International Forest Day: celebrating progress in forest certification in Asia
In recognition of the critical role of forests in Asia, the region has been a key focus of PEFC activities over the past years.
International Forest Day: celebrating progress in forest certification in Asia
21 March 2014 News
In celebration of the International Day of Forests, PEFC is releasing “Asian Timber – Certified: Advancing Sustainable Trade in Asia” as part of an ongoing collaboration between PEFC International and Asian Timber to promote sustainability across the forest industry in Asia.
Forests in Asia are critically important. They play a significant role in providing a variety of services that millions of people depend upon for their livelihoods and social stability. They also contain most of the Asia-Pacific region’s terrestrial biodiversity. Additionally, given the growing importance of the regional economy, Asian has a strong influence on the environmental sustainability of international forest products. This makes it vital to build supply chain capacity and increase the availability of certified timber across this region. The PEFC Asia Promotions Initiative therefore has been working to raise awareness, build capacity and encourage the uptake of PEFC certification throughout Asia.
PEFC has established offices in China and Japan to promote awareness of PEFC certification, especially through growing Chain of Custody certification. Increasing the presence of PEFC certification within these two countries is a strategic priority for PEFC globally, given the relevance of their markets in the international trade of timber and forest-based products, and their potential to ultimately influence forest management practices.
Regular outreach to other countries in the region is also increasingly important as awareness and demand for PEFC certification continues to grow. The China Forest Certification Scheme (CFCS) has recently become the second Asian national forest certification system after the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) to successfully achieve PEFC endorsement, and the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperative (IFCC) submitted its national system for endorsement at the end of 2013.
Many additional countries in the region are developing national certification systems and considering the eventual pursuance of PEFC recognition for their systems. PEFC is working to offer guidance and advice to the ongoing processes in India, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand and South Korea.
Additionally, PEFC Chain of Custody certification in Asia has grown 15-fold in the past six years such that nearly 800 companies had PEFC Chain of Custody certificates at the end of 2013.