Consumer Choice:
Buy Products from the Forest
PEFC has a distinct message for the consumer this month. On the occasion of the end of PEFC's 20th anniversary year, CEO Ben Gunneberg says we must "choose forest-based materials instead of alternatives such as plastic. If we don’t use our forests, the land will be used for other purposes, such as cattle ranches or soy plantations. Buying forest products, such as wood and paper, gives the forest value, it creates demand, and provides a financial incentive to keep a forest a forest." There's plenty of news here about products from the forests of Asia Pacific and further afield.
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Sustainable Management for Vietnam's Rubber Plantations
The Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) has awarded the first Vietnam Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) certificates, covering more than 11,400 ha of plantations, belonging to three Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) companies. VRG members own about 300,000 ha rubber plantation in Vietnam. Tran Ngoc Thuan, VRG’s Chairman said he aims to get SFM certificates for over 50,000 ha of rubber plantations in 2020, along with PEFC Chain of Custody (CoC) certificates for 21 factories.Read more.
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Indonesia's Forest Certification System Gets Top Score
SLVK, KAN, IAF, TPAC, IFCC and PEFC. Lots of acronyms at work for Indonesia. A clear sign that sustainable forestry management is being taken seriously. SVLK (Sistem Verificasi Legalitas Kayu) is Indonesia’s national timber assurance process, a mandatory, legality and sustainability certification system built on a national multi-stakeholder consensus. KAN (Komite Akreditasi Nasional) is the National Accreditation Body of Indonesia and is, in turn, a member of the IAF, the International Accreditation Forum. Additional support for forest management in the region is coming from the Dutch Timber Procurement Assessment Committee (TPAC). While its main job is to make sure Netherlands keeps its commitment to 100% sustainable timber, it has also given Indonesia’s forest certification system a top score, thanks to the work of IFCC, the national governing body for PEFC. Read how PEFC manages these standards.
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Global Webinar Highlights Value of Sustainable Packaging
While studies are showing that the majority of consumers say they would change their consumption habits to reduce environment impact, never has it been so important to use sustainable materials, to know that your products come from sustainable sources and to prove that to your customers. PEFC strongly believes that increasing the use of sustainable, certified forest-based packaging has huge potential to not only help companies meet sustainability targets, but also to have a positive impact on the world’s forests and forest communities. Stakeholders and industry watchers - including dozens from Asia Pacific countries - joined the 23 June Webinar on "Creating impact through responsibly sourced packaging". Read More
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Celebrating the Power of Trees & the True Value of Forests
Besides alleviating the effects of climate change and natural disasters, forests represent some of the richest biologically diverse areas on Earth. The true value of a forest is recognised by Responsible Wood, the Australian National Governing Body for PEFC, which also plays an important role supporting the Australian Made Campaign, promoting the many benefits of using renewable, locally-made timber framing products to build new homes. Responsible Wood also draws attention to artists who are working with wood - see image of wood sculpture by Dave Hickson - as it offers great flexibility for expression, is natural and is sustainably sourced. You can read more here.
With PEFC, Global Timber Asia has Sustainability Credentials
With its origins in Europe, Global Timber - as its name implies - operates in the global market place, now with a base in Malaysia to serve the Asia Pacific. As a player in the international wood industry, it is at the forefront of contributing to the preservation of global forests through sustainable behaviour, environmental certifications and compliance with various important environmental certifications. With that in mind, Global Timber states categorically: "PEFC is a good way to document and prove the sustainability of our products." Read More
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Venturer Wins Chain of Custody Certification for Projects
Venturer Timberwork is the first Singapore business to obtain PEFC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification, issued by Double Helix and authorised by the Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC). Venturer, with several building projects in the region lined up, is looking to be the first PEFC Project certified company in Singapore. Venturer is also believed to be the first timber contractor in Asia to be CoC certified. Not only a strong advocate for responsible sourcing and sustainable forest management, but Venturer also promotes the greater use of certified Mass Engineered Timber (MET), Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glulam. Read More
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SIIA: PEFC Engaging Consumer for Sustainable Sourcing
In the latest Haze Outlook for Southeast Asia, the Singapore Institute for International Affairs (SIIA) acknowledges the role of certification: "While plantation and forestry certification schemes naturally target resource-producing countries, efforts are also under way to engage with consumer markets. In the wood and paper sector, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), a global alliance of national forest certification systems, is now promoting chain of custody (COC) certification within Southeast Asia to ensure traceable and sustainable sourcing of forest-based products." Read More
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Furnilac First for Chain of Custody in Indonesia
Furnilac Primaguna, PT is the first furniture manufacturer in Indonesia that is certified against the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation (IFCC). Besides being committed to the principles of design thinking and styling, sustainability is now uppermost in the minds of Furnilac, as it makes sure all the wood material it uses comes from legal and sustainable sources, approved by Indonesia’s timber legality system, SVLK or Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas Kayu. Panels and Furniture has the story.Read More
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APR Adopts Vision to Build Resilience for Man-made Fibres
With COVID-19 and climate change causing lasting disruption in the textile and apparel industry, Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) joins other significant industry players and stakeholders to adopt an ambitious shared vision, MMCF 2030, for unleashing the man-made cellulosic fibres’ huge untapped potential for building resilience in the global textile industry. APR - the first fully integrated viscose rayon producer in Asia with its 240,000-tonne capacity mill co-located in Pangkalan Kerinci, Indonesia - has also joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). It will use the group’s sustainability measurement suite of tools to drive environmental and social responsibility throughout its supply chain. Read more.
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Fragrance from the Forests Goes Global with OPSO & PEFC
ÖPSO is a sustainable home fragrance series made from natural tree resin. Both fragrance and packaging are PEFC certified. This is a world first. OPSO says its innovative and sustainable composition replaces artificial ingredients in traditional fragrances with natural resin from Mediterranean pine trees, thus helping to preserve the forests of our planet. Read More
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If you need more information on any of the items above, or any other work by PEFC in Asia Pacific, feel free to contact:![](https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/W4RXEqsqj8oVfdckurRFWA68zEjAyExOcGKCVKjJ0MASrBxuPhaEFpvsc1Wv39oNwki2lh7s1pE2raPFYPeDCzHFRPv9OsUWFemYwg5rekRnWHLKE6td8E8T3kcccHAzFFZjIZGLIGgu=s0-d-e1-ft#https://files.constantcontact.com/26a871bc001/0a1a2e3f-c827-40a2-ab63-200b1470248d.jpg)
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- Wikkie Netten: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wikkie.Netten@
pefc.org - Ken Hickson: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">kenhickson@
sustain-ability.showcase.com
Or go to PEFC International: www.pefc.org