VolkerWessels has been awarded second place in the FSC Forest50 2020, a recognition for the company’s efforts in the application of sustainable timber and the communication about this. The Forest50, drawn up by FSC Netherlands in cooperation with Cobouw, ranks the 50 largest construction companies in the Netherlands on these criteria.
More than one winner
Liesbeth Gort, director FSC Netherlands: "It has never been so close at the top of the Forest50. When the winner and the runner-up are only two points apart, you can't really speak of just one winner. VolkerWessels did a fantastic job this year and ended up in the top three, and rightly so. The company has been committed to making certified wood standard for years and is also a frontrunner in applying more wood in the construction industry. We will need this vision in the coming years for a CO2-neutral and circular Dutch construction sector". 98% of the wood purchased by VolkerWessels in the Netherlands is certified wood, i.e. demonstrably originating from well-managed forests.
Climate gains and circular
The use of sustainable wood is one of the most effective ways for the construction sector to tackle climate change. Where the production of most building materials is energy intensive and associated with high CO2 emissions, sustainably managed forests capture CO2. In addition, wood as a renewable raw material is the circular building material par excellence. In collaboration with a group of frontrunners in the construction industry, including VolkerWessels, FSC Netherlands tries to promote these qualities of wood use in the construction industry and stimulate innovation.
FSC Forest50 criteria
In the Forest50 ranking, construction companies can earn a total of 130 points. Bonus points can be earned by using (only) wooden window frames in standard houses. Other important criteria are measuring the total applied volume of sustainable wood and the CO2 storage in this wood, the use of less known tropical timber species and the communication about the qualities of sustainable wood within biobased and healthy construction. For more information about Forest50: www.fsc.nl/forest50