Leading public procurement policy confirms PEFC’s sustainability status
The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed in an assessment released today that PEFC’s sustainable forest management standards and procedures continue to meet UK government requirements for sustainable timber. The assessment found that all forest certification schemes commonly encountered in tenders and sales to the UK central government - PEFC International as well as MTCC and FSC - meet the criteria for legality and sustainability set out by the Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET). Certification to any one of these schemes is important for companies supplying timber for public sector projects as from April 2009, the UK government will require its departments to procure legal and sustainable timber or FLEGT -licensed timber only.
“The results confirm the robustness and integrity of credible forests certification schemes”, commented Ben Gunneberg, Secretary General of the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC). “Furthermore, the revised procurement policy sends a strong message to companies and consumers to buy responsibly and to support sustainable forest management by choosing PEFC-certified products.”
With nearly one third of the world’s land mass covered by forests, sustainable forest management is crucial to address so many of society’s challenges. “Given the vast potential of forests in tackling climate change, the new UK procurement policy is an important step in the right direction”, said Gunneberg. “With only 9% of the world’s forests currently certified, measures that promote sustainable procurement are of utmost importance.”
Since PEFC’s initial rating as legal and sustainable by the UK Government in August 2005, the PEFC certified forest area has increased by more than 60% globally and currently tops the 210 Mha mark, making it the largest forest certification scheme in the world. The number of Chain of Custody certificates in the UK has risen sharply over the past two years and to date, more than 900 companies in the UK have chosen PEFC certification for their businesses.
“We are delighted once again the government has judged PEFC to meet its sustainability criteria. This provides UK companies with a strong incentive to commit to responsible sourcing of wood products by undergoing PEFC Chain of Custody certification “, added Peter Latham PEFC UK’s Chairman.
The announcement by DEFRA follows a detailed, bi-annual review of forest certification schemes by CPET. The UK also announced its intention that for future reviews, PEFC endorsed schemes such as SFI and CSA will no longer be assessed separately.
The assessment is available on the CPET website at www.proforest.net/cpet/activities-and-news