pefc newsletter 43 may 2009

8/9/2019 PEFC Newsletter 43 May 2009

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The PEFC Newsletter is produced by PEFC International World Trade Centre 1, 10 Route de l'Aéroport, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland ■ Tel: +41 (22) 799 4540 ■ [email protected] ■ www.pefc.org

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes No 43 May 2009

PEFC/01-00-01

IN THIS ISSUE - HIGHLIGHTS

PEFC global statistics

New staff members at PEFC International

Two ‘International Chain-of-Custody StandardRevision workshops’ announced

Comprehensive revision of core documents

Stakeholder Forum

UK, Dutch public procurement policies

National news

PEFC Update

Demand for certified forest products is increasingdespite the global credit crunch. We are pleasedtherefore to announce the endorsement of nationalforest certification systems in Malaysia and Gabon toPEFC International's sustainability benchmark

requirements, which will ensure that this increasingdemand can be met.

Also, both the Chilean and Australian schemes havenearly completed their re-endorsement process againstPEFC’s sustainability benchmark requirements.

On the supply side, PEFC International has been activein providing input and advise into the development of both the Chinese and the Indian forest certificationschemes In addition, training courses for certifiers,auditors, and companies have been provided in China

and Japan.

While these developments are important in promoting sustainable forest management globally andensuring robust implementation, it is at the same time essential for an international certification system toconstantly improve itself to ensure that its standards reflect the latest common understanding of society'sexpectations of sustainable forest management. In addition PEFC needs to ensure that the service itprovides adds real value to stakeholders and customers.

To this end, a Standards Revision Stakeholder Dialogue has been organised in Geneva on 27th May towhich a wide range of stakeholders, including environmental and social NGOs, and procurement officials,amongst others have been invited to share their expectations of the periodic PEFC Standards Revisionprocess.

Furthermore, PEFC will hold global public consultation seminars on its international chain of custodystandard, which is the vital link between sustainably managed certified forests and the final consumer, inEurope (Paris, France, 13 May & Hanover, Germany, 22 May), and Asia and North America (dates to beannounced).

All stakeholders are encouraged to participate in these two revision processes and use theseopportunities to provide input into the respective processes.

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PEFC Newsletter - Promoting Sustainable Forest Management ( ) For further information about PEFC and full details of news, press releases, reports etc. see www.pefc.org

No 43 May 2009

PEFC Council Global Statistics

(As of 31st

March 2009 – updated data available at pefc.org)

CountriesEndorsedcertified forestarea (ha)

Number ofCoCcertificates

Australia 8 732 945 62

Austria 1 955 799 242

Belgium 281 052 166

Brazil 2 051 247 11

Canada - CSA 82 170 408 0

Canada - SFI 37 041 045 0

Canada (PEFCtotal)

119 211 453 134

Chile 1 911 920 22

China 0 48

Colombia 0 1CzechRepublic

1 883 149 167

Denmark 218 628 38

Egypt 0 1

Estonia 0 3

Finland 20 719 735 128

France 4 960 654 1 115

Germany 7 336 096 811

Hungary 0 4India 0 2

Indonesia 0 5

Ireland 0 21

Italy 704 170 155

Japan 0 120

Latvia 0 2

Lithuania 0 3

Luxembourg 26 202 14

Malaysia 0 3Monaco 0 1

Morocco 0 1

Netherlands 0 92

New Zealand 0 11

Norway 8 289 902 25

Philippines 0 1

Poland 0 11

Portugal 0 10

Romania 0 6

Singapore 0 1

Slovak

Republic1 220 576 15

South Africa 0 1

South Korea 0 1

Spain 1 083 131 151

Sweden 7 613 134 100

Switzerland 433 844 81

Turkey 0 1

UK 0 830

United Arab

Emirates

0 1

USA - ATFS 9 977 841 0

USA - SFI 22 558 739 90

USA (PEFCtotal)

34 329 336 167

Total 222 962 977 4 930

New staff members at PEFC International

Natalie Faulkner joined PEFC in

December 2008 as the full timeOffice manager. Previously, shewas working in the United Statesfor various companies as aPersonal Assistant. Natalie holdsdual nationality (French and Swiss), and is acertified teacher with Berlitz International Schoolof Language.

Will Ramsay joined PEFCInternational in January 2009 as

Communications Officer. He hasover 4 years experience workingon environmental issues with aparticular focus on web-basedcommunications tools, andpreviously worked at an international designagency.




No 43 May 2009

Two ‘International Chain-of-Custody StandardRevision workshops’ announcedPEFC's International Chain of Custody (CoC) allows companies to identify and control their sources of PEFC certified material and assurescustomers that they meet PEFC's strictrequirements for non PEFC certified material.

Since 2004, more than 5000 companies haveachieved PEFC CoC certification against thecurrent standard, and their insights, knowledgeand best practices are a valuable part of therevision process.

The revision is part of PEFC's commitment tocontinuous improvement and aims at ensuringthat the needs and expectations of businesses,consumers and other stakeholders areincorporated while the robustness of the deliveryof claims is maintained.

The workshops offer participants the uniqueopportunity to share experiences, develop adeeper understanding of the Chain of Custody,and help shape the criteria of the revised Chainof Custody Standard, scheduled to take effect in2010.

All stakeholders of PEFC's International Chain of Custody Standards are invited to attend:

• Users and potential users• Procurement professionals from

government and business• Certification bodies• Accreditation bodies• Consultants• NGOs and other interested parties

The first workshop will be held in Paris, Franceon the 13th May, 2009, and the second workshopin Hanover , Germany, on the 22nd May, 2009.

Comprehensive revision of core documentsThe first Standards Revision Stakeholder Dialogue, to be held on the 27th May in Geneva,Switzerland, aims at gathering expectations,input and comments from all interested partiesfor the revision of two of PEFC's core documents.

The documents deal with PEFC's global criteriafor sustainable forest management and itsstandard setting procedures at the national level.

For PEFC, as a voluntary mechanism promotingthe responsible management of the world's forests,it is vital that its international sustainabilitybenchmarks are periodically reviewed and revisedto reflect best practises and incorporate the latestknowledge and expectations by society. Allstakeholders are invited to attend.

PEFC's forest management criteria (Annex 3:Basis for Certification Schemes and their Implementation) are based on requirementsdeveloped by intergovernmental processes.These processes best reflect society’sexpectations of sustainable forest managementand are the results of wide-ranging andcomprehensive multi-stakeholder negotiations.

The revision of PEFC's standard settingprocedures (Annex 2: Rules for Standard Setting)will focus on optimising the criteria for open andtransparent multi-stakeholder processes, anddelivering consensus on sustainable forestmanagement at national and local levels.

PEFC will also organize further stakeholder dialogues and engage in direct and public, globalconsultations at various stages of the revision

process, which is scheduled to be finalized in theautumn of 2010, to secure the widest possibleparticipation. This work is part of acomprehensive revision of PEFC's technicaldocumentation and complements the ongoingrevision of PEFC's Chain-of-Custody Standard.

For information on becoming a member of theworking group, please contact Jaroslav Tymrak

PEFC Stakeholder ForumPEFC has expanded the role of forest leaderswithin its governance structure and calls on allinterested parties to become actively engaged inshaping the future of forest certification with theestablishment of a Stakeholder Forum. Theforum offers a unique opportunity for internationalnon-governmental and governmentalorganizations, companies, UN agencies and






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No 43 May 2009

others to collaborate on forestry-related issuesand to provide positive contributions to theworkings of PEFC. Additionally, it also has directimpact on the governance of the organization asit holds 1/3 of the total votes at the GA and willprovide a minimum of two members to the board.

The 2008 PEFC Governance Review firstrecommended implementing a Stakeholder Forum. This is a unique platform as it provides aneutral meeting place for global forest leaders tocollaborate, influence, and advance the agendaon sustainable forest management (SFM) relatedissues in general, and its certification inparticular.It differs from other important fora such as TheForest Dialogue or WWF's Global Forest TradeNetwork by enabling participants to directlyinfluence the strategic direction of the world'slargest forest certification organization. ThatPEFC established it as an integral part of itsstructure within only a few months demonstratesthe importance and the value that PEFCmembers place in it. The Development Unit iscurrently working with various parties to ensurethat diverse interests are represented in this newbody.

For more information, please see the PEFCInternational website or contact Will Ramsay

Russia poised to contribute to global certifiedwood basketPEFC International announced the endorsementof the Russian National Forest CertificationSystem (RNCFC) in March.

Developed through a multi-stakeholder,consensus-driven decision-making processsupported by the World Bank, the RNCFC will

now be able to contribute significantly to theglobal certified wood fibre basket, and further tosustainable forest management in Russia.

This is encouraging despite the current globaleconomic crisis: that there is still an increasingdemand for certified wood based products thatrequires an increased supply of timber fromcertified, sustainably managed forests

Estimates predict that the engagement by globalcertification organizations in Russia may increasethe area of certified forest globally by over a thirdover the next ten years to more than 400 millionhectares.

The certification of Russian forests will also addsignificantly in the delivery of PEFC’s strategicobjective: consolidating clear market leadership,over the long-term and credible certification of sustainably managed forests. Furthermore, toleverage this leadership to the measurablebenefit of its stakeholders and membersthroughout the whole forest products supplychain up to, and including, the final consumer.

Apart from the home market, the two key globalmarkets for Russian timber are Asia, in particular China and Japan, and Europe. Given the rapidgrowth of certified Chain-of-Custody certificationsespecially in the Far East, the potential newsupply of certified timber will be particularlywelcome in this region.

For more information, please contact ChristianKämmer

Role of Panel of Experts formalized

The PEFC International Panel of Experts is amandatory part of all reassessments andassessments of certification schemes. There are4 main areas that the panel deals with: Forestry;Certification and accreditation processes; NGOs(Including social and environmental interests);and Market Access.

PEFC has further strengthened its transparencyand robustness with guidelines for the"Involvement of the Panel of Experts in theEndorsement of National Forest Certification

Schemes" in 2008. These guidelines provideprocedures governing the appointment and workof the Panel of Experts that verifies the quality of the independent evaluations of nationalcertification schemes via a peer-review system.As part of this formalization, PEFC International’sTechnical Unit hosted a Training Session for thenew members and how best to implement theguidelines earlier this year.


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No 43 May 2009

Malaysia and IndonesiaMeetingsBen Gunneberg, PEFC Secretary

General, went to Indonesia andMalaysia in March 2009.

PEFC presented itsprogrammes andexplored collaborationactivities with LEI andother actors inIndonesia. Theorganisations seek tohave an ongoingdialogue, focusing inparticular on a closer understanding of

PEFC processes.

A meeting with staff from the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) focussed on thepotential endorsement of its national certificationscheme, MTCC, by PEFC. Transitionalarrangements, communication and cooperationin a mentoring rolewith other applicantschemes, as well asparticipation andsupport for the PEFCAsia Promotions Officewere discussed.

DEFRA confirms PEFC'ssustainability status The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)confirmed in December 2008

http://www.flags.net/images/largeflags/MALS0001.GIFthat PEFC's sustainable forest

management standards and procedures continueto meet UK government requirements for sustainable timber.

The assessment found that all forest certificationschemes commonly encountered in tenders andsales to the UK central government – PEFCInternational as well as MTCC and FSC – meetthe criteria for legality and sustainability set out

by the Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET). Certification to any one of theseschemes is important for companies supplyingtimber for public sector projects, as from April2009 the UK government requires itsdepartments to procure legal and sustainabletimber or FLEGT licensed timber only.

Since PEFC’s initial rating as legal andsustainable by the UK Government in August2005, PEFC certified forest area has increasedby more than 60% globally and currently tops the210 million hectares mark, making it the largestforest certification scheme in the world. Thenumber of Chain of Custody certificates in the UKhas risen sharply over the past two years, and todate more than 900 companies in the UK havechosen PEFC certification for their businesses.

Ben Gunneberg meets theDirector and representatives of the Indonesian Eco-labellingInstitute LEI

The announcement by DEFRA follows a detailed,bi-annual review of forest certification schemesby CPET. The UK also announced its intentionthat for future reviews, PEFC endorsed schemessuch as SFI and CSA will no longer be assessedseparately.

Netherlands moves towardssustainable procurement oftimber

The Dutch Ministry for Housing,Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM)announced the results of its assessment of forestcertification systems for the upcoming DutchSustainable Timber Procurement Policy in late2008.

PEFC Finland, PEFC Germany, and FSC areaccepted, while the assessment of PEFCInternational is still not concluded. This ensuresthat Dutch public authorities can procure about30% of their needs for timber and wood products

from sustainably managed forests. Forestdegradation and deforestation are responsible for almost 20% of global carbon emissions, thereforebetter forest management plays a key role inaddressing the climate change challenge.

"The objective of the Netherlands is to procure100% of its timber from sustainable sources by2010 at the very latest," emphasised Professor

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No 43 May 2009

Helias Udo de Haes, Chairman of TPAC, andformer President of the Leiden University Instituteof Environmental Sciences.

TPAC's initial feedback is greatly appreciatedand forms an important input into the revision of PEFC’s technical documentation. This revision isalready underway, as mentioned above, and duefor completion once the global stakeholder consultations are concluded in 2010. TheMinisterial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE) is a multi-stakeholder process to which all Europeangovernments have signed up, and which formsthe basis for PEFC's benchmark requirements.PEFC is anticipated to “receive a positiveassessment once the MCPFE has beenconcluded," said Ben Gunneberg, PEFCSecretary General.

Australian total Chains ofCustody head towards aCentury! There has been a significantgrowth in the print & publication sector based onimported PEFC certified products which utilisesPEFC’s International Chain of Custody (CoC)standard for CoC certification in Australia. Onecertification body has been promoting dual

certification (both FSC & PEFC) to satisfy clients’demand to provide a range of certified productsto their customers that reflects a product of aninternationally recognised forest certificationscheme.

As CoCs in Australia pass the 50 mark and headrapidly towards 100, the drive for certifiedproducts in the Australian market has taken off. Anumber of significant primary processors have or are in the process of achieving CoCs: like BoralTimber with 12 sawmills that process wood from

native forests in New South Wales, along withtheir allied processors of Boral Plywood andSawmillers Exports. The range of supply chainorganizations cover primary processing throughto the wholesale merchant sector, and the major industry sector coverage is sawn timber,engineered timber, panel & ply products, pulp &paper, and printing/publication.

To cater for this growth and promote the benefitsof CoCs, a series of 7 brochures have beenproduced for the Australian market. Based on theAustralian CoC standard – AS 4707 – theyoutline the business case for CoC certification inthose 7 sectors and specifically, the case for AFCS CoC.

Of course, being a PEFC endorsed scheme,PEFC’s international recognition is recognised inthe brochure, with the added advantage of beingprinted on a CoC certified product!

For more information, please contact Kayt Watts

Update from BelgiumPEFC Belgium gives PR agenciesfood for thought; guides localauthorities in their wood purchases; and passesa landmark number of CoCs!

Breakfast sessions for PR agenciesCommunicating their environmental and socialcommitment is becoming increasingly importantfor companies. To assist public relationsagencies in better advising their clients on"green" communications, PEFC Belgiumorganised three breakfast sessions, informingparticipants about the sustainability aspects of

PEFC-certification and the benefits it offers tocompanies. Overall, more than eighty peopleparticipated in the events.

Guidance for local authorities’ purchases of wood-based productsPEFC Belgium has further strengthened itsoutreach programme and developed aprocurement guide for wood products and paper specifically targeted to local communities. Thisguide contains comprehensive information abouthow to certify a municipality’s forest; how to

integrate PEFC in procurement policies; and howto inform citizens of engagement in sustainableforest certification. It was distributed to all 262communes in the Walloon region.

More than 200 Belgian companies with CoCs!PEFC Chain-of-Custody certification is becomingincreasingly important for Belgian companies asindicated by growing demand for such







No 43 May 2009

certification in recent months. Currently, morethan 200 companies are certified in Belgium, withalmost 5000 companies certified globally toPEFC.

For more information, please contact MiekeVercruijsse

Chamex launched in BrazilInternational Paper (IP) haslaunched its first CERFLOR-certified paper line in Brazil.

CERFLOR, the Brazilian Program of ForestCertification is overseen Inmetro, the NationalInstitute of Metrology, Standardization andIndustrial Quality and endorsed by PEFC. Thebenefits of PEFC certification for IP includestrengthening the company’s businesssustainability guidelines in terms of their regular readers, the corporate segment, andstakeholders.

To communicate CERFLOR certification, 66national circulation newspapers and magazinesin Brazilian media carried the slogan, “I knew it.Chamex, the first CERFLOR certified paper byInmetro.”

For more information, please contact MariaTeresa Resende

LAN USES CERTIFIED PAPER“IN” ITS MAGAZINELAN, a Chilean-based globalairline, has launched its magazine“IN” with CERTFOR/PEFC certified paper in

January.

The magazine is now availablein all domestic andinternational flights.

The magazine is also availableat www.in-lan.com.

PEFC China Initiative Office4th Wood Flooring Summit,Shanghai Mr. Benson Yu, the Director of

PEFC China Initiative,presented the benefits of PEFC certification to woodflooring companies at the4th Wood Flooring Summitin Shanghai late last year.

Download the presentation here.

PEFC International Technical Departmentgoes to ChinaThe PEFC China Initiative Office and theChinese Academy of Forestry (CAF) jointlyhosted an International Workshop on China’sNational Plantation and Bamboo ForestCertification Standard Setting in March 2008.

Jaroslav Tymrak,PEFC International’sHead of Technical Unitprovided an overviewof PEFC certificationand outlined PEFCrequirements for standard setting in detail. Participants came fromthe State of Forestry of Administration (SFA), thestandard drafting team of the Chinese Academy

of Forestry, the PEFC China Initiative, PEFCCouncil, and the University of British Columbia(UBC) among others.

For more information, please contact Benson Yu

PEFC DenmarkGrowing interest for PEFCChains of Custody in DenmarkThe number of Chain of Custody certificates has

almost doubled in Denmark over the past year.Primarily sawmills and trading companies gainedcertificates, with retailers (STARK), printers(Narayana Press), furniture-makers (Tvillum-Scanbirk), and window manufacturers (Velux)also being certified.







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No 43 May 2009

New members for PEFC DenmarkAs a result of growing public interest insustainable forest management and certification,5 organizations have joined PEFC Denmarksince the summer of 2008,

Access to direct information on certification, abroader understanding of certification systems,and a network incorporating other likemindedcompanies’ contacts with the same interest areavailable to members.

For more information on membership or EPFCDenmark, please contact: Tanja Blindbæk Olsen

Private forest owners in Estoniaawait certificationPrivate forest owners from all over Estonia are enrolled as pioneers for PEFC forest certification in Estonia, due to takeplace this year, under the auspices of ASMetrosert. The group comprises 44 forest ownersof differing sizes, with a combined forest area of around 55000 hectares. The Private ForestCenter, an institution that supports and directsstate and EU subsidies to private forestry inEstonia, is co-financing the project.

“We are glad to have had such a positiveresponse from private forest owners,” says KallePõld, the Estonian Forest Certification Council’s(EMSN’s) Chairman. The project offers “newpossibilities for private forestry in Estonia andstrengthens our position on a political level,”continues Ants Varblane, the Managing Director of the Estonian Private Forest Union (PFU). Eventhough the process will have its own challenges,EMSN and PFU are optimistic that groupcertification will be finished by the autumn of 2009. However, to a large extent, “this also

depends upon the national accreditation body,”states Andres Martma, from the certification bodyAS Metrosert. EMSN welcomes support andadvice from its partners in Germany (PEFCDeutschland) and Finland (FFCS). Cooperationwith Germany ought to be further strengthenedafter the Estonian Forest Certification CouncilSecretary General, Christiane Herty, attendedPEFC Germany’s General Assembly in January.

“We are glad to have such a strong andexperienced partner on our side,” explainsChristiane Herty.

EMSN is planning several seminars andinternational conferences over the course of theyear. These will be held in cooperation with thePrivate Forest Centre, and EMSN hopes to havethe chance to exchange views with national andinternational experts and give them an overviewof Estonian conditions. Furthermore, 2009 willalso see a review process and eventual changesof the Estonian standard, which will be modifiedto accommodate changes in Estonian forestrylaws. EMSN hopes to finish this review over thecourse of the year.

For more information: ChristianeHerty, EMSN Secretary General

The revision of the PEFC forestcertification criteria is completeThe PEFC Forest CertificationStandard Setting Working Group approvedunanimously the revised forest managementrequirements for PEFC forest certification inFinland. The Working Group consisting of 40different parties with an interest in forests andtheir sustainable management (annex 1) initiated

last year.

“The new criteria on harvesting of energy wood,multiple uses of forests and the employment of foreign workers reflect the recent changes in the operational environment for forestry sector. Also the role of forests in carbon sequestration has been

emphasised (in the current standard)” saysMs. Sirkka Hautojärvi, thechairperson of theStandard Setting WorkingGroup. The certificationrequirements are listed in 29 criteria (annex 2),which together define the standard for ecologically, socially, culturally and economically

Mr. Esa Silvennoinen, of Map Suomi Oy, receivingthe first PEFC logo licenseto be awarded to a paper distributor in Finland











No 43 May 2009

sustainable forest management in PEFC certifiedforests.

”The finalisation of the criteria is an important benchmark in the revision of the Finnish PEFC system. The standard indicates explicitly the general objectives of forestry in Finland ” statesMs. Ritva Toivonen, the chairperson of PEFCFinland – Finnish Forest Certification Council,who received the revised criteria from theWorking Group.

The revised criteria and other system documentswill be sent to the international PEFC in autumn2009 for evaluation and re-endorsement. Therevised standards will be implemented in forestmanagement after the PEFC endorsement andindependent certification bodies will assess theconformity to it in the audits of the year 2011.

For more information please contact MarttiKuusinen, Secretary of the Standard SettingWorking Group (tel: +358 20 772)

PEFC France emphasizes theimportance of Chain-of-CustodycertificationIn 2009, PEFC celebrates its tenyear anniversary. To show appreciation to

stakeholders that have promoted and contributedto the success of forest certification, PEFCFrance presented custom-made panels to eachPEFC Chain-of-Custody certifiedcompany in France

"Forest certificationas a market basedapproach allowscustomers and consumers to make the rightchoice by buying certified products from

sustainably managed forests," says StèphaneMarchesi, Secretary General of PEFC France."Companies are of fundamental importance inthis context as they are the ones that deliver such certified products onto the marketplace."

The commemorative accolades have beenpersonalized for each company and include their

individual PEFC logo license number.

PEFC France keeps increasing the printingsector awareness

For the secondconsecutive year,PEFC France waspresent atIntergraphic, one

of the most famous French fairs dedicated toprinters, communication groups, and paper makers.

This trade fair reinforced PEFC’s standing in theindustry, which is well aware of the importance of forest certification, and has been placing highemphasis in highlighting the benefits of PEFCcertification.

For more information, please contact AudreyLeveau

PEFC Italy’s first catalogue ofPEFC certified forest productsand companies is successfulThe success of PEFC Italy’s first edition of their catalogue (available here), featuring Italian-

based PEFC certificate holders indicates thevalue that such a national directory of offers. Ithas proven to be is an excellent tool for thosewho wish to find Italian PEFC certified productsand forests.

The catalogue will be re-distributed at all thetrade-fairs at which PEFC Italy is to be present,and will also be distributed to Green PublicProcurement Policy professionals in publicadministration to assist them in locating suppliersof PEFC certified products.

In response to requests by stakeholders, PEFCItaly has published the 2009 edition, availablehere, in Italian, with a view to providing anEnglish translation later in the year.






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No 43 May 2009

The Malaysian TimberCertification Scheme (MTCS)gets endorsed!The Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme(MTCS) has become the first tropical timber certification scheme in the Asia Pacific region,and the second in the world after the GaboneseForest Certification Scheme, to be endorsed bythe Programme for the Endorsement of ForestCertification schemes (PEFC)."The endorsement of MTCS is a significantachievement for the sustainable forestmanagement community as whole. While thecertification movement has its origins in efforts toprotect tropical forests, over 90% of the world'scertification today takes place in the temperateforests of Europe and North America", explainedBen Gunneberg, PEFC Secretary General. " Yettropical forests in the Southern hemisphere offer the most benefits to tackling some of society'sbiggest challenges, including climate change,combating deforestation and forest degradation,and maintaining the world's preciousbiodiversity."

Dato' Dr. Freezailah Che Yeom, Chairman of theMalaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC),which operates the MTCS, said, "MTCC isindeed pleased and proud to have obtained thePEFC endorsement, which shows that thevarious aspects of the MTCS, such as the

institutional arrangement and certificationstandards used, have met the stringentrequirements of the PEFC. It gives further assurance that forests certified under the MTCSare implementing the best management practicesand contributing towards the challenging effortsto ensure sustainable forest management,particularly for the tropical rainforests".

Dr. Freezailah added that the endorsementenables the MTCS to achieve mutual recognitionwith 26 other PEFC-endorsed certification

schemes. This means that the MTCS-certifiedtimber product manufacturers and exporters willsoon be able to combine PEFC-certified materialfrom Malaysia with other PEFC-certified materialunder the PEFC logo.

The decision to endorse the 2002 MalaysianCriteria and Indicators for Forest ManagementCertification was announced on 5 May 2009

following the outcome of the General Assemblyvote among the PEFC members on therecommendation of the Board of Directors, basedon an assessment of the MTCS by anindependent assessor appointed by the PEFCCouncil.

The endorsement is valid for a five year period,with periodic review to ensure the continuedcompliance of the MTCS. The full report of theconformity assessment of the MTCS can beobtained from the PEFC website atwww.pefc.org.

Chile standard re-endorsedFollowing a comprehensive andrigorous assessment by anindependent consultant, PEFC is pleased toannounce the re-endorsement of the CERTFORChile Forest Certification Scheme, which nowallows certification of forest plantations as well asnative forests. "CERTFOR has proven itself to bea very robust and successful certification system.Since the initial endorsement in 2004, the forestarea certified to the CERTFOR standard hasincreased to almost 2 million hectares, making itthe largest certification system in Chile,"commented PEFC Secretary General BenGunneberg.

In addition to the plantation standard, which wasinitially endorsed by PEFC in 2004, the revisedstandard also includes rules for sustainableforest management in native forests.

PEFC is the only global forest certificationsystem that limits the duration of endorsementsand insists on regular revisions and re-endorsement testing of national schemes. Thiscyclic approach ensures continuous improvementas new scientific knowledge, lessons from the

application of the scheme in the field, andchanging expectations by stakeholderscontinuously can be integrated.






No 43 May 2009

PEFC España achieves re-endorsementThe Spanish Forest CertificationScheme has earned benchmarkapproval by PEFC International. The decisionwas announced at PEFC’s General Assembly atthe end of October in Canberra, Australia.

The re-endorsement verifies that the Spanishscheme continues to meet PEFC International'sbenchmark requirements and ensures thatnational forest owners and Chain-of-Custodyholders benefit from the global acceptance of PEFC-certified products in green procurementpolicies. PEFC España is the country’s largestforest certification scheme, with more than 1.2million hectares of certified forests. "Spain is oneof the oldest members of PEFC, so we are veryglad that the independent assessment by a third-party assessor found that the scheme continuesto meet our requirements,” said Ben Gunneberg,PEFC Secretary General.

The re-endorsement is required to ensure thatthe latest scientific research and practicalexperiences from the field, but also evolvingvalues, expectations, and aspirations of societytowards sustainable forest management aresystematically implemented at national, regional,and local levels.

Full documentation of the assessment isavailable here

PEFC NorwayRevised Group CertificationRulesNorwegian Accreditation, thenational accreditation organization, is revising therules for Group Certification used by the PEFCNorway scheme. The PEFC system for group

certification has proven very successful and cost-efficient, paving the way for PEFC certification inNorway, where practically all production forest inthe country is PEFC certified.

The group certification scheme has meant thateven small properties with a limited supply of wood have been able to gain PEFC certification.

The rules for group certification were originallydeveloped out of the Living Forest process, andstakeholders participated in working groups,moderated by Norwegian Accreditation.

The revision will integrate experiences andlessons learned from years of experience withgroup certification. It will also include updatesand clarifications of some of the group schemerules.

Economics talks for PEFC NorwayThe UK is of high importance for Norwegianforest owners and forest industries as an exportmarket, yet it differs from the Norwegian marketin terms of consumer expectations.

To enable Norwegian actors to better understandUK market demands, William Walker, NationalSecretary of PEFC UK, provided insights andupdates to participants of a meeting organised byPEFC Norway.

Mr. Walker also highlighted recent positivedevelopments in the UK market, which has beenshowing increasing demand for PEFCcertification. Given the lead role that the UKmarket plays in Europe, Mr. Walker expressedhis hope that this would serve as a signal for other European markets.

For more information, please contact PEFCNorway

Slovakian Technical Revisions,2009Over one hundred stakeholdersrepresenting environmental andsocial NGOs, forest owners, the wood industry,trade unions, and other associations were invited

to participate in the public forum at the end of 2008, marking the start of the revision process of the Slovak Forest Certification System (SFCS).

The forum established a technical commission toguide process. Based on the SFCA guidelines onstandard setting procedure, the commissionmembers adopted specific procedures for thedevelopment of documents and the decision



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No 43 May 2009

making process, as well as the time schedule for this process. Drafts of revised standard settingdocuments should become available for publicconsultation shortly.

Please contact Hubert Palus for more information

PEFC UK at Ecobuild & hostspress breakfast

PEFC UK & Ecobuild 09In response to continuing strong demand for PEFC-certified timber products from the UKconstruction sector, PEFC exhibited at Ecobuildbetween the 3rd and 5th March 2009.

Exhibiting at this

important trade showdemonstrates PEFCUK's "commitment tohigh environmentalstandards andresponsible sourcing,

and that the construction sector is increasinglylooking to show its customers that the timber products it uses originate from legal andsustainable sources," said Peter Latham, PEFCUK's Chairman. "Sourcing from PEFC-certifiedforests provides the timber supply chain with

such assurances."Exhibiting at the UK's premier sustainableconstruction show was a first for PEFC.

For further information, please go to Ecobuild or contact Hilary Khawam

Press BreakfastEngaging with thetrade press is oneof the most

effective routes tospread the PEFCmessage to awider audience.

So in February,PEFC hosted a press breakfast for journalistsfrom the paper, print and publishing trade pressat the Institute of Directors.

The seminar aimed to increase journalists’understanding of the PEFC programme, both inthe UK and globally, gain a better understandingof the importance of chain of custody for paper purchasers and distributors and PEFC’s futureplans and challenges.

PEFC Director Ross Bradshaw presented thePEFC programme at national level whileSecretary General Ben Gunneberg focused onthe international picture. Williams Lea, the UK’slargest print management company, representedby Christopher Rigg and Lee Henderson of James McNaughton talked about their companies’ respective paper procurementpolicies.

For further information, please contact HilaryKhawam

Customers to more easily identify PEFC-certified productsUPM Raflatac, a world-leading supplier of self-adhesive label materials and part of UPM, one of the largest forestindustry companies inthe world, hasannounced that it will

use "PEFC" within thebrand name of some of its products to better communicate their sustainability aspects.

UPM supports and ucertification schemes and has built a globalchain-of-custody model to monitor and report theshare of certified fibre in its products. “More andmore products are associated withenvironmentally sound practises and it is very

important to us to provide our customers thepossibility to include certified materials in their portfolio as well", says Simon Boddy, MarketingManager for UPM Raflatac's paper products.

ses credible forest

mong the UPM Raflatac range of PEFC-Acertified products consisting of the company’sVellum, Raflacoat and Raflabrite materials,"PEFC Raflacoat Plus RP 48 HG65" and "PEFC


http://www.ecobuild.co.uk/page.cfm/Link=1/t=m/goSection=1









http://www.ecobuild.co.uk/page.cfm/Link=1/t=m/goSection=1





No 43 May 2009

PM writes that it supports and uses reliable

or more information, please contact Simo

Raflacoat Plus RP 5X HG65" promote the originof the raw material in well-managed forests andcontrolled sources in their name.

Uforest certification schemes and that most of thecompany’s units, from forestry to production,already have a certified Chain-of-Custody systemin place.

F nBoddy

PEFC USar in the USA, PEFC

busy year which is reflected in

EFC growth in North

and PEFC Canada

he Sustainable

raft standards published for commentshe draft SFI® 2010-2014 Standard can be

A Busy yegrowth in North America, Draftstandards published forcomments2008 was asignificant growth for PEFC US. The mostnotable growth in certified area was due to theendorsement by PEFC International of theAmerican Tree Farm System (ATFS) standardand scheme and an increase of over 600% inPEFC Chain-of-Custody certificates fromDecember 2007 to December 2008. Following inthe footsteps of many other PEFC NationalGoverning Bodies, PEFC US has now introducedPEFC Chain-of-Custody and logo use fees as of

January 2009.

PAmerica PEFC USare teaming up to support thegrowth seen in North America. TForestry Initiative Inc. (SFI Inc.) is working withthe ATFS and the Canadian StandardsAssociation (CSA) to develop PEFC promotional

material for North America such

as a brochure and PowerPointtemplate that can be used toengage PEFC with its customers.

steady PEFC

DTfound at www.sfiprogram.org. This processbegan in June 2008 and will lead to the SFI

a

e contact Rachel

2010-2014 Standard, which takes effect on Jan.1, 2010. As part of its public review, the non-profit forest certification program is hosting sevenworkshops across North America:

• Sacramento, California

• Vancouver, British Columbia

•

Minnesota• Charleston, South Carolin

• Little Rock, Arkansas

• Portland, Maine

• Montreal, Quebec

For more information, pleasDierolf

You can receive this Newsletter, further updatesand current news by subscribing to the PEFCmailing list at www.pefc.org.

Further detailed information and news on PEFCmember systems can be obtained directly fromtheir websites whose links are available fromthe PEFC website: www.pefc.org.



pefc newsletter 43 may 2009

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