Sustainability · 7 min read
GREENGUARD, BIFMA LEVEL® and FSC: which certifications to ask for
Not all sustainability credentials carry the same procurement weight. A practical guide for the workplace lead who needs to defend a spec sheet.
Published November 4, 2025
GREENGUARD Gold (emissions, indoor air quality)
GREENGUARD Gold is a UL-administered emissions certification that covers VOC and aldehyde emissions over a 168-hour test period. It is required for LEED v4 EQ-credit qualification and for many large corporate workplace specs (Salesforce, Google, Microsoft). When a supplier claims GREENGUARD Gold, ask for the certificate number and verify on spot.ul.com — the certificate is valid for one year and may have lapsed.
BIFMA LEVEL® (cradle-to-gate sustainability)
LEVEL® is a tiered certification (1, 2, 3) covering materials, energy, human health and social responsibility across the supplier’s entire operation. LEVEL® 2 is contract-grade for North American corporate procurement; LEVEL® 3 is the rare top tier. Ask for the audit summary and the certifying body (NSF, SCS, etc.).
FSC® (responsible wood sourcing)
FSC certification covers the wood supply chain. There are three tiers: 100%, Mix and Recycled. Most veneer office furniture qualifies for FSC Mix because veneer is engineered. Ask for the FSC certificate number and the chain-of-custody (CoC) — the CoC ties the wood to the certified forest.
What OBJEKT provides
OBJEKT provides GREENGUARD Gold documentation on applicable surface coatings, BIFMA LEVEL® eligibility notes for sit-stand and seating ranges, and FSC Mix documentation on qualifying wood components. Ask for the bid-pack index from the relevant product page so the certificate scope, product family and issuing body can be checked before it enters your submittal.