PEFC UK newsWWW.PEFC.CO.UK ISSUE 36 • APRIL 2015

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification

Approximately 1.3 million hectares of UK forests are currently certified to PEFC’s sustainable forest management standard, which endorses UKWAS. Most of these forests are owned by the Forestry Commission or members of larger group schemes managed by Scottish Woodlands or UPM Tilhill.

Many small woodland owners currently view certification as being both onerous and expensive. As a result, the growth of the UK certified forest area has stalled. This is having a growing impact on the UK primary processing sector which needs an increasing supply of certified timber to meet customer demand.

It has long been recognised that a cost effective certification solution was required to enable small woodland owners to participate in certification. Certified material is increasingly demanded by a growing number of forest product users including retailers, the construction sector and energy suppliers.

PEFC UK, in conjunction with Dutch consultants Evan Buytendijk BV, with funding from the the PEFC Collaboration Fund has therefore developed an online forest certification system which aims to provide:

• a cost effective solution which will assist small and medium private forest owners to become certified

• an aid to group certification managers to enable them to function more efficiently and reduce costs

• a user-friendly means of assessing the compatibility of existing forest management plans with those required by UKWAS

• improved consistency of both initial and internal audits via on-line checklists.

We hope that this will result in an increase in the certified forest area thereby resulting in an increased supply of certified material to the primary processing sector and their customers.

The on-line system is due to be launched in May when further details will be made available. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more please contact: Alun Watkins awatkins@pefc.co.uk

Certification Option for Small Woodland Owners

This autumn, PEFC UK will be participating in Confor’s Woodland Show for the first time. We will use the event to promote our newly-developed small woodland certification solution. The two day show will be held at the Longleat Estate in Wiltshire from 10th-11th September 2015. The show alternates with Confor’s APF exhibition and provides an excellent platform for those working in the industry to meet, buy and sell.

Visitors to the show are expected to include forest owners and growers, woodland owners, forestry professionals and contractors, timber buyers and processors and anybody with an interest in the rural environment.

Further details of this event can be found at www.confor.org.uk

Confor Woodland Show 2015

The significant and potentially dramatic impact of climate change on forests, while well understood by foresters and scientists, is often overlooked in mainstream discussions. When it comes to forests and climate change, the focus tends to be on the benefits that forests and forest products provide by absorbing and storing carbon. They have the potential to absorb about a tenth of the global carbon emissions projected for the first half of this century into their biomass, soils and products and store them.

Managed sustainably, forests produce wood fuels which provide a benign alternative to fossil fuels. Conversely, forests currently contribute about a sixth of global carbon emissions when they are cleared, overused or degraded.

It is also widely recognised that forests react sensitively to a changing climate. The devastating effects of climate change on forests can already be seen for example in the forests of British Columbia, where warmer winters have enabled more pine beetles to survive. Their increased numbers have helped ruin millions of hectares of forests, with the associated effects on the environment, communities, and businesses.

Speaking at the Institute of Chartered Foresters National Conference which took place in Cardiff earlier this month, Ben Gunneberg acknowledged that as British Columbia’s hard winters may not return, forest management needs to adapt to climate change. PEFC’s national processes, which aim to bring all stakeholders to the table to evolve our common understanding of sustainable forest management, are therefore well-placed to facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge, to capture best practices, and to contribute to the discussion.

Damage caused by the Mountain Pine Beetle in E. C. Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia

PEFC UK is sponsoring the Award for Best Education Project at this year’s inaugural Structural Timber Awards. These new awards aim to celebrate the best in building with timber - the world’s leading mainstream, low-carbon construction material. They are designed to reward outstanding projects, innovative products and dynamic people that are promoting

excellence in structural timber around the UK. Across key sectors of construction, the Awards will showcase innovation, celebrate best practice and recognise expertise in timber technology and the ways it contributes to an attractive, energy efficient and sustainable built environment.

The Awards will be presented at a high profile dinner in October at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham. The event is on course to attract 500 national business leaders and high profile decision makers from the construction industry.

Further details of these awards can be found at www.structuraltimberawards.co.uk

Structural Timber Awards

Climate Change Threatening Forests

Public Consultation on Guidance on Social Requirements

in Chain of Custody CertificationStakeholders are invited to provide input, feedback and comments on the PEFC “Chain of custody of forest-based products – Social requirements. Guidance for use” (PEFC GD 2002:201) by 30 April 2015.

The guidance under consultation supports both companies implementing social requirements as well as certification bodies assessing the correct implementation. It acknowledges that PEFC’s social requirements can be implemented in different ways depending on regional,

national, and local conditions. It takes into account that countries have differing legal and institutional frameworks covering social aspects, as well as varying levels of enforcement. Additionally, the guidance recognises that companies may already have robust occupational health and safety management systems in place that contribute to meeting PEFC’s social requirements.

Stakeholders who would like to comment should visit www.pefc.org for further details.

Save the date

Members of PEFC UK will shortly be receiving an invitation to our 14th Annual General Meeting which will be held at the offices of the Country Land & Business Association, 16 Belgrave Square, London SW1 on Tuesday 7th July 2015.

We are delighted to announce that this year, PEFC’s Secretary General, Ben Gunneberg, will be our

guest speaker. Once the formal business of the meeting is over, Ben will be providing participants with an update of PEFC’s progress around the globe. We very much hope you will be able to join us.

Notice of PEFC UK 2015 Annual General Meeting

In September, PEFC UK will co-exhibit with SFI and AB Packaging Group at this year’s Packaging Innovations show. The two day show, which is co-located with Luxury

Packaging, moves to a new venue this year, London’s Olympia Exhibition Halls.

It will be held from 16-17th September 2015. Now in its fourth year, Packaging Innovations has become the established forum for providing international suppliers with access to the top luxury packaging buyers in the UK. Last year almost 4,000 visitors attended the show and 94% of them said that they viewed the show as important to their business.

If you are planning to visit the show then please stop by Stand A14 and say hello.

Packaging Innovations 2015

New Publications from PEFC

Meet PEFC

Contacts

A new title has been added to the PEFC library this month while others have been revised and updated. Copies of these brochures are available free of charge.

PEFC Chain of Custody Certification: Sourcing Responsibly sets out the business benefits of certification.

PEFC Certified Paper for the Print, Packaging and Publishing Industries has been updated as has PEFC - Your Assurance of Responsible Sourcing.

All of these publications can be downloaded from the PEFC UK website but if you’d like hard copies, please e-mail info@pefc.co.uk

PEFC UK Field Trip19th-20th May 2015Lockerbie, Scottish BordersFurther details: info@pefc.co.uk

PEFC UK Annual General Meeting7th July 2015Country Land & Business AssociationLondon, London SW1Further details: info@pefc.co.uk

Confor Woodland Show10th-11th September 2015Longleat Estate, WiltshireFurther details: www.confor.org.uk

Packaging Innovations/Luxury Packaging16th-17th September 2015Olympia Exhibition Centre, LondonFurther details: www.easyfairs.com

Structural Timber Awards CeremonyTuesday 6th October 2015NEC BirminghamFurther details: www.structuraltimberawards.co.uk

Alun WatkinsPEFC UK National Secretarye awatkins@pefc.co.ukt 0114 307 2334Please call Alun for all general enquiries and queries about Chain of Custody and use of the PEFC logo.

Hilary KhawamPEFC Communications and Marketing Directore hilary.khawam@pefc.co.ukt 01689 819902

PEFC/16-01-01

PEFC CHAIN OF CUSTODY CERTIFICATION

The Business Benefits of Certification

SOURCING RESPONSIBLY

PEFC CHAIN OF CUSTODY

PEFC – YOUR ASSURANCE OF RESPONSIBLE SOURCING

FOR THE PRINT, PACKAGING & PUBLISHING INDUSTRIES

PEFC CERTIFIED PAPER

India to Develop Forest Certification System

Last month, the process to develop India’s forest certification system was launched at the International Conference on Forest Certification – Positioning India event, co-hosted

by the Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF) and PEFC International. The conference brought together government, business and civil society stakeholders to discuss the status of forests in India and to learn from international experts about the benefits of sustainable forest certification systems which have already been developed.

During the development process, those involved will be able to call on the experiences of other Asian countries, with China, Indonesia and Malaysia already benefiting from PEFC-endorsed systems and Japan anticipated to apply for global recognition through PEFC shortly. Other

countries, including the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, are at various stages in the development of their respective national forest certification systems.