Media News Bulletin from
PEFC Asia Pacific
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PEFC Certified Meranti Wood Decks
Malaysia Expo Pavilion Facade
in Dubai to Focus on Sustainable Forestry
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The Malaysia Pavilion at World Expo in Dubai prominently showcases timber and timber products, as well as policies underpinning the sustainable development of the industry. Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) says that sustainable development of the timber industry, within the agri-commodity sector, is the key narrative for visitors and trade delegates to the pavilion. From 1 October until 31 March 2022, the Malaysia Pavillion theme for the Expo is "Energising Sustainability", while PECF-certified Meranti wood features on the façade of the Rainforest Canopy Pavillion to make a bold statement on the country's sustainable forestry resources. Read all about it.
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Training in Vietnam to Cover Group Certification Schemes |
Training for Assessors and Auditors to implement Forest Certification Services in Vietnam gets underway this month.Vietnam Forest Certification Office (VFCO) and Training Center for Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification (TCSFM), under the support of FOR-TRADE, will co-host the training on 12-15 October. And from last month's PEFC webinar it was agreed that: "While certification is and should be rigorous, the ultimate objective of protecting forests cannot be achieved if certification is out of reach for most forest owners." So PEFC has pioneered group certification for small scale forest owners, sharing the burdens and expanding market access to those who need it most, while giving them the tools to safeguard the forests that they live in, and while improving their livelihoods. Read more here.
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India Embarks on Trees Outside Forests Certification Plan |
Stakeholders from around the world are invited to give feedback on NCCF’s Trees outside Forests Certification Standard. Deadline for comments is 25 November 2021. This is the first time Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF), the PEFC national member for India, has applied for PEFC endorsement of its national Trees outside Forests (TOF) certification standard. TOF certification was one of the innovative developments of the 2018 PEFC Sustainable Forest Management standard. Read more here.
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PEFC Suspends Myanmar's Forest Certification System |
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The assessment of the Myanmar forest certification system has been suspended with immediate effect due to concerns that Myanmar-based stakeholders are unable to participate in the assessment process. PEFC announced this on 14 September. "On the eve of the United Nations International Day of Democracy, the assessment of the Myanmar forest certification system has been suspended with immediate effect due to concerns that Myanmar-based stakeholders are unable to participate in the assessment process. Open, transparent, and meaningful stakeholder engagement is core to PEFC processes, which includes the ability of all participants to speak freely without fear of reprisal. Information received following the launch of the global public consultation, and integral part of the assessment process, indicates the risk of potential or actual self-censorship or self-imposed restriction by Myanmar-based stakeholders." Read the full PEFC Statement here.
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Forests can Drive Sustainability for the Fashion Industry |
Sustainable forest management can help the fashion industry reduce its carbon footprint, and responsibly sourced forest products can support sustainability goals.That was a key message from last month's Fashions Change. Forests Stay webinar. One of the key speakers, Joël Mertens, Director of the Higg Product Tools, Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), pointed to tools which are available to help the apparel and footwear industry measure and understand the environmental impacts of products and materials:
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Furniture & Forests Together for Global Campaign Launch |
In the spirit of Sustainable Development Goal 17 (often called “the partnership for the goals”), PEFC launched its Forests are Home campaign last month, to bring together everyone involved in creating, designing and building furniture. The campaign itself is a result of cooperation and inclusion. Diverse perspectives from 12 different PEFC national members helped to form this campaign, with the participation of the ASEAN Furniture Industry Council (AFIC). Now, using its convening power as a global organisation, PEFC seeks to increase cooperation and partnership among disparate actors along the furniture supply chain.See and hear the recording of the global launch here.
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PEFC CEO Presents at Responsible Wood AGM in Brisbane |
PEFC International CEO Ben Gunneberg will be presenting at the 18th Annual General Meeting of the Australian Forestry Standard Limited, now trading as Responsible Wood. CEO Simon Dorries says: “Responsible Wood is delighted to welcome PEFC CEO Ben Gunneberg who has agreed to address the AGM attendees and provide an update on new PEFC initiatives.” In addition, Responsible Wood will welcome Kellie Northwood, CEO of the Real Media Collective to discuss the Australian Love Paper Campaign and Gib Wettenhall, a recipient of the Responsible Wood Community Grants to address the AGM, on 19 October in Brisbane, Australia. The coveted Richard Stanton Memorial Award for Excellence in Forest Management or Chain of Custody (pictured at right) will be presented at the AGM, marking the seventh year of the award, which pays tribute to the late Richard Stanton, a previous CEO and National Secretary of the Australian Forestry Standard. Read more here.
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Winning Drone Shot Captures Beauty of the Malaysian Forest |
The fourth edition of the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) Photography Contest 2021, jointly organised by MTCC and PCP Publications, concluded with Terengganu-born photographer Yusuf Madi clinching the grand prize.
Yusuf, 30, won the judges over with his amazing aerial view of the lush wetland forests and tranquil landscape of natural freshwater lake at Tasik Bera (Lake Bera). He captured the drone shot in 2020 while snapping away for a job assignment at the lake which is situated in the Bera district, Pahang. “I was filming a documentary and doing drone-mapping at Tasik Bera when I spotted the view of the lake from above. I was fascinated with what I saw and I thought to myself how beautiful our forests are. For me, this contest has created an awareness especially among us, the public, on the importance of appreciating our own forests and nature,” Ysuof said. Read more here.
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New Website Stresses Role of Furniture Trade Associations |
A new website has been established by PEFC to draw greater attention to the important role played by furniture trade associations, like the ASEAN Furniture Industries Council (AFIC). Given the nature of their membership and goals, they have a unique role to play as they are made up of businesses that operate all along the furniture value chain, which is why AFIC seeks to encourage the long-term wellbeing of those businesses. It featured this quote from Mr. Nicolaas K. de Lange, AFIC Secretary-General: "A key component to ensuring the development of our industries is securing legal and sustainable wood products that ensure responsible manufacturing, which in turn meets the new laws, as well as buying preferences of today’s educated consumers." Go to the new Furniture website here.
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Malaysia Rubber & Rubber Wood Features in New Video |
Malaysia is one of the top two producers of natural rubber and rubberwood in the world. Thanks to a fruitful partnership between PEFC and the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC), they are also leading on certification for sustainable rubber. Hear from Siti Syaliza, Senior Manager at MTCC, about the innovative way they are using the “controlled sources” approach to differentiate rubberwood as a legal and sustainable tropical hardwood. This reduces the pressures of illegal logging on natural forests, and has contributed to an expansion of Chain of Custody certifications across Malaysia. See and hear the new PEFC video on rubber on YouTube.
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PEFC Invites Stakeholders Globally to Nominate Candidates |
PEFC invites stakeholders globally to nominate candidates from the conformity assessment community, civil society, and customers and consumers, to complete the Certification Body Requirements for Sustainable Forest Management Certification Working Group. Please only provide nominations for the following categories:
- Conformity assessment community (certification bodies, accreditation bodies, PEFC scheme assessors, consultants)
- Customers and consumers (retailer organizations, consumer organizations, institutional consumers of forest-based products including governments)
- Civil society (science, environmental, social, and other interest groups)
In addition to this wide range of stakeholder interests, PEFC also aims for a balanced representation of genders and regions in the working groups. Nominations made through the online nomination form. The deadline is 17 October 2021. More information here.
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If you need more information on any of the items above, or any other work by PEFC in Asia Pacific, feel free to contact:
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