PEFC is latest STTC partner and proposes activities

The PEFC is the latest leading timber and forestry sector organisation to join the European Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition (STTC) as a Partner.

Now the two bodies are discussing a project aimed at freeing up trade flows to Europe of increasing volumes of certified timber coming on stream in Asia.

PEFC is one of the two leading international forestry and timber certification bodies. As of December 2015, 272 million ha of forest worldwide were PEFC certified and 17,787 timber and other forest products companies held its chain of custody certificates.

Asia is among PEFC’s principal focus areas, and it had a high profile presence, supported by regional national members, at the recent Asia-Pacific Forestry Week at Pampanga in the Philippines.  One of the discussion events it hosted focused on emerging governance mechanisms in ASEAN countries and improving the quality of infrastructure for forest sector legality and sustainability initiatives.

This links with its project proposal with the STTC, co-funded by the latter, PEFC and the private sector. The key aim is to create improved linkages between growing certified Asian timber output and the EU market.

“It focuses on addressing critical bottlenecks in Asia’s EU facing supply chains,”  says PEFC. “This will immediately enable more certified products to reach EU markets.”

Proposed activities  focus on delivering certified timber to the EU. Vietnam, Malaysia, China and India will all be targeted.

In conjunction PEFC will promote certification and certified timber availability in the EU.

Proposed key performance indicators include exposure of the activites achieved, chain of custodies issued, and EU buyer leads followed up.