While the architecture and design industry is increasingly embracing sustainability, a troubling undercurrent of greenwashing persists. Vague environmental claims and misleading marketing tactics, coupled with the lack of clear standards and precision during the specification process, leaves plenty of room for exaggeration and deception. This issue affects all facets of the industry, from heavy duty building materials to the finest linings.
“It’s very easy for a company to make statements about its environmental impact,” says Richard Hardwick, National Specification Manager of SUPAWOOD, one of Australia’s leading manufacturers of architectural lining solutions. “But it's difficult for the average person to determine if these claims are substantiated or even relevant.”
This highlights the critical importance of certifications and robust verification processes in distinguishing truly green products and materials from those merely claiming to be "eco-friendly."
Navigating the certification landscape
“Certifications provide valuable evidence to back up environmental claims,” explains Richard Hardwick. “With numerous sustainability bodies and certifications available, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has published a list of those they recognise, based on audited processes that delve into sufficient depth.” To aid in navigating the numerous certifications, GBCA provides a list of recognised certifications based on their rigorous auditing processes. However, even with this guidance, navigating this landscape is no easy feat.
So, which key certifications should industry professionals prioritise when considering sustainability?
The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is fundamental. It provides a transparent snapshot of the product life cycle, including how much energy and water is used in the manufacturing process; and whether it’s reducing carbon – or adding it to the atmosphere. “EPDs also show what usually happens to the product at the end of its life,” adds Richard Hardwick “Whether it be repurposed, recycled, or goes to landfill.” Next up are the Declare Labels which demonstrate the chemical composition in exceptionally granular detail – down to 100 parts per million. “This offers assurance that no toxic chemicals are in the product that could cause health issues down the line,” says Richard Hardwick.
And then, for any wooden products, there are the PEFC and FSC® certifications, which demonstrate that timber has been sourced from sustainably managed forests, and the Chain of Custody (COC) certification. Here, Richard Hardwick points out, interrogating documentation provided by suppliers is particularly crucial.
“Many raw materials from timber are PEFC and FSC®-certified these days, as most forests and larger processing plants are now certified,” Richard Hardwick explains. “Now, this has resulted in some companies claiming to supply PEFC and FSC®-certified materials simply because they can produce a supplier invoice that shows this certification. However, it’s important to note that generally this certification is not valid unless the last manufacturer or supplier also has the COC certification.”
Why is that so important? The COC certification essentially ensures that the total of a company’s claims of PEFC and FSC®-certified material does not exceed the amount that they have purchased during that time frame. “This, in turn, prevents a company from making one purchase of PEFC and FSC®-certified material, and using this purchase as evidence for multiple projects,” explains Richard Hardwick.
Leading by example
Amidst the challenges of greenwashing, some companies are setting a positive example, and SUPAWOOD is most certainly one of them. They only use PEFC and FSC®-certified timber and hold the Chain of Custody (COC) certification for both Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) schemes. In addition, SUPAWOOD provides EPDs and Declare Labels for their products, ensuring specifiers have access to a clear and comprehensive breakdown of their products' environmental profile. Their Sustainable Business Model ensures compliance with Green Star requirements, and they are actively pursuing end-to-end carbon certifications to achieve carbon neutrality.
This commitment to transparency is met with enthusiasm by architects and designers who, as Richard Hardwick points out, are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of not only checking certifications, but also ensuring that they aren’t simply in place but actually valid. However, some industry professionals still accept PEFC and FSC® supplier invoices instead of requiring a supplier’s actual PEFC and FSC®-audited COC certification.
The power of precise specification
This is where precise environmental specifications can really make a difference. “When the environmental specification for a product or a project is imprecise or not compulsory under a builder’s contract, chances are the builder will use the cheapest material available, which – almost always – will not be certified,” says Richard Hardwick.
Naturally, specifying certified materials or products might come with extra costs. But these days, collectively, we should know better than to get deterred by a higher upfront cost – as an industry with a tremendous responsibility to build a more sustainable future, we know that the long-term benefits and the environmental implications should take precedence, in the bid to create a greener, more sustainable built environment.
By prioritising certifications, demanding transparency, and incorporating detailed environmental specifications, architects and designers can drive the industry toward a genuinely sustainable future. Companies like SUPAWOOD, with their unwavering commitment to transparency and verifiable certifications, pave the way for a greener built environment and serve as a reminder that a path to a truly sustainable future lies in informed choices and a collective commitment to go beyond greenwashing.
