Standards & Compliance Briefing: Fair Trade Labels, Ontario GHG Reporting, FSC Project Certification

Pure Labels has released the first commercially available label using Fair Trade artisan paper. The pressure-sensitive adhesive label uses premium fair trade paper facestock from Distant Village, Inc. The stock is made from a blend of wild grass and hemp, and is 100-percent recyclable, Packaging Europe said.

ANSI has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian province of Ontario, in connection with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s GHG Emissions Reporting and GHG Verification Program.  Through the agreement Ontario and ANSI agree to cooperate in the ANSI accreditation program for GHG validation and/or verification bodies (V/VBs). This program evaluates conformance of V/VBs against the international standard ISO 14065, Greenhouse gases – Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognition, ANSI said.

The Bullitt Center, which is the first heavy-timber office building in Seattle since the early 20th century, is also the first commercial building in the US to earn FSC Project Certification. The certification provides third-party assurance that all wood is from responsible sources. Soil Association Woodmark conducted the onsite audits and awarded the certification (SA-PRO-003818), FSC said.

Bishop Ranch, a mixed-use business community in Northern California, has achieved LEED certification for 37 office buildings with 6 million square feet of certified space. The community accounted for more than 10 percent of the total new square footage that was LEED certified in the state during 2012. Some feature of the 585-acre community include free bus passes and a Guaranteed Ride Home program, LEED-compliant waste management, and a sustainable cleaning program, Bishop Ranch said.

The St. Louis Art Museum’s new East Building has earned LEED Gold certification, making it the first major local attraction to be recognized at that level for its environmentally sustainable design. The museum’s expansion features low-flow bathrooms and kitchen, a storm-water irrigation system and a green roof. More than 80 percent of the building’s wood was harvested from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and 97 percent of construction waste was recycled, writes the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Groveton Green Apartments has earned LEED Gold certification. The facility is the first multifamily certified project in the LEED for Homes program in Maryland. The units feature enhanced insulation, Energy Star appliances, low-e windows and energy efficient HVAC systems, A to Z Build said.

INTER RAO UES Group is the first large European electric power company to earn its ISO 50001 energy management certification. GUTcert certification authority, a member of AFNOR Group recognized by DakkS accreditation body for Germany, conducted the audit, the power company said.