Leveraging a Lasting Olympic Legacy
Whistler has become the first Olympics municipality to commit to using sustainable forest products. Already a leader in green design, the city recently pledged to use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard wood wherever possible, in the construction of its Athletes’ Village.
Whistler’s endorsement is another advance in promoting awareness and uptake of FSC wood. Like organic food certification, FSC certification is the only green mark of approval for sustainable logging practices supported by conservation groups around the globe. West Coast Environmental Law was one of the principal drafters of the Forest Standards Council – BC (FSC BC) Regional standards, which received international endorsement in 2005.
The 2010 Olympics provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase FSC as a practical, viable alternative to forest products from unsustainable sources. New venue construction will enhance the Games’ image as the first Green Olympics, and demonstrate to forestry companies that opportunities to achieve FSC certification are real and growing. West Coast’s goal is to leave a lasting legacy of expanded FSC presence in BC’s forests and building sectors.
In the first two years of this project, we developed a supportive network of architects and designers and achieved specification of FSC wood in a substantial portion of Olympic projects. We are now in our third year, using communications strategies to “tell the story” of FSC Olympic wood use and working to ensure that FSC commitments are implemented on the ground.
A public event for this winter to highlight FSC wood use in Olympic venues is in the planning stages. In the meantime, we continue to engage in dialogue with VANOC and others to ensure that Olympic FSC commitments are kept.
Many of our communications strategies are indirectly linked to the Olympics. For example, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system currently maintains exclusive recognition of FSC in its “certified wood” credit; as such, LEED remains a critical driver of FSC market demand. The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is now contemplating whether to allow other certification systems into LEED accreditation, which would undermine the incentive to use FSC wood.
To ensure that FSC stays paramount, West Coast is participating in the USGBC process through sign-on letters and critical analysis. Our communications efforts include developing a short video with the message that FSC is doable, affordable and superior to all other certification systems, to be distributed to USGBC members. Earlier this month, we also sent representatives of the “Good Wood Watch” coalition (in which West Coast plays an integral role) to the USGBC Greenbuild Expo, a trade show for green building practitioners and suppliers. The Good Wood Watch representatives distributed promotional materials, including FSC rulers and postcards, carrying the message that “only FSC measures up to LEED”.
Seen throughout the world, the Vancouver Olympic Games provide a key opportunity to increase the profile and use of FSC wood. Through web-based tracking of FSC use in Olympic venues, West Coast will help to ensure VANOC’s commitment to sustainability is kept.
– Andrea Hilland
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