The
Wood Furniture
Scorecard
Rankings for Responsible Wood Sourcing
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) present the Wood Furniture Scorecard. Our goal is to encourage companies to source their wood responsibly — in ways that positively impact forests. Deeply concerned about the loss and degradation of forests around the world, and knowing that the furnishings industry is the #3 user of wood after construction and paper, we rate and rank leading retailers of wood furniture in North America on their wood sourcing policies and practices. The Scorecard’s objectives are to build awareness of best practices, to support progress, and to recognize leadership.
Why Sourcing Wood Responsibly Matters
Because forests matter! Forests are vital to us all. We depend on forests as sources for timber used in furniture and myriad other products we use in our daily lives. But our reliance goes much deeper than this: forests are a critical part of our life support system on planet Earth.
Why Sourcing Responsibly is Good Business
Sourcing wood responsibly is also a great way to expand business and to manage risk. We are pleased to offer resources to help suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and designers do their part.
How Companies Can Source Wood Responsibly
One of the keys is having a Responsible Wood Sourcing Policy. It is possible, of course, to source wood responsibly without one, but experience shows that most companies need to adopt a robust policy before real progress can be achieved. An effective policy will guide the development of a plan — a series of activities to accomplish the firm’s objectives related to responsible sourcing. It will also define what is and is not acceptable under company purchasing guidelines. Policies that publicly report on goals and progress are especially effective.
How We Did It
Our assessment focused on publicly available information on companies’ websites regarding their wood sourcing policies, goals and practices, as well as direct outreach and communications.
Photo Credit: William Powell
