Nadine Block, who manages Government Outreach for SFI, gives an overview of the White House Forum on Federal Leadership and Sustainable Building she recently attended.

I recently had the honor of participating in a White House Forum on Federal Leadership and Sustainable Building.

A number of Administration leaders spoke, including Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and the Government Services Administration Administrator Martha Johnson. Following the speeches, there were multiple panel discussions centered on sustainable building issues. Topics discussed included the role of public-private partnerships, as well as the role of government in incentivizing green building.

It was great to see so many high level officials from both the private and public sector come together to collaborate on the future of green building. I really enjoyed being able to take part in this event and am excited to work with the Administration and other stakeholders on this issue as it progresses. If you would like to know more about the forum check out the videos below.

Last week SFI was highlighted on a CTV broadcast as a label consumers can trust.  In a market full of products toting themselves as “green” or “eco-friendly,” it’s difficult to know where to turn, but the Consumers’ Association of Canada is trying to help remedy the issue. The feature advises consumers to do research and frequent retailers you can trust to help you distinguish between environmentally sound products and those which are “greenwashing.”  CTV reporters point to research from Terrachoice Environmental Marketing – We’ve blogged about their research in the past. You can read about how SFI is among 14 labels the group recognizes as “legitimate.”

At SFI, we pride ourselves on our comprehensive, science-based requirements that integrate the continuous growing of trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil and water quality.  Additionally, our program is overseen by an independent Board of Directors, providing even more credibility. The SFI label tells customers they are buying products from responsibly managed forests.

A number of forestry experts (including the National Association of State Foresters), conservation groups (including The Conservation Fund) and government officials from Canada and the United States support the SFI standard as a credible forestry certification standard in North America. (You can read more about this on our website.)

We are proud of what our label stands for, proud of our growing SFI community, and continue to work hard on promoting responsible forest management in North America and around the world.  We applaud the Consumers’ Association’s to raise awareness on the issue of greenwashing and support clear guidelines for consumers to determine which products actually are environmentally friendly!

Earlier this week the White House unveiled its official design and logo for this year’s Easter Egg Roll souvenirs. For the second consecutive year, the egg packaging has been made from SFI-certified paperboard. The egg itself has been manufactured from FSC-certified wood.

As the largest certifier of U.S. forests, we at SFI are pleased the White House is recognizing the importance of promoting sustainability with the Easter Egg Roll and supporting the responsibly managed forests of North America. I also think it speaks volumes that the White House is recognizing two valid certification programs—the SFI and FSC. The White House is not the first organization to acknowledge the value of both standards. It joins a long list of companies and associations around the world who do so as well.

We are happy to play a small part in this wonderful American tradition, and look forward to the day when all wood and paper products at the White House come from certified forests.

Brian Dumaine is going to be the keynote speaker at our conference this year in Nashville. He’s the global editor of FORTUNE magazine but also directs FORTUNE’s green technology and environmental policy stories. So we’re in for a thought-provoking talk. In fact, I heard Brian speak earlier this year at FORTUNE’s Brainstorm Green, where he moderated a session on maintaining green business in challenging economic times. I found that his views on how to simultaneously do the right thing for the environment and business were very enlightening. He is also the author of the newly published The Plot to Save the Planet: How Visionary Entrepreneurs and Corporate Titans Are Creating Real Solutions To Global Warming. Recently, I had the chance to ask him about his views on the green economy and his thinking on breakthrough green technologies and how it relates to sustainable forestry.

Click on the play button below to listen to our discussion.

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We were excited to receive support from two different groups in April— TerraChoice Environmental Marketing and the Boy Scouts of America. TerraChoice included the SFI label as a credible eco-label in its Greenwashing Report 2009, saying that our program meets three key criteria – third party certified, publicly available standard and transparent standard development process received. SFI is one of just 14 labels that the group recognizes as “legitimate.” TerraChoice’s press release, with the provocative subhead “Study Finds New Greenwashing Sin: ‘Worshiping False Labels’” is posted here. You can find SFI’s release here.

Also in April, Boys’ Life, a monthly magazine published by the Boy Scouts of America, announced that it is being printed on SFI chain of custody certified paper. “From the forest to BSA headquarters to the pressroom to the mailboxes of more than 1 million subscribers each month, Boys’ Life adheres to a strict policy of environmental responsibility,” says the group in its April 23 press release. “At its heart, Boys’ Life is about the outdoors and about teaching our young readers to be good stewards of the outdoors,” says Mike Goldman, managing editor of Boys’ Life. We are pleased that the Scouts chose SFI to help achieve that important educational mission.