PEFC Annual Review 2014 - Towards the Tipping Point

19 May 2015 News

'Towards the tipping point' describes our work and the progress we achieved in many different ways in 2014.

"An important indicator as to how far we’ve come in promoting sustainable forest management was the outcome of the first PEFC/GfK Global Consumer Survey, revealing the vast extent to which consumers trust the PEFC label and their desire to see it used on products," said Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International CEO. "The results demonstrate the great potential of supply chains and retailers to give the sustainable forest management movement a further boost, simply by using labels more."

"We undertook and supported a range of initiatives this year, advancing us along the journey towards the tipping point for certified sustainable forest management and the resulting products," continued Mr. Gunneberg. "We provided input and were the first certification system to sign the New York Declaration on Forests and also counseled the banking sector’s initiative to trade responsibly in commodities such as timber, palm oil and soy, as detailed in the Soft Commodities Compact."

'Towards the tipping point' applies also to progress made in PEFC’s sustainable forest management certification. By the end of 2014, over 260 million hectares of forests are PEFC-certified and over 16,000 companies benefit from PEFC Chain of Custody certification.

In more detail, in 2014, PEFC endorsement was awarded to the Argentine Forest Certification System, the China Forest Certification Scheme, and the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation; such that all the major timber-producing countries now have PEFC-endorsed national systems.

There has also been a great increase in the number of companies committing to using PEFC-certified material, a trend which looks to continue under the Consumer Goods Forum’s guidelines, aiming to help to achieve zero net deforestation in supply chains by 2020.

"Thank you for your personal contribution in advancing our urgent cause, big or small, be it in the forest or as a manufacturer, consumer, donor, campaigner or professional," concluded Mr. Gunneberg.