09 February 2024
By gaining Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Chain of Custody certification, ITM has achieved a significant milestone in helping builders and construction companies build more environmentally healthy homes, with more sustainable materials and human-friendly processes.
It also provides a significant opportunity for builders who are looking to expand their business to embrace the green building trend and the increasing focus on Green Star and sustainability ratings required for specific building projects.
So, how does ITM’s FSC certification affect you and your customers?
The responsible choice
The Forest Stewardship Council is an international not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests.
FSC certification confirms that the forest is being managed in a way that preserves biological diversity, benefits the lives of local people, and ensures sustainable economic viability and healthy, resilient forests for future generations.
FSC Chain of Custody (COC) certification tracks the path of raw materials from certified, responsibly managed forests through the various stages of processing, manufacturing, distribution, and ultimately to the end product or user.
A competitive advantage
The demand to build in more sustainable ways is gaining huge momentum at every level in the building industry. In commercial projects, sustainability standards such as Green Star ratings are an integral part of the design and materials selection process.
Similar practices are becoming more commonin high-end architectural homes, multi-unit developments, and government-initiated housing projects.
“Builders are well aware of the need to build in an eco-responsible way,” says ITM timber Procurement Manager Roy Varma.
“FSC certification means we can offer our customers an important tool for building in the future, where credible and verifiable sustainability credentials will become increasingly important.
“If you can’t source timber from a FSC certified distributor, there will be some projects you won’t be able to tender for.”
For more information on FSC certification, go to anz.fsc.org.
It also provides a significant opportunity for builders who are looking to expand their business to embrace the green building trend and the increasing focus on Green Star and sustainability ratings required for specific building projects.
So, how does ITM’s FSC certification affect you and your customers?
The responsible choice
The Forest Stewardship Council is an international not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests.
FSC certification confirms that the forest is being managed in a way that preserves biological diversity, benefits the lives of local people, and ensures sustainable economic viability and healthy, resilient forests for future generations.
FSC Chain of Custody (COC) certification tracks the path of raw materials from certified, responsibly managed forests through the various stages of processing, manufacturing, distribution, and ultimately to the end product or user.
As an organisation, ITM gained FSC certification (FSC-C196134) in November last year. If you require FSC-certified supply, please contact your local ITM store or ITM Support Office.
100% certainty
While FSC timber is already widely available in building supply outlets, the timber must be sourced through an FSC-certified distributor to satisfy NZ Green Building Council Green Star requirements.
“It’s all about the chain of custody from the forest to the end customer to ensure 100% certainty,” says timber sustainability consultant Mus Badami, who has been working closely with ITM to develop the procedures necessary for obtaining FSC COC certification.
“The important distinction is that FSC timber must be sourced through an FSC-certified distributor to be used in something like a Green Star-rated building. FSC requires everybody in the supply chain to have an independent chain of custody certification for a product to be truly certified as FSC.
“It’s a huge commitment for any organisation and requires a lot of changes in how a business operates – who you purchase from, the way you record information, where the materials are stored, how they are shipped to the customer and many other factors."
While FSC timber is already widely available in building supply outlets, the timber must be sourced through an FSC-certified distributor to satisfy NZ Green Building Council Green Star requirements.
“It’s all about the chain of custody from the forest to the end customer to ensure 100% certainty,” says timber sustainability consultant Mus Badami, who has been working closely with ITM to develop the procedures necessary for obtaining FSC COC certification.
“The important distinction is that FSC timber must be sourced through an FSC-certified distributor to be used in something like a Green Star-rated building. FSC requires everybody in the supply chain to have an independent chain of custody certification for a product to be truly certified as FSC.
“It’s a huge commitment for any organisation and requires a lot of changes in how a business operates – who you purchase from, the way you record information, where the materials are stored, how they are shipped to the customer and many other factors."
“If you can’t source timber from a FSC certified distributor, there will be some projects you won’t be able to tender for.”
The demand to build in more sustainable ways is gaining huge momentum at every level in the building industry. In commercial projects, sustainability standards such as Green Star ratings are an integral part of the design and materials selection process.
Similar practices are becoming more commonin high-end architectural homes, multi-unit developments, and government-initiated housing projects.
“Builders are well aware of the need to build in an eco-responsible way,” says ITM timber Procurement Manager Roy Varma.
“FSC certification means we can offer our customers an important tool for building in the future, where credible and verifiable sustainability credentials will become increasingly important.
“If you can’t source timber from a FSC certified distributor, there will be some projects you won’t be able to tender for.”
For more information on FSC certification, go to anz.fsc.org.