A whirlwind trip around Asia for PEFC’s CEO

4 July 2017 News

“It has been fantastic to travel around Asia this past month,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. “From meeting with our members, old and new, to highlighting the benefits of PEFC to a wide range of industry professionals and government representatives.”

Indonesia

Ben began his trip in Indonesia, attending the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation (IFCC) Stakeholder Meeting in Jakarta. IFCC is our national member in Indonesia. Since their endorsement back in 2014, they have been working hard to increase the forest area under PEFC certification.

Japan

From there Ben headed to Japan to meet with our national member, the Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC), as well as our PEFC Asia Promotions team in Tokyo. Meeting with the local press was also high on the agenda, as SGEC works to increase the area of PEFC/SGEC certified forest in the country.

China

In China, Ben met with the Research Institute of Wood Industry (CRIWI), part of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, as well as our national member, the China Forest Certification Council (CFCC).

“CRIWI is an extremely influential institute within the Chinese wood industry,” said Ben. “We have already begun working with them to help promote PEFC and CFCC certification around China.”

Republic of Korea

After flying across the Yellow Sea to the Republic of Korea, Ben visited the offices of one of our newest members, the Korea Forestry Promotion Institute (KoFPI). KoFPI joined the PEFC alliance last year and is currently developing the national forest certification system.

Singapore

Ben’s final destination was Singapore, where he had a packed schedule, including a meeting with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA). Check out the video below to see Ben highlight why certification matters to business, during a special lunchtime talk at Eco Business.