Greenwashing: A comparison of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council’s Certification Programs Elise Ferrarese BA 506

Greenwashing: Giving a positive public image to environmentally unsound practices Why is it problematic? It ’ s misleading Can create an industry-wide illusion of sustainability Fosters consumer cynicism Why do companies do it? Being green sells

Brief history of FSC Started in 1993 Developed by representatives from environmental, social, and forest management groups Applies to forests worldwide

Brief History of SFI Started in 1994 (one year after FSC) Developed by the American Forest and Paper Association- industry trade group Mandatory Represents 90% of industrial timberlands in U.S. Applies to companies in U.S. and Canada

Comparison of programs FSC -3 rd party audited -performance based -comprehensive, detailed ecological indicators -stringent guidelines in many areas of environmental protection -social and economic criteria - ” chain of custody certification ” -mandatory independent public reporting for all companies -requires annual audit SFI -option of 1 st, 2 nd or 3 rd party auditing -management system based -general ecological indicators (mostly optional and selected by company) -no social/economic criteria -no “ chain of custody ” certification -optional reporting -annual 1 st party report, but not audit

Implications FSC is the real deal-customers know that their product is sustainable SFI doesn ’ t mean much No public accountability No benchmarks or targets for improvement No consideration of local communities or wildlife No transparency No guarantee that products marketed as SFI have any connection to SFI certified forests

What SFI does do Allows large-scale clearcutting Allows large-scale chemical use Allows logging of old-growth Allows planting of GMO trees (100% of Weyerhaeuser forests in U.S. are SFI certified)

Don’t Buy the SFI Campaign backed by American Lands Alliance, Greenpeace, National Wildlife Federation, Maine Natural Resources Council, Rainforest Action Network Hall of Shame: allery/