Green Things

Feud Continues Between Wood Certifiers
By Leora Broydo Vestel

United States Fish & Wildlife Service A group filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission last week arguing that the premier certifier of eco-friendly wood products in the United States engages in unfair trade practices.

Another shot had been fired in the battle between rival certifiers of environmentally friendly wood products.

The Coalition for Fair Forest Certification filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission last week charging that the Forest Stewardship Council – the premier certifier of green forestry products in the United States – engages in unfair and deceptive trade practices.

The group also asserted that the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system for efficient and sustainable buildings — known widely as L.E.E.D. — is anticompetitive because it only recognizes products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and not those of other certifying bodies.

A letter submitted on behalf of the coalition by the law firm Steptoe & Johnson asks the trade commission to investigate. Read more.


Who is liable for green building performance?
As standards become more stringent, experts urge care on guarantees
By D. Ashley Furness, Business Journal Staff Reporter


Green building performance, or rather failure to perform, has long topped the list of legal risks related to sustainability-minded construction, but developers face even greater stakes this year as government-mandated LEED standards loom and achieving certification becomes more difficult.

“Whether it’s the engineer, architect contractor, builder, the biggest issue in green building is writing careful construction contracts that do not guarantee a certain level of performance,” said North Coast Builders Exchange Green Building Coordinator Hallie Fraser. Read more.