As the world's largest forest certification system, PEFC remains the certification system of choice for small, non-industrial private forests, with hundreds of thousands of family forest owners certified to comply with our Sustainability Benchmark.
To date, more than 6.000 companies have obtained PEFC CoC certification, offering tens of thousands PEFC-certified products globally.
While there are alternative, credible forest and chain of custody certification options available, there are good reasons why so many companies are choosing PEFC for their responsible sourcing, and so many consumers are looking out for the PEFC label when buying wood and wood-based products.
PEFC is the only global certification systems that
Based on Intergovernmental Agreements & Internationally Recognized Processes
- bases its understanding of sustainable forest management on broad societal consensus expressed in international, intergovernmental, multi-stakeholder processes and guidelines involving thousands of interested parties
- implements agreements between governments through a voluntary, market-based mechanism
- follows globally accepted ISO Guidelines for certification and accreditation
Level of Stakeholder Engagement Equally High for All Standards
- is the only certification scheme which strictly separates standard-setting, certification and accreditation to ensure complete independence and impartiality of these processes
- requires all national standards to be independently developed with the open participation of all interested stakeholder at the national level. This ensures local requirements and needs are incorporated.
- requires that all standards undergo public consultation at national and international level and third-party assessment
- demands and implements regular revisions of national certification schemes to promote continuous improvement, ongoing stakeholder engagement, ensuring shared ownership of national processes
- membership is open to international stakeholders and national certification schemes
Upholds Highest Sustainable Forest Management Standards Without Exception
- requires compliance with all fundamental ILO conventions in forest management since 2001, setting new benchmarks for social issues
- is tailored to the specific needs of family- and community-owned forests since its beginnings, with lasting contributions to livelihoods and rural development
- offers well established processes for group and regional certification, providing small forest owners with access to certification and the marketplace for certified products
- sets highest standards for forest certification and sustainable forest management aligned with the majority of the world's governments, including
- maintaining or enhancing biodiversity
sustaining the provision of ecosystem services- substituting chemicals with natural alternatives or minimizing them
- protecting workers rights and welfare
- encouraging local employment
- respecting established traditions and indigenous peoples rights
- abiding by laws e.g. on legal logging, corruption, child or forced labour.
