Adapting PEFC Chain of Custody certification to future needs

1 September 2016 PEFC system news

With over 18,000 PEFC Chain of Custody certified companies worldwide, our Chain of Custody standard has a tremendous impact on internal management processes of numerous businesses along the timber value chain.

This means we must ensure the standard is the best it can be: that it is easy to use and meets customer expectations, while also respecting the integrity of our requirements and our system.

As a result, our Chain of Custody standard is one of the areas under review as we continue our standards revision process. The responsibility for this revision falls to Working Group 4, which got together for their latest meeting in July.

Labelling under review too

WG 4 is also responsible for revising our Logo Usage Rules - the standard covering the requirements for users of the PEFC logo and labels. This document helps ensure accurate, verifiable, relevant and non-misleading usage of the PEFC logo and related claims.

Labelling is becoming increasingly important as consumers attach great importance to ecolabels and want companies demonstrating responsible sourcing through the PEFC label.

The work begins

In addition to improving the user friendliness, simplifying the technical requirements and meeting customer expectations of the Chain of Custody standard, the WG will also discuss how to best ensure the standard continues to be compatible with other PEFC requirements, such as the evolving sustainable forest management requirements and potential new requirements like GHG emission data transfer.

The next steps

Following the discussions during the meeting and the feedback gained from the public consultation, the first working draft of the standards will be completed over the coming months. This draft will then be shared with the WG at their next meeting in January 2017.

The revision process

WG 4 is one of six Working Groups currently embarked on the revision of several of our PEFC International Standards. WG 1: Sustainable Forest Management Standard, WG 2: Forest Management Certification Procedures and Group Certification, WG 3: Standard Setting Procedures and WG 6: Endorsement Process have already completed their first meetings.

These WGs will all meet 2-5 times to build consensus on the creation of an enquiry draft standard. This draft will then go through public consultation before approval and publication.