Latest country to receive PEFC endorsement celebrates!

11 December 2014 News

Organized by the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation (IFCC), the event gathered a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from forest owners associations and industry, as well as PEFC International CEO Ben Gunneberg.

The Indonesian Forest Certification System was endorsed by PEFC earlier this year in October, and follows recognition by the European Union and Australia of Indonesia’s Timber Legality Assurance System (SVLK), sending a strong signal that Indonesia is able and willing to manage its forests in a sustainable and transparent manner.

“While some people may perceive a conflict between sustainable forestry and economic development in Indonesia, endorsement of the IFCC by PEFC shows that both are possible,” said Dradjad H. Wibowo, Chairman of IFCC, during his opening remarks. “With many companies and consumers in the world acknowledging the PEFC certificate as a guarantee of quality products including wood, pulp, paper and its derivative products that come from sustainably managed forest, endorsement of the IFCC by PEFC opens new opportunities for exports for Indonesia which, in turn, can create job opportunities and economic development.”

“We now ask all of our stakeholders to observe and respect their IFCC accreditation, so we can ensure the standard remains a credible mark of our forestry management,” concluded Mr. Wibowo.

The process for setting the IFCC certification standard was started in 2012. Drafted in partnership with members of the standardization committee, it was approved by the IFCC board of directors in 2013 and submitted to PEFC for endorsement this year before achieving endorsement in October.

“PEFC endorsement marks a new era in the development of a voluntary sustainable forestry certification scheme,” said Purwardi Soeprihanto, Executive Director of the Association of Indonesian Forest Concession Holders (APHI). “Supported by the national certification scheme, the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK), we expect international markets to be increasingly receptive to Indonesian forestry products which are promoted as sustainable,”

“While consumers in different countries have separate expectations over the use of sustainable practices, the scope of PEFC allows individual countries to approach sustainability in their own way while reassuring the end-user that sustainable standards have been met,” continued Mr. Soeprihanto.

Joe Lawson, member of the PEFC Board of Directors, congratulated IFCC to achieving PEFC endorsement: "The Board is pleased at the leadership shown here in Indonesia, following on from the examples set by Malaysia, Brazil and Gabon in developing a certification system suited to tropical forest conditions. This endorsement stands as a beacon to neighbouring countries throughout Asia that national systemes can be developed and internationally recognised. We are please to know of interest in PEFC from a range of countries in the region, including Thailand and Vietnam."

The endorsement of the IFCC is another mark of the expanded reach of PEFC within the Asia Pacific region. As Japan becomes the latest Asian country to join PEFC as a National Member, a number of other countries are also exploring options to achieve similar recognition, with India, New Zealand, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand advancing their national systems for consideration by the certification system.

The end of the day saw companies interested in becoming PEFC Chain of Custody certified attend a Chain of Custody Certification training workshop, co-organized by PEFC International and IFCC.