20th anniversary celebrations kick start PEFC Week 2019

11 November 2019 20th anniversary

20 years ago, European small-forest owners met in Würzburg, Germany, to create an international forest certification system that had their needs at heart. On 30 June 1999, PEFC was born. 20 years later, the PEFC alliance is back, for the 2019 PEFC Forest Certification Week.

The Würzburg meeting in April 1999 proved to be a turning point in our history. It was the moment when everyone involved committed to the creation of PEFC: there was no turning back – and we are delighted to return to this defining location!

Today, the stunning Marienberg Fortress, rising above the city of Würzburg, welcomes 150 representatives from PEFC members from around the world. The biggest PEFC Week ever, we have come together not only to celebrate our 20th anniversary, but also to look forward, to discuss where the future will take us. 

The PEFC General Assembly will take place on Wednesday. Our highest decision making body, the General Assembly votes on the key decisions of our organization. This year, they will vote on the acceptance of new national members.

On Thursday, PEFC Week opens up to the public, for the 2019 PEFC Stakeholder Dialogue. What are the next steps towards moving sustainability and certification from niche to mainstream? What are the options of forest certification to improve accessibility, expand scope and increase impact in forest management and beyond? These are some of the issues we will dive into.

Over the week, our members and guests will not only discover the fortress, but also get to take a walk down a memory lane over the last 20 years of PEFC history. Back to the present day, the 12 winning photos from the Experience Forests, Experience PEFC 2019 photo contest are on display, as are some German specialties, in the PEFC lounge. 

Follow #20yearsofcaring to see what we get up to over the next week!