2016 Summer Olympics Will Use Only Certified Wood

The Winter Olympics have only just begun, yet already the Sochi games are being portrayed by some journalists as an international joke. Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, organizers of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio recently announced that all wood and forestry products-including overlay structures, furniture, stationery, communication materials and even event tickets-will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Brazilian Forest Certification Programme (INMETRO/CERFLOR) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). "It will be a great opportunity to showcase production and consumption practices that are less harmful to the environment with the use of certified products," Tania Braga, Rio 2016's Head of Sustainability, Accessibility and Legacy, said in a statement. "We are fully committed to realizing this important step for sport and for the country."

This step toward sustainability will contribute to the overall preservation and responsible use of forests, says the Forest Stewardship Council in Brazil. An area of 7.446 million hectares of Brazilian forests are under FSC certification, ranking the country fifth in total FSC-certified forest area. But a 2012 survey by FSC has shown that FSC-certified wood is underused in the national market. The partnership between FSC Brazil and the Organizing Committee is expected to help stimulate the market for FSC-certified wood in Brazil. The additional demand for certified wood and paper is likely to foster new supply chains in Brazil and encourage the certification of additional forests.

The initiative builds on sustainability achievements of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The entire London 2012 Olympic Park Development achieved dual Project Certification from FSC and PEFC-the first such dual Project Certification in the world. (For the record, FSC- and PEFC-certified timber was used in Sochi, too.)