Petition Demands Change to the Green Building Rating System

WASHINGTON, DC—April 5, 2010—An online petition demanding changes to the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standard is receiving tremendous support. Since launching on March 16, 2010, the petition has over 5,000 signatures from across the globe. The petition calls on the USGBC to open LEED to all “wood and paper products certified to independent, respected and credible standards including SFI, ATFS, CSA, FSC and PEFC.” Currently LEED only recognizes certified products from one standard. The petition was launched by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

“Our online petition has sparked a groundswell of support, providing a collective voice to the vast community of those who care deeply about sustainable forestry and feel strongly that USGBC should open LEED to SFI and other credible forest certification standards,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. “The thousands who have signed this petition are joined by many forestry and sustainability experts in demanding change.”