A nationwide battle over forest certification standards continues to be played out nationally and in Florida with legislation passed this month. HB 269 would revise a 2008 law that led the Florida Department of Management Services to adopt the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program as the standard for state office buildings. Bill supporters say other certification programs, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, should be considered, and that LEED discriminates against Florida wood growers. In a related development, the group ForestEthics in Seattle filed a Federal Trade Commission complaint contending that the Sustainable Forestry Initiative represents “green washing” by the timber industry that violates federal certification standards.
Advertisement
Related Stories
Codes + Standards
Public Comment Period Opens for National Green Building Standard Updates
The 45-day public comment period for draft 2 of the 2024 NGBS begins on April 12, 2024
Codes + Standards
Public Comment Period Opens for 2024 National Green Building Standard Update
The 45-day public comment period opened Aug. 18, and comments must be submitted by Oct. 2, 2023
Codes + Standards
The Inefficiencies of the Latest Energy Code
The 2021 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) hampers the return on investment for builders and homebuyers