‌
Our Christmas Tree card was created by artist M Hickson from recycled materials.
SEASON'S GREETINGS
to Media, Supporters and Followers
in Asia Pacific
To mark the end of another 12 months of storytelling and spreading the word for PEFC in Asia Pacific, we set out here the 12 themes which we have focussed on in 2021 - through our monthly Media News Bulletin (MNB), Feature Articles, Opinion Pieces and News Releases. Here we summarise our communications and provide links to most of the stories and images we've produced, circulated and had published in the year.
Leaders in Sustainable Forest Management
Malaysia was featured early in the year due to its historic role as the first country to join PEFC in Asia and for achieving a record expansion of hectares of forest cover. Here's the story in our January MNB, followed by our Feature Article and here's how it was published in ASEAN Post: "Malaysia: A Leader In Sustainable Forest Management". We also featured Malaysia's winning photo in the MTTC-PEFC contest for 2021: “The bird eye view of wetland forest of Tasek Bera” photographed by Yusuf Bin Madi.
Global Campaign: Supporting Sustainable Rubber
"Demonstrating Best Practice in Natural Rubber Production & Supply" was the tile of the October Feature Article drawing attention to Southeast Asia as the world's largest source of natural rubber. In March, PEFC announced that Vietnam was the first member to supply PEFC-certified natural rubber and rubberwood. The launch of PEFC's Supporting Sustainable Rubber Campaign was promoted with a Feature Article and Media Announcement in June, and in the MNB in July. Here's how Eco Business reported the campaign launch. Our August MNB reported from Thailand on: "Collective Action to Improve Rubber Producers' Livelihoods", while in June's Bulletin we drew attention to India's webinar on "Promoting a Sustainable & Resilient Future for Natural Rubber". We also alerted readers to the World Rubber Summit (WRS) when Richard Laity, PEFC Southeast Asia Manager was a key panelist.
Supporting Responsible Procurement and Sustainable Supply Chains for Furniture
The ASEAN Furniture Industries Council (AFIC) and PEFC have started on a strategic four-year sustainability roadmap to promote furniture supply chain sustainability and responsible procurement. This was the lead item in our MNB in August. Furniture continued to receive a lot of attention this year in our Bulletins - Furniture & Forests Together for Global Campaign Launch - was the headline in October, when we also announced: New Website Stresses Role of Furniture Trade Associations. Media coverage included a series of articles published in Panels & Furniture Asia magazine, like this one in March/April and this in the September/October issue. In the December MNB, we drew attention to Unlocking PEFC Chain of Custody Certification for Furniture.
Sustainable Packaging:
Paper for People and the Planet
On many occasions through the year, we promoted Sustainable Packaging. For people and the planet. We stressed in our Feature Article in August that only by choosing safe and circular materials, producers can ensure that products are safer for both humans and the environment, and the materials used to make them – and package them - can be reused without causing contamination or waste management problems. Our Media Announcement in May acclaimed: "Sustainability in Packaging is all about: Renewable, Recyclable & Responsibly-Sourced"
We reported on Sustainable Packaging in the MNB in August and linked to an article in Packaging Europe on the importance of using certified and recycled paper for food packaging. Earlier in the year, in the February Bulletin, we drew attention to Malaysia's Teo Seng's Certified Paper Egg Cartons, as pictured.
Labels on Products Demonstrate Business Commitment to Sustainability
and Responsible Sourcing
That was how we started the year with an important message in the January issue of our Media News Bulletin. Many other times we emphasised the importance of using labels to benefit retailers and consumers to demonstrate that a product has been certified and therefore responsibly sourced. We followed this up with a Feature Article in early March when we reported that PEFC has been recognised by the Australian Government as a 'trusted eco-label' in the 2020 Sustainable Procurement Guide released by the Department for Environment.
Riding the Biological Cycle: How Forest Fibre can Drive the Circular Economy
This was the title for an Opinion Piece we produced which emphased the value of forests and trees when sustainably managed, They make vital contributions both to people and to the planet, bolstering livelihoods, providing clean air and water, conserving biodiversity and responding to climate change. This was published by Eco Business and Retail Asia early in October. Certified products from the forest - including furniture - also featured in articles with a consumer-retail focus in Panels and Furniture Magazine and World Furniture Online, which also emphasised the circular economy and e-commerce.
WAF -PEFC Prize for Best Use of Certified Timber
Asia Pacific has Six Finalists in the Running for the World Architecture Festival-PEFC prize for the Best Use of Certified Timber. We announced that in September's Bulletin and in the next Feature Article, where we also provided a link to the PEFC international website to learn more. In December we were able to reveal that New Zealand produced the winner, with its SCION Innovation Hub by RTA Studio/Irving Smith Architects, located at the edge of the Whakarewarewa Forest Park, Rotorua. We also provided a link to the PEFC International announcement.
Healing Powers of the Forest for the 
Health of People and the Planet 
As the world continued to struggle with the health and economic impacts of a global pandemic, it became glaringly apparent at the COP26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow in November that cutting emissions of greenhouse gases drastically would have significant benefits for the health of people everywhere, as well as the planet. That's where the healing properties of forests comes in. .Not only was this headlined in our MNB for November, but was the theme of our Feature Article for the month.. It also received a high profile placement in Expat Choice and was posted and shared with many LinkedIn Groups.
"Tomorrow's Timber" Provides
Whole Life Carbon for Buildings
We reviewed the excellent book "Tomorrow's Timber" in the Media New Bulletin in July, as well as in ABC Carbon Express and The Art of Travel. We shared many stories of how Mass Engineered Timber (MET) buildings are rising up in Asia Pacific, including the Feature Article in September, referring to PEFC certified projects in Japan, Australia and Singapore. See also the video on the PEFC-certified project, the Changi Chapel Museum in Singapore and the Asian Journeys report on Patina Resort in the Maldives. We made a feature of the role of timber in reducing emissions for the Built Environment in Wood in Architecture magazine in August.
Fashions Change, Forests Stay
We made the most of PEFC's global fashion campaign in more ways than one. We gave it prominence in the MNB in July with the headline: "It's in Fashion: Join for the Global Climate Action Initiative". In May, Fashion was the theme for the Feature Article and Indonesia's Jakarta Globe ran the PEFC story. In April's Bulletin, we headlined "Sustainable Apparel: Forest Fibres for Fashion Textiles" and PEFC's participation in the event which explored how brands can transform factories, engage consumers, drive circularity, and reduce climate impacts across fashion and textile supply chains..The year culminated with the announcement of a unique partnership between the Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFF) and PEFC in Singapore. Here's the story.
Two Sides of the Story: The Power of Print
Media News Bulletin in May reported that a PEFC certified product was the star at the first book launch at Marina Bay Sands specially designed Hybrid Broadcast Studio in Singapore. Special guest and speaker on the occasion was Genevieve Chua, CEO of OVOL, the company which supplied PEFC certified paper for the book, and formerly PEFC International Vice Chair and Board member. Read all about it in Asian Journeys, Asian Books Blog and Print Singapore. We also pointed out in the Media News Bulletin for August that Times Printers produces “The Economist" every week on paper sourced from sustainably managed forests, recycled and controlled sources, certified by PEFC. The Art of Travel reported this in an article entitled: "The Key to the Future of Print is Sustainability".
Certification to Reduce Deforestation
and Forest Crime
Aiming to reduce illegal logging and illegal conversion of forests, the Sustainable Forest Trade (SFT) in the Lower Mekong Region (LMR) initiative seeks to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation, while boosting sustainable forest management across the region. PEFC worked with UNREDD-FAO and governments in the region. This was featured in the Media News Bulletin in April and it was also reported on in ASEAN Post. We also reported on how PEFC works with APEC - Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation - on its Expert Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT) in our March and August issues of the Media News Bulletin. Millionaire Asia magazine published the article in July headlined: "Second Nature: Nipping Unsustainable Forestry in the Bud."
If you need more information on any of the items above, or any other work by PEFC in Asia Pacific, feel free to contact:
  • Wikkie Netten
  • Ken Hickson

Or go to PEFC International: www.pefc.org

‌