What are the Sustainable Wood for Cities Pathways?
The Sustainable Wood “Pathways” identify eight specific sourcing strategies that can help protect and conserve forests, support sustainable forest management, promote local production and reuse, and build resilience into urban spaces and beyond. Examining a project's wood choices and pathways allows decision makers to compare the impacts of diverse sourcing strategies, and procure wood in a way that supports both cities and forests around the world. Having city officials create holistic strategies using this guide is intended to help them integrate the latest knowledge, research and experience into stronger city policies and planning frameworks.
Hover over the pathways to learn more
Impact Levels
Each pathway has three associated "Impact Levels" that are used to ascribe a wood sustainability rating. It is important for decision makers to understand the overall sustainability of potential wood options, but a high scoring wood is not necessarily the right choice. For example, if the objective of a project is to emphasize local wood, it will make more sense to use local sources even if they score lower than other options.
Hover over the pathways to learn more
Evaluation / Levels
Level One: All wood products sourced for a given project are certified under any certification system. Invoices for certified products containing valid certification claims and CoC certification codes are filed with project documentation.
Level Two: All wood products sourced for a given project are certified by a single scheme chosen by wood specifiers. The chosen certification program should provide legal assurances, traceability information, and any additional information relating to socio-economic impact, forestry management plans, third-party certification inspections, etc. Invoices for certified products containing valid certification claims and CoC certification codes are filed with project documentation.
Level Three: Certification schemes have been researched and a scheme is selected which includes forest management standards that align with the specifier’s sustainability goals and the project Wood Sourcing Strategy. Invoices for certified products containing valid certification claims and CoC certification codes are filed with project documentation.
Evaluation / Levels
Level One: Project request for proposal (RFP)/tender includes wood sourcing criteria that a SF enterprise is most likely to be able to fulfill, such as social inclusion, community benefits, sustainable management, and/or conservation plans.
Level Two: A SF enterprise(s) is selected and featured prominently in the sustainability narratives of the project, organization, or city. Awareness of climate benefits of SF is increased through the project communications.
Level Three: Direct contact is established with a SF enterprise to deepen the understanding of sustainability benefits. Direct procurement and/or partnership (e.g. Preferred Supplier Program) is established that increases the value of the transaction for the organization/institution and the SF enterprise.
Evaluation / Levels
Level One: On a given project, a Wood Needs Report (also see Verification Matrix)has been used to select wood species and grades that meet project needs while offering maximum sustainability benefits. Request for proposal (RFP) and/or tender is written to specify chosen wood species or grades.
Level Two: The use of lesser-known timber species (ie. lesser-used species) or species chosen for their sustainability profile is promoted in city communications where appropriate. Build capacity and awareness of sustainable and climate outcomes of SGS.
Level Three: Build private sector SGS incentives (e.g. include preferential SGS criteria) into the tendering process for construction and landscaping projects.
Evaluation / Levels
Level One: Specify wood products with assured legality and traceability in tendering.
Level Two: Specify that wood is sourced only from jurisdictions that have signed formal commitments to slowing or reversing deforestation or have strong forestry laws that protect primary/native forests and prevent the degradation of secondary forest stock.
Level Three: Develop and pilot an inter-municipal or inter-regional voluntary partnership agreement (VPA) with a forest community or region to promote legal, sustainable wood in the city.
Evaluation / Levels
Level One: Tendering/request for proposal (RFP) includes specification language for LUW, and . wood products are sourced from LUW supplier(s)/producer(s). Alternatively, calamity wood that is directly salvaged for a project from a local/urban area will qualify for this level.
Level Two: Use the project as a case study in a report and promote its LUW wood choices in public facing communications pieces to draw attention to the benefits of using LUW in new developments.
Level Three: Project experience with LUW results in the development and adoption of a medium/long term plan to integrate LUW sourcing and design practices into broader institutional/organizational programs and policies.
Evaluation / Levels
Level One: Tender uses specification language encouraging contractors to use wood from HEP operations (ie. preferred selection criteria for operations that employ technology or sustainable practices) to minimize wood waste at the source.
Level Two: The use of HEP and the social, ecological, and economic benefits in public and/or private projects is promoted in city/project communications where appropriate. Build capacity and awareness of sustainable and climate outcomes of HEP.
Level Three: Use project experience to implement a medium/long term organizational/institutional strategy (e.g. Preferred Supplier Program) that works with stakeholders to develop a network of high efficiency wood product supply chains (with long-term stability to provide public and private consumers.
Evaluation / Levels
Level One: Require environmental product declarations (EPD) or health product declarations (HPD) in project tendering OR use available data to make an initial carbon calculation.
Level Two: Conduct an LCA for the project that includes biogenic carbon and covers all life-cycle stages.
Level Three: The use of LCAs and their social, ecological, and economic benefits in public and/or private projects is promoted in city communications where appropriate. Build capacity and awareness of sustainable and climate outcomes of large-scale LCA uptake.
Evaluation / Levels
Level One: Tendering/request for proposal (RFP) includes specification language for reused, reclaimed or recycled wood, and wood products are sourced from RLL suppliers. Alternatively, projects using new timber can incorporate a wood reuse/deconstruction plan to qualify for this level.
Level Two: Use the project as a case study in a report and promote its RLL wood choices in public facing communications pieces to draw attention to the benefits of using RLL in new developments. This assessment could also involve highlighting the importance of a project's reuse/deconstruction plan.
Level Three: Project experience with RLL options results in the development and adoption of a medium/long term plan to integrate RLL sourcing and design practices into broader institutional/organizational programs and policies.
Pathway Verification
Any sustainable wood framework depends on verifying the interconnected criteria of sustainability “pathways”. Depending on the pathway, this may include: precise source location, forest management plan, adherence to local regulations, means of harvest, final production methods, or social impacts. Without verification of these factors, the sustainability benefits of diligent and creative sourcing will not be guaranteed. But verification is not always clear-cut or simple to achieve. There are different degrees and approaches to verification depending on the pathway in question.
To address these challenges and encourage incremental progress, use the verification matrix to 1) demystify the verification process, 2) demonstrate how diverse pathways lend themselves to different types and levels of verification, and 3) aid in user capacity-building and “systems development” through better knowledge and tools.
In this matrix, users will find three types of verification: 1st party (seller performs internal evaluation), 2nd party (buyer evaluates seller), and 3rd party (independent party evaluates seller). Within each of these types, verification may be determined via personal contact, official documents, or technological tracing. There is some overlap between these types and methods. They are designed to serve as building blocks for project-specific verification strategies and empower cities and other users to understand the options and benefits with respect to their specific needs.
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