The new CMPC (Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones) corporate building in Los Ángeles - the capital of the province of Bío Bío - is the first building in Chile to achieve FSC Mix Chain of Custody (CoC) Project Certification*. It is the first building of that size built from wood in the country and has become a national icon of architecture and design.
CMPC, also known as Empresas CMPC, is an integrated forestry group headquartered in Chile with subsidiaries in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia and Mexico. The new CMPC corporate building spreads over an area of 10,746 m2. It includes two floors of open workspace. According to CMPC, the exterior of this three-storey building also consists of, among others, science labs, a tennis court, a heliport and green space vegetation.
NEPCon issued this FSC project certificate in November 2018. This certification verifies the use of wood from responsibly managed forests. The wood materials and products are certified according to the FSC standard. Subsequently, the materials are manufactured in industrial centres certified according to the FSC Chain of Custody Standards.
This project certification marks a new milestone for CMPC - founded close to a century ago. Quality Assurance Sub-Manager of CMPC, Francisco Rodríguez says the idea of having an FSC-certified building is a good way to show the company’s commitment towards sustainability.
Design that incorporates sustainability commitment
When the idea was first conceived, CMPC requested a sustainable building, taking into account its impact on the environment and how to efficiently use the resources.
The construction of CMPC building used 2,243m³ of wood. Approximately 93% of the wood used, which is equivalent to 2,086m³, is FSC Mix* certified. The building comes with an efficient air conditioning system, solutions to reduce water and electricity consumption, efficient use of natural light and installation of thermo-panel-glass.
These features, among others, enabled CMPC to obtain the LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver Level. To date, CMPC corporate building is the first and only in the country to have both, FSC and LEED, certifications.
During the initial planning phase, CMPC also considered other building features to promote the wellness of its employees and visitors. Hence, the building incorporates landscape architecture, with close to 3.5 hectares with native species.
It has open areas, a forest biotechnology laboratory, an auditorium, amphitheatre and an experimental greenhouse, as well as sports areas for recreational activities. The building has also created a dedicated learning area for visiting students that enables them to understand the impact of sustainable forestry management and its relevance in the industry.
In addition, the construction of the CMPC corporate building created new job opportunities for local communities. A total of 380 new full-time jobs were created and up to 70% of the total labour force was from Los Ángeles community.
NEPCon as CMPC’s certification body
The Rainforest Alliance provided FSC certification services to CMPC for 10 years. In October 2018, the certification and verification unit of the Rainforest Alliance was acquired by NEPCon. NEPCon, therefore, has been responsible for the audit of this project.
“Although this was a new certification process for NEPCon in Latin America, we trusted NEPCon’s professionalism and international experience, to face the challenge this certification presented,” says Francisco.
NEPCon South America Associate Manager, Rolyn Medina says, “The fact that CMPC trusted us to perform the first FSC Chain of Custody certification for a project of this scale confirms NEPCon’s leadership and presence in the region. The level of trust from CMPC is of great importance to NEPCon.”
“This certification is a recognition of CMPC’s commitment to the principles set by FSC and to sustainability,” he adds.
Want to get certified in South America?
NEPCon offers certification, verification and assurance services in forestry, agriculture, responsible sourcing, biomass, carbon footprinting, and tourism in over 100 countries. Learn more here.
If you’d like to find out more about our services in South America, please contact:
NEPCon South America Manager Associate, Rolyn Medina, [email protected], +591 332 5042
*Forestal Mininco S.A, a subsidiary company of Grupo CMCP, is the certificate holder for this building. The building’s license code is FSC-P001672.
Photos (including featured image) by CMPC
