Title: Forest certification standards as a tool for environmental sustainability in wood building sector

Authors: Agata Matarazzo; Antonella Rinaldo; Antonio Zerbo

Addresses: Department of Economics and Business, University of Catania, Corso Italia, 55 – 95129 Catania, Italy ' Department of Economics and Business, University of Catania, Corso Italia, 55 – 95129 Catania, Italy ' Department of Economics and Business, University of Catania, Corso Italia, 55 – 95129 Catania, Italy

Abstract: The use of wood in the building sector is an effective way to fight against the worsening of the effects of green-house gas, in as much as it is the only construction material that, unlike all the others, absorbs harmful carbon dioxide from the air and only returns it after being burning it or being pulped. This study aims to highlight the peculiarities of wood and the environmental advantages linked to the use of this natural resource in the building sector, compared to traditional materials used in the construction industry, paying particular attention to the issue of environmental sustainability linked to the forests and to the most widespread certification schemes on the world scale, or rather the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification Scheme (PEFC). Moreover, for each standard the technical and economic benefits deriving from the implementation of its systems of voluntary certification are underlined.

Keywords: building sector; forest certification scheme; FSC; forest stewardship council; voluntary certification; forest management.

DOI: 10.1504/PIE.2016.083934

Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal, 2016 Vol.10 No.4, pp.427 - 442

Received: 15 Mar 2016
Accepted: 02 Nov 2016
Published online: 26 Apr 2017 *

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