type III declarations, as described in ISO industry-specific tool for pulp and paper mills the material and energy flows (input/output) 14025, are EPDs and considered the most to be used in conjunction with the Protocol. to and from nature over the lifetime of a credible because they address multiple product or service. The potential impact of impacts derived from LCA reports and are If developing LCAs and EPDs on products those flows on resources, ecosystems and also independently reviewed. The EPD or a carbon footprint of your operations, human health are also assessed as part of an concept is moving into the mainstream a company is on its way to meeting a LCA study. and is considered by some to be a potential portion of the requirements for overall non-tariff barrier to trade as EPDs begin to corporate sustainability reporting (CSR). An environmental product declaration be required by governments, particularly in Sustainability reporting is similar to financial (EPD) can be likened to the nutritional Europe —where there are already hundreds reporting; CSR, however, includes reporting label on food packages, it simply states of EPDs on construction products— and Asia. on economic, environmental, social, and governance issues. CSR can help a corporation set goals and measure performance. GRI, mentioned above, provides examples of green building how comprehensive sustainability reporting rating systems green is used and referenced. Some standard product case studies setting organizations are signaling a desire ratings to encourage specifiers to request third- party certified sustainability reports, more integrated Green Design life cycle comprehensive documents than EPDs, design assessment before choosing a manufacturer or product. process Tools software Lastly, public companies reporting their sustainability efforts may be eligible for computer peer inclusion in socially responsible investment modelling consultation/ & design review mutual funds or indexes such as the Dow technical Jones Sustainability Index potentially research attracting preferential investment.

Typically, LCA reports on environmental effects due to a product, building or service. VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver, B.C.

Forestry Innovation Investment | Ecolabels and Green Purchasing For more information on Ecolabels and Green Purchasing, visit www.bcfii.ca Forest certification can ECOLABELS, ATTRIBUTES, AND FOREST CERTIFICATION CLIMATE DECLARATIONS, INDUSTRY, EPDS, AND LCA CARBON FOOTPRINTING, AND be used in conjunction Credible ecolabels tell consumers or end a company to use the mark or logo (the SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING users what attributes of products are being ecolabel) associated with the standard in its Today there is a high demand for with Ecolabels, LCA, recognized by the organization issuing the product marketing. full disclosure and transparency of label, such as carbon emissions, energy- Climate declarations and carbon footprinting environmental impacts. To meet this carbon reporting, and efficient or indoor household contaminants, are important trends. Climate declarations demand, the North American forest or a commitment to sustainability. are product-related and can be derived products industry is producing generic sustainability reporting directly from an LCA or the related EPD. industry EPDs for structural and non- An ecolabel may focus on one attribute, such Climate declarations show only the climate to meet evolving green structural wood products. An EPD on as reducing water consumption, or multiple impact (or greenhouse gas impacts) of a western red cedar is currently available, attributes throughout a product’s life cycle, product or service throughout its life cycle; purchasing trends. and soon, through efforts of the American such as global climate (carbon footprint), whereas LCAs and EPDs are much broader Wood Council (AWC), Canadian Wood Council energy consumption, material content, in what they cover. An organization’s carbon (CWC), and a number of other organizations, human toxicity, and many others. These footprint is measured by undertaking a more generic EPDs will become available, multi-attribute standards often include fibre greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment and including softwood lumber, glulam, plywood, certified to a forest certification standard EcoLogoTM is an example of a multi-attribute international determining the total for GHG emissions OSB, LVL, and I-Joist. ecolabel with more than 10,000 diverse certified products resulting from its operations. as one of many criteria within the standard. and services. Forest certification and criteria related to fibre Certification to ecolabel standards allows source are addressed within EcoLogo’s paper standard. Using these EPDs as a guide, individual The Carbon Trust Carbon Disclosure Project manufacturers can also benefit from and Global Reporting Institute (GRI) are development of life cycle assessments examples of organizations that provide LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT AND on their own products, the impact data Western red cedar siding EPD resources for learning about carbon ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS from which can be used to produce EPDs. measurement and reporting, software tools, These are called manufacturer- or brand- comprehensive approach where the initial and certification. Additionally, the World Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the scientific data without a judgment on the attributes. specific EPDs and may in the future have steps include developing an LCA study, Resources Institute/World Business Council quantification of potential environmental The International Organization for value to companies wanting to describe, which is followed by the preparation and for Sustainable Development (WRI/WBCSD) impacts of products or services throughout Standardization (ISO) provides administrative in EPD format, the specific environmental use of a data gathering questionnaire. That has issued the Greenhouse Gas Protocol a product’s life cycle. It provides a basis for and process guidance for the creation and footprint of their products. Embarking data is then used by the expert to develop and the National Council for Air and Stream comparing environmental performance and use of environmental labels and declarations. on this data analysis effort requires a the full LCA for review. Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) has developed an substantiating marketing claims. It measures Type III declarations, as described in ISO industry-specific tool for pulp and paper mills the material and energy flows (input/output) 14025, are EPDs and considered the most to be used in conjunction with the Protocol. to and from nature over the lifetime of a credible because they address multiple product or service. The potential impact of impacts derived from LCA reports and are If developing LCAs and EPDs on products those flows on resources, ecosystems and also independently reviewed. The EPD or a carbon footprint of your operations, human health are also assessed as part of an concept is moving into the mainstream a company is on its way to meeting a LCA study. and is considered by some to be a potential portion of the requirements for overall non-tariff barrier to trade as EPDs begin to corporate sustainability reporting (CSR). An environmental product declaration be required by governments, particularly in Sustainability reporting is similar to financial (EPD) can be likened to the nutritional Europe —where there are already hundreds reporting; CSR, however, includes reporting label on food packages, it simply states of EPDs on construction products— and Asia. on economic, environmental, social, and governance issues. CSR can help a corporation set goals and measure performance. GRI, mentioned above, provides examples of green building how comprehensive sustainability reporting rating systems green is used and referenced. Some standard product case studies setting organizations are signaling a desire ratings to encourage specifiers to request third- party certified sustainability reports, more integrated Green Design life cycle comprehensive documents than EPDs, design assessment before choosing a manufacturer or product. process Tools software Lastly, public companies reporting their sustainability efforts may be eligible for computer peer inclusion in socially responsible investment modelling consultation/ & design review mutual funds or indexes such as the Dow technical Jones Sustainability Index potentially research attracting preferential investment.

Typically, LCA reports on environmental effects due to a product, building or service. VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver, B.C.

Forestry Innovation Investment | Ecolabels and Green Purchasing For more information on Ecolabels and Green Purchasing, visit www.bcfii.ca DRIVERS FOR ECOLABELS AND LCA Council’s ICC 700 – the National Green Building RESOURCES Standard aimed at residential and multi-family Increasing emphasis on “green” procurement construction. Separate from LCA, these standards Ecolabels: can also recognize forest products certification as Terrachoice: www.sinsofgreenwashing.org Many countries and organizations have green meeting a criteria within the standard. procurement policies that recommend purchasing U.S. Federal Trade Commission Green Guides: products with specific ecolabels. Others are The predominant green building rating systems www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/10/greenguides.shtm incorporating life cycle assessment requirements also drive demand for forest certification, ecolabels and LCAs. Examples include: as part of their green purchasing strategies. LCA and EPDs: European Union: The European Union (EU) • United Kingdom’s Building Research The Athena Sustainable Materials Institute: has announced plans for what is being called Establishment Environmental Assessment www.athenasmi.org/resources/about-lca/ EU-wide life cycle assessments. They plan to Methodology (BREEAM) currently lca-in-construction-practice/ pilot and launch a harmonized methodology encourages the use of EPDs as a guidance Dovetail Partners Inc.: Environmental for environmental footprint calculations in tool to help licensed assessors select green Product Declarations (EPDs) are coming. Is 2013. The EU also has the EU Ecolabel, which building products. your business ready? http://www.dovetailinc. is a voluntary scheme established in 1992 to • In the United States, the Green Building org/reportsview/2011/responsible- encourage businesses to market products and Initiative’s GBI’s Green Globes® is an materials/pjim-bowyerp/environmental- services that have a reduced impact on the American National Standard (ANSI/GBI 01- product-declarations-epds-are-comi environment. It affects the buying decisions 2010), recognizes all North American forest of 340 million consumers in Europe. certification programs and incorporates life Forestry Innovation Investment: cycle assessment as a performance path Environmental Product Declarations Japan: The Ministry of Economy, Trade and option for evaluation of building assemblies. www.bcfii.ca/summary-uploads/ Industry (METI) in Japan launched a climate or Environmental-Product-Declarations- 2 • U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in CO -centered calculation and labeling program Summary.pdf in 2008 and as of 2012 had more than 300 Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) retailers and manufacturers participating. rating system is expected to be updated in naturally:wood: Building Green and the 2013 to incorporate credit for whole building Benefits of Wood www.naturallywood.com/ Canada: Public Works and Government Services LCA or products that have been evaluated sites/default/files/Building-Green-and- Canada (PWGSC) requires all wood products through LCA studies and/or have industry or Benefits-of-Wood.pdf used in building projects to be certified under manufacturer-specific EPDs. one of three certification systems that operate in naturally:wood: Third Party Certification Canada: Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Private sector purchasing policies in British Columbia www.naturallywood. Sustainable Forest Management Standards, com/sites/default/files/Third-Party- Large private sector companies, like Walmart, Certification.pdf Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), or the Office Depot, and the prominent members of Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). the Outdoor Industry Association (think Nike, Climate Declarations, Carbon Footprinting, United States: The U.S. is trailing behind other REI, and Patagonia) are driving an increased and Sustainability Reporting: nations but does have detailed environmentally focus on life cycle thinking within their own The Carbon Trust: www.carbontrust.com preferential purchasing (EPP) policies in place. The companies and through their supply chains. U.S. Department of Education encourages U.S. Each organization uses environmental Carbon Disclosure Project: www.cdproject.net schools to consider forest product certification assessment tools to assess their own Global Reporting Institute (GRI): in their purchases and GSA follows suit with its performance as well as the practices of their www.globalreporting.org requirement in Solicitation for Offers document suppliers. Assessments of Walmart suppliers are to “use independently certified forest products”. being used to inform the company’s purchasing World Resources Institute/World Business decisions and Office Depot has used its findings Council for Sustainable Development (WRI/ Building codes, standards, and rating systems to create a Buying Green Guide aimed at WBCSD) www.ghgprotocol.org consumers and institutional purchasers. Codes that are driving demand for life cycle National Council for Air and Stream assessment information on products include the These and many other drivers signal the Improvement, Inc. (NCASI): www.ncasi.org California Green Building Code (CalGreen), the importance for every company to begin Dow Jones Sustainability Index : International Green Construction Code (IgCC) for evaluating its own environmental footprint to www.djindexes.com/sustainability/ commercial buildings, and the International Code avoid potential market barriers.

Consider the environment – use paper from responsibly-managed sources.