APP and the certification issueWhat is APP doing in Indonesia? Is APP still holding FSC certificate, has it changed to PEFC or does it own both cerificates?
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Australian timber industry joined forces to accelerate legal timber24/06/2009: Australian timber industry consolidates and improves systems to verify legally harvested wod
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Kimberly-Clark commits to use 40% of FSC certified fibre by the end of 2011OTTAWA - The environmental group Greenpeace has ended its long campaign against Kimberly-Clark after the Kleenex maker agreed to change its forestry practices.
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Certified Forestry Is In Trouble, U.N. Report Says The certified-forestry movement is running out of steam, a United Nations report suggests.
"The pace of expansion of global certified forest area has slowed dramatically in the last three years," says the international agency's recently released Forest Products Annual Market Review, 2008-2009. The proportion of "industrial roundwood" coming from forests certified by such environmental organizations as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has actually decreased recently, to 25.9%, it says.
"Certified forest area increased by around 50 million hectares a year between 2001 and 2005 – mainly due to a rapid increase in certified forest area in North America – then the rate slowed by half to 25 million hectares a year in 2006 and 2007. More recently the rate has stagnated even further, not exceeding 4 million hectares between May 2008 and May 2009." Certified forestry has actually lost some ground in North America and Europe, the U.N. report adds.
One culprit is that the sustainable-forestry movement is running out of low-hanging fruit: "Now that many of the largest state- and industry-owned lands in the developed world are already
certified, the certification movement faces the significant challenge of expanding in more difficult
areas" such as small forestry operations and developing countries.
Please continue reading this article here...
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UN strips SGS UK of accreditation for carbon project certificationThe legitimacy of the $100 billion (£60 billion) carbon-trading market has been called into question after the world’s largest auditor of clean-energy projects was suspended by United Nations inspectors.
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Forest certification in war - some interesting insights...Now that the forest-certification movement is running out of steam, two groups involved in promoting sustainable forestry have responded by declaring war on each other.
ForestEthics fired the first shots a few days ago, filing complaints of both tax fraud and greenwashing against the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. It sent letters last week asking the IRS to revoke SFI's tax-exempt status and requesting that the Federal Trade Commission investigate SFI's "unfair and deceptive" marketing practices. ForestEthics claims that SFI's forestry-certification program is inferior to Forest Stewardship Council certification.
SFI responded today by calling the ForestEthics complaints "an affront to the tremendous efforts by foresters, businesses, governments, consumers, SFI and other standards groups to preserve and protect our forests for future generations."
“We should all be focusing our resources and efforts on supporting responsible forest management and fighting deforestation and illegal logging, not wasting energy on bickering among ourselves," SFI added. A United Nations report recently concluded that the once-rapid growth of forest-certification efforts has stagnated during the past three years, Dead Tree Edition reported last month.
I'm skeptical whether FSC, which has had its own credibility issues in places like Indonesia, is significantly superior to SFI, but I welcome comment on the subject. I think the most useful service Dead Tree Edition can offer at this point is extensive excerpts from the complaints and SFI's response. Note: The rest of this article consists entirely of statements from ForestEthics and SFI that do not necessarily represent the views of Dead Tree Edition:
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Is mixing of PEFC and FSC material allowed?A recent FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) study set out to assess whether the requirements set for FSC Controlled Wood are met by PEFC (Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification) schemes.
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2009: The Pulp and Paper Industry in retrospect
LONDON, Dez. 22, 2009 (Viewpoint) - As we near the end of first decade of the "noughties" how has the pulp and paper industry fared?
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"Cutting down the worlds forests is responsible for about a fifth of global carbon emissions, but what many people may not realise is that this is linked to the illegal trade in timber. This is a major problem for many timber-producing countries in the developing world. It not only causes environmental damage, but costs governments billions of dollars in lost revenue, often involving corruption and funds armed conflict."
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Two areas in Mauricie are the first to obtain fsc certification as a result of a concerted effort by 15 companiesSAINT-SÉVERIN-DE-PROULXVILLE, QC, Feb.
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Södra’s 2010 target: One million hectares FSCFeb 18 2010 Södra aims to have one million hectares of its members’ forests certified in accordance with the FSC standard by the end of 2010. This is in addition to the PEFC certification already held.
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Japan Wants World's Largest Woodchip Exporter to Sell FSC Certified ProductIt takes time, sometimes decades, but people power can turn around seemingly unstoppable juggernauts. That seems to be what is happening with regard to Tasmania's old growth forests.
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NGO partnership to raise awareness of FSC certified African blackwoodSound & Fair has launched a partnership with Just Forests, an Irish NGO, to raise awareness of the availability of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified African blackwood, which is widely used in traditional Irish musical instruments.
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Timber certification is not enough to save rainforestsActivists from the Rainforest Action Network voice support for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification scheme but say stronger policy measures are needed to control deforestation.
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Pressure mounts on USGBC to accept forest certification programsForest certification standards from 12 nations have called on the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to end its discrimination against wood and accept all credible sustainable forest certification standards.
The certification programs pointed out that wood is one of the best environmental choices for construction as long as it is from a responsible source, and that fiber certified to the 26 national forest certification programs recognized by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) meets this demand.
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Forestry Certification Means We Can’t See The Wood For The TreesDeveloped and developing countries alike must play a role in addressing climate change, a reality that we simply cannot escape. However, many suppliers in the forest products market, especially small- and medium-sized firms, are concerned that the red tape resulting from environmental policy is in danger of creating more paperwork than it’s intended to save.
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UPM TESTS THE FINNISH FSC-STANDARD IN COMPANY FORESTSUPM has started testing the new Finnish FSC standard in company forests. With this testing the company wants to fully assess the costs and functionality of the indicators of the new Finnish FSC standard approved by the Finnish FSC association on 8 October, 2010.
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CSV sees increased demand for certified materialLondon-based project management company, Clear Sound & Vision Ltd. (CSV) has announced that they have seen a significant increased in demand from customers for certified material, in particular Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) certified packaging material.
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Certification fails to protect B.C. forests
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Council Refuses to Open Up LEEDs to Other Certification SystemsWood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council will continue to be the only kind qualifying for LEED points, after a motion to open it up to other certification programs failed to win a two-thirds majority from members of the U.S. Green Building Council.
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Nijpels Meubelen: Furniture from sustainably managed forestsFrom today, Nijpels Meubelen B.V., the largest producer of ready-to-assemble furniture in The Netherlands, will be using the PEFC label on its products. On 12 January it was issued with a PEFC chain of custody certificate, enabling Nijpels Meubelen to demonstrate that their products have been manufactured using timber that has originated from sustainably managed forests as approved by the PEFC scheme.
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UK Government confirms PEFC as a source of legal and sustainable timber
The results of the 2010 CPET (Central Point of Expertise on Timber) Review, published on 21st January, concluded that both PEFC (Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) continue to deliver evidence of sustainability in compliance with the UK Government’s timber policy.
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Finnish FSC standard approved
FINLAND, Jan 25, 2011 - The international Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) granted its unqualified approval to Finland’s redrafted FSC standard on 21st January 2011. The new FSC standard can be adopted once a three-month transitional period has passed.
Common ground on Finland’s national FSC standard was attained after lengthy negotiations between the three chambers of FSC Finland and various stakeholder groups. The meeting of the Finnish FSC Association approved the standard in November 2010.
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Results of CPET’s 2010 review of forest certification schemes
Compliance with the UK government's timber procurement policy is mainly demonstrated by certification under either the FSC or PEFC schemes and the schemes are very important for the implementation of the policy.
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DNR achieves recertification of nearly 5 million acres
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Asia Pulp & Paper Lays Out Key Milestones On Path to 100 Percent Pulpwood Supply Certification
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Ilim Group Receives FSC Forest Management Certificate
St. Petersburg, Russia, Mar 15, 2011 - OJSC Ilim Group received a multi-site FSC Forest Management Certificate, which also applies to the Group’s harvesting operations in Siberia (the Bratsk and Ust-Ilimsk District Branches). This FSC Certificate covers that largest area of certified forest in Russia and the second largest in the world, 3.7 million hectares.
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UPM Applies for FSC certification for its Own Forests in Finland
UPM, Helsinki, 15 March 2011 at 11:00 EET) - UPM applies for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification for its forests in Finland. At the same time UPM also extends its forest service portfolio to cover FSC-certification
services to Finnish forest owners. UPM's forests and most of the privately owned forests in Finland are already certified under PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes).
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Founding Director of FSC Switzerland Steps Down After 8 Remarkable Years
Germany, Mar 11, 2011 - Mr. Guido Fuchs has resigned from the position of Director of FSC Switzerland after 8 years in the organization. He will continue to provide project support until the new Director takes office on 1 June 2011.
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PEFC withdraws endorsement of Russian forest certification scheme
Russia’s national forest certification system has had its PEFC membership terminated because of non-payment of fees.
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Fortune 500 Companies Drop Misleading Eco-Label
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Like robins, Sun Belt baseball and daffodils poking their heads up from the soil, it seems to be a rite of spring for advocates of the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative to go after each other about the relative credibility of each other’s forestry standards.
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What to Do When Forest Ethics Comes Knocking?
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The timber may be certified: but is it sustainable?
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Carbon projects first to reach verification status for well regarded CCB standards
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SFI Grant helps Audubon New York link forest management to bird conservation
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Ahead of meeting, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) loses another supporter
The forest organization, FERN, has pulled its support from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), reports FSC-Watch. FERN has quit the increasingly troubled organization due to FSC pursuing carbon credits through forestry. The FSC loses FERN just weeks before its 6th General Assembly, in which FSC partners—including private corporations and some environmental groups—will meet to debate current practices.
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Certifying forests: How REDD+ can learn from experienceBOGOR, Indonesia (6 July, 2011)_REDD+ proponents can learn from the multistakeholder approach of experienced certification body, the Forest Stewardship Council, helping to avoid treacherous forest management politics and better engaging civil society and the private sector in sustainable forest p
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Increasing demand for verification and certification services creates business opportunities
California-based Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) announced that they will be setting up an office in Jakarta in direct response to an increasing demand for verification and certification services from the Indonesian timber industry.
PT Scientific Certification Systems Indonesia (PT-SCS), as it will be known, will offer services in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody Certification and Forest Management Certification, in Indonesia.
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New Report: Exposing the Myths of FSCNORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev., USA, Jul 18, 2011 - The Forest Stewardship Council's public demonstration that it is the "gold-standard for responsible forest management" has been wrecked following the release of a bombshell report today by the Congres
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FSC Certification Helps to Stop Forest 'Bleeding'Kilwa — The sound of a saw cutting deep into the kiaat tree (Pterocarpus angolensis, also called "bloodwood") in a forest in Kisangi village in southern Tanzania fills the air.Sweat drips from the body of 56-year-old Rafii Hashim as he pushes the saw rhythmically back and forth to ensure a smooth
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Forest certification: a small step towards sustainabilityIt can be hard to know whether the forest products you buy have been produced sustainably. Forestry certifications were established to give a bit more certainty, but what do they really mean? When you buy a certified product, are you necessarily helping the environment?
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PEFC approves China certification applicationPEFC International has unanimously approved the application of the China Forest Certification Council (CFCC) to join the world's largest forest certification system.
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PEFC and Scottish Woodlands Score UK FirstJohn Paterson, Wood Purchasing Manager at Egger UK said "We were delighted to take the first deliveries of privately grown PEFC round wood from Scottish Woodlands.
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Ecosystem services certification
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Ilim Group Expanded Coverage of FSC Forest Management Certificate Over all Leased TimberlandsThe Forestry Branch of OJSC Ilim Group in Koryazhma (Arkhangelsk Oblast) has gone through audit verifying the compliance with the FSC Forest Management requirements. No significant incompliances with the international standards have been identified during the audit which was carried out by GFA (Germany). After the audit the Forestry Branch was included in the list of Ilim Group Branches covered by the multi-site Forest Management FSC Certificate.
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THE FIRST tropical rainforest in the world to be certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards for sustainable forest management is in Sabah, Malaysia.
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Olympic athletes to train on timber from 'endangered' forests
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North America’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative Forest Standard Endorsed by PEFCSustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) Inc. announced today its forest certification standard has once again met the rigorous third-party assessment of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
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Violent teak forests dispute resolvedA long-running violent dispute between the world’s largest teak producer and Indonesian forest communities has been resolved, resulting in the recertification of two Indonesian forest districts by the Forest Stewardship Council
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Metsäliitto is Testing the new Finnish FSC StandardMetsäliitto Group has started the testing of Finland's new FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification standard in part of its own forests. The Group's forests have already been certified according to the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) standard. In future, the FSC standard will be applied in these forests as well.
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Maine executive order puts forest certification on equal footingMaine Governor Paul LePage signed an executive order directing that “any new or expanded state buildings shall incorporate green building standards that give certification credits equally to forest products grown, manufactured and certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiativ
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Ilim Group is awarded Proof of Leadership in Forest Management CertificationFollowing the results of 2011, Ilim Group was acknowledged as the leader of forest management certification. The respective Proof of Leadership was awarded to Ilim Group by the Russian Branch of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
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Illegal Logging Unlikely to End Unless All Companies Follow RulesEfforts to stem illegal logging by requiring Indonesian timber exports to be certified will prove futile if cheaper, uncertified wood continues to be available on the market, officials said on Tuesday.
Diah Raharjo, director of the Multistakeholder Forestry Program, a collaboration between the Indonesian and British governments, said progress was being made in getting logging firms to comply but there was still much work to do.
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EU Timber Regulations: Well-intentioned or risky?In March 2013 the European Union will start enforcing a new timber regulation that is designed to prevent illegally logged wood, and products made from illegally logged wood, from entering into the EU.
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Misleading Labels and Greenwashing: What’s A Consumer to Do?Woe is the eco-conscious consumer. Just when they think they’re buying green, something screws it all up.
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Forests remain a source of conflictThe world’s largest producer of teak, an Indonesian state-owned company on the island of Java, has again been awarded sustainable forest management (SFM) certification.
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FSC to tackle timber certification in light of EUTRThe Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is set to address how best to operate a timber product certification scheme in the context of the EU Timber Regulations (EUTR).
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FSC first for Brazil forest concession
Brazilian forestry company LN Guerra has achieved FSC certification for Mamuru, its 46-000 hectare concession in Para state. This is the first forest concession in Brazil to achieve FSC certification.
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Certifying Vietnam’s timber plantations would help smallholders profit from lucrative export marketf Vietnam wants its timber producers to benefit from the growing eco-conscious and more lucrative international furniture market, national forest institutions should look for ways to get smallholder plantation forests certified, said Louis Putzel, a senior scientist at the Center for Internationa
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Barama makes history with int'l timber certificationBarama Company Limited (BCL) has secured what it on Thursday announced as the largest single block of tropical forest to be certified under the Verified Legal Origin (VLO) anywhere in the world.
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Barama snags coveted timber legality certificationGuyana’s battle to eradicate illegal logging has been given a major boost with one major company recently received a key certification.
Barama Company Limited, which controls 1.6 million hectares of natural forests, has
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Comparing carbon market and forest management standardsDanish NGO NEPCon has recently released a study entitled ‘Field perspective comparison of forest carbon and forest management standards.’ The research, commissioned by the Rainforest Alliance, recognizes the function of responsible forest management in retaining and increasing carbon stocks.
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Multinationals reaping big from abusive forestry practices in DRC
Multinational companies are profiting hand over fist from abusive forestry practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where illegal logging, mislabelled timber and false permits are widespread, according to several non-governmental organisations.
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