PEFC, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, is a global non-profit, non-governmental organisation whose purpose is to promote sustainable forest management. PEFC’s ultimate objective is implementing responsible forest management all over the planet. With the PEFC certification system, forest owners can demonstrate their compliance with PEFC forest management requirements. PEFC-certified wood can be safely and responsibly harvested from certified forests. Chain of Custody-certified companies further along the chain can process this wood in PEFC-certified products. For more information, visit the PEFC international website: www.pefc.org or the PEFC Netherlands website: www.pefcnederland.nl
The FSC the Forest Stewardship Council, is an international non-profit organisation. Founded in 1993, its objective is to promote environmental awareness, social corporate responsibility and economically profitable management with respect to the earth's forests: The FSC promotes responsible forest management. For more information, visit the FSC International website: www.fsc.org or the FSC Netherlands website:
www.fscnl.org. The websites also explain the ten FSC principles of responsible forest management.
Why are PEFC and FSC successful?
The way of working balances the various interests of environment, people and economy. They are supported as a hallmark model (with a consistent transparent standard and certification system) by all major environmental and development organisations in the world, trade unions and the international business community.
How does it work?
The FSC's core activity is to ensure proper management for the earth's tropical and non-tropical forests. The FSC certification system enables forest owners who comply with the agreements to distinguish themselves from those whose forests are badly managed. The FSC also makes certified wood recognisable for consumers, guaranteeing that the wood originates from well-managed forests and that the entire supply chain is monitored. The instrument used for this is certification, both for forest management and for the supply chain. Certification can be obtained through one of the independent organisations that have been acknowledged by the FSC.
PEFC, on the other hand, has not drawn up requirements for forest management itself, but has more than 250 requirements derived from international multi-stakeholder consultation. The internationally defined criteria are endorsed by 149 countries. In addition to economical and ecological requirements, the PEFC also prescribes strict requirements for social working standards (International Labour Organization). In the end, the FSC or PEFC quality mark must guarantee that a product is FSC or PEFC-certified.
Controlling the commercial chain
Forest owners, wood traders, environmental groups and local residents' representatives must work together to improve global forest management. One of the main objectives is to establish financially viable and ecologically and socially responsible wood production methods. PEFC and FSC have each separately drawn up global standards for forest management, to which they have linked their own quality mark. These standards, which are elaborated in more detail for each country or region, are based on the PEFC and FSC's own principles of good forest management. If forest owners comply with the PEFC or FSC standards, their forest can be certified. The regulations are enforced by independent inspectors.
Tuindeco and FSC – PEFC
Tuindeco will do its part to keep the chain of custody (CoC) intact. The PEFC or FSC-certified wood we deliver the end user is guaranteed to be PEFC or FSC wood and meets those conditions. Tuindeco will do its utmost to avoid wood or wood fibres from the following categories:
- Illegally harvested wood;
- Wood harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights;
- Wood harvested from forests where “high conservation values” are threatened by management activities;
- Wood harvested from forests that are converted to plantations or where the area is to be used for purposes other than afforestation.
- Wood harvested from forests in which genetically modified trees have been planted.