09 Jun 2015
Two major pulp and paper companies in Indonesia - Asia Pacific Resources International (APRIL Group) and Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) - have received sustainable forest management certification from Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the world’s leading forest certification system.
The certification ensures international consumers that the wood-related products they buy are sourced from plantations that have been independently verified as sustainably managed in accordance to PEFC’s sustainability benchmarks.
“After much diligent work on the ground, we are delighted to be the first Indonesia forestry company to be awarded our PEFC certification. It reflects that we have made strong progress in sustainable management of our plantations,” Tony Wenas, managing director of APRIL Group's Indonesian operations, said.
“PEFC adds extra trust and assurance for our customers around the world that we are delivering sustainably produced forestry products. It is a positive step for the reputation of Indonesian forestry globally and the demands of new markets and new customers for APRIL Group,” Wenas said.
APRIL Group now has 45 per cent of its long-term wood supply PEFC-certified. The company's manufacturing operations are already PEFC chain-of-custody certified.
In a separate statement, APP said that its 306,400 hectares of plantations were IFCC/PEFC-certified, with more than 1,000,000 hectares of plantation area in the final stages of IFCC/PEFC certification.
“The addition of Indonesia to the 36 national forest certification systems means that more and more area in Asia can be certified from now on,” Ben Gunneberg, CEO and secretary general of the Geneva-based PEFC, said.
“I am delighted that both APRIL and APP, as leading management companies of forests in Indonesia, have achieved certification based on the stringent IFCC sustainable forest management standards. This affords their products access to the PEFC label, providing a clear message to consumers worldwide that their products come from verified sustainable sources,” Gunneberg said.
IFCC refers to the Indonesian Forest Certification Co-Operation, a local partner of PEFC, whose objective is to promote PEFC’s sustainable forest management scheme in Indonesia.
Exports for pulp and paper products from Indonesia are forecast to increase to US$6.5 billion this year, up from US$5 billion last year.
Source: http://www.stationerynews.com.au/news/pefc-label-a-boost-for-indonesian-paper-companies