SFC 2008 Application Draft for Peer Review

Sept 30th, 2008

Dear Sustainable Furniture Council Applicant:

I am truly delighted that you have decided to look into our application process. I say this for two reasons:

1. This means that you are not only interested in sustainability, but you are taking a concrete step to learn more about this way of life, and what it takes for your business to get on this path, and
2. The application you are about to review is the result of a tremendous amount of work by the many people involved in its creation. Our Standards Committee and Board of Directors have worked relentlessly to get to the draft you are now holding

Before we get to the application, I want to tell you first a little about our organization and the people involved. What we like about our group, is that we encompass a wide spectrum of stakeholders: Case-good, upholstery and other home furnishings manufacturers, retailers small and large, designers, members from conservation organizations like World Wildlife Fund and Rainforest Alliance, sustainability experts, trade press, individuals, and others. It is important to recognize that this 2008 application is a result of a combined effort by this diverse body of stakeholders. It has not been an easy task to accomplish.

Arriving at a version that everybody loves has been difficult, because every time we make a new pass at it, there is bound to be something somebody feels needs to change. The subject of sustainability is so wide and so relatively new that there are many, many ways to look at it, and when talking about our specific industry, (which has lagged behind in the green movement) we really have had to discover solutions and be creative. We have decided not to pretend to have our 2008 application be perfect for everybody, because we can tell that if we tried to do that, we will surely not have an application available for many years. What we have arrived at though, is an application that our team feels proud about, and that covers the areas that our group finds important to begin guiding our industry towards more sustainable practices.

The draft we are launching at the fall 07 High Point Market, is a Draft for Peer Review. We are giving all interested parties 30 days to give us their comments and constructive criticism, so that by early November we can compile all feedback and work on a final document to hand out to applicant members by Nov 15th. We ask that all feedback be constructive, so that if there is something that does not seem right to the reader, we ask that it is mentioned with a suggested alternative. Please send your feedback to 2008@sustainablefurniturecouncil.org.

While going through our application you will understand some of the basic parameters that our Council feels very concerned about, and that we want members to pay attention to. Here is an over simplification of what the application addresses:

• Our position statement, which emphasizes our strong concern for wood and forests, a natural resource that our industry has a lot of influence over. We believe we have no time to waste. We must act now!
• Not everyone applying will automatically become a member, but applying is the first step in this journey. To be accepted as a member there are some simple steps to be followed, that will require that you send a clear message within your company and your sphere of influence, that you recognize sustainability as an important element to move forward in business.
• For exemplary status, we want to make sure that you are paying attention to the source of your wood or your primary raw material. We want to know about your social equity practices, some basic statistics of your carbon footprint, and then we offer a variety of choices for credits for taking action in a wide range of areas of sustainable practices.
• The difference in requirements between a Basic Member and an Exemplary Member (Silver, Gold or Platinum) are quite marked, and we do expect that companies will take their time to move from one to the next. What we expect and require is that member companies show continuous improvement year after year, no matter how long it takes them to reach the next designation.
• We’d like to see big improvements, but we understand that sustainability is also about keeping our companies profitable, and some improvements may take longer than others for economic or other reasons. That’s why we ask you to fill out an action plan for improvement next year, so we may help monitor your course and give you feedback and comparisons with other companies in their journeys.

We know that this application will look scary to many of you when you first get into it, but wasn’t it scary when we first sat in front of a computer? Now we cannot live without a computer! This process will be similar, until we become familiar with it, and then you will be real glad that you took the time to learn it, because believe me, the life of your company will depend on it down the road. The role of SFC will be to hold your hand along this learning curve, and to understand your journey.

Today I had the rare opportunity to sit in front of a TV for 20 minutes and watch some news and advertisement. I was blown away to see how often there are claims about green and sustainability now. Everybody’s claim about their sustainable practices needs to begin being measured by credible standards, that the consumer can believe in and know that it is not just green wash. The SFC’s role is just that, to provide standards, and to help us all understand – not only the terms, but also what your best road for improvement is. We want to help you start walking your own path to sustainability.

Scientific consensus and even NASA is now openly saying that we have only five to ten years to change our production and consumption practices, before it is too late and dangerous climate change forces our human race to become the next extinct species on our planet. It is actually not about saving the planet, since planet Earth will keep existing and it will surely host the next species thousands or millions of years from now; it is about saving the lives of the current biodiversity including humans.

The analogy I like to use is that of the Titanic. They thought it was unsinkable. It is headed for a crash and we absolutely know it. The question and the argument is how fast will it happen? A transatlantic vessel this large takes a long time to turn, and the sooner you start turning, the better our chances of not hitting that iceberg; but we better start turning fast. The more people that help us turn the higher our chances of survival. I hope the whole boat can turn, but if not our group can take a lifeboat, the lifeboat is about to leave, are you jumping in?

One last thing, some of our members are disappointed that they will only qualify for a basic membership in 2008. My company, South Cone for example, will be Exemplary (Silver) in 2008, there will be only a few (Golds) and practically no (Platinums) this year. But we do expect to have some Exemplary membership. Well, that is the reality of our world today; there are very few truly sustainable companies out there. If we were to measure the collective sustainability of our industry it is probably below 3%, and to turn the boat we may need to get to 50%. Well, we need to do this incrementally, gradually. It is the only way, since sustainability is not an event but a life’s journey. So please don’t be discouraged if when you go through the application you see that your status will be basic. There is nothing wrong with that; at least you will have begun the journey. We hold it as very significant that you are paying attention to this crucial issue.

So, dive into the application ( SFC 2008 Application Draft for Peer Review ) and know that the Sustainable Furniture Council will assist you along the way.

With much hope,


Gerry Cooklin
SFC Chairman