Wood is a natural, renewable, and sustainable construction material with a lighter carbon footprint than steel or concrete. From extraction, through processing, to finished components and final assembly, sustainably sourced wood products are the only major building materials we have that offer positive environmental outcomes. In Canada, we are blessed with an abundance of this valuable and important natural resource.
Though our nation was built on primary resource extraction and export, the steadily growing use of engineered wood products in construction has been changing the landscape of the forest products industry, supporting the development of secondary and tertiary wood manufacturing. At our advanced production facility in St. Thomas, we use Ontario wood to make cross laminated timber, glulam, and other value-added mass timber components.
We are helping build a future where sustainable, mass timber production and construction is an important economic engine of a strong circular economy. As such, it is critical that we do our part ensure our forests are sustainably managed through a commitment to responsible procurement practices.
On April 16, 2021, we received Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Chain of Custody certification from SCS Global Services, a leader in environmental and sustainability certification and one of the first certification bodies accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council in 1996. As an FSC Certificate Holder, we will produce mass timber products certified as FSC Mix (Trademark License Code: FSC-C166066).
We are proud to bear the internationally recognized FSC label which provides consumers with an assurance that the mass timber elements they buy from us are made from responsibly sourced wood that has been verified to meet FSC’s strict environmental and social standards.
FSC is the most rigorous international standard for responsible forestry. FSC certified forests conserve biological diversity, water resources and crucial ecosystems. The FSC standard also upholds worker rights and supports economic prosperity in surrounding communities. The FSC Chain of Custody certification ensures that certified wood products are tracked from forest to final product and, where applicable, that qualified recycled materials are used.
Canada is a world leader in forest management. As of the end of 2020, Canada had 164 million hectares of independently certified forest land. That represents 36% of all certified forests worldwide, the largest area of third-party certified forests in any country. More than 75% of the country’s managed forest land is certified under one or more of the three certification standards in use today (FSC, SFI, CSA). For an interactive forest certification map of Canada, click here.
At Element5, it is our mission to make positive contributions to communities, the environment, and future generations through the development and delivery of high-performance mass timber buildings made from sustainably sourced wood products. Through our FSC certification, we stand alongside other producers in our industry in a commitment to the long-term health and sustainability of our forest resource.
For more information about forest certification in Canada you can visit Natural Resource Canada’s website by clicking here.