The review, which begins on June 24, is designed to ensure government timber purchases meet CPET procurement guidelines.
CPET will examine whether each scheme’s own published requirements are being applied in reality.
Schemes being assessed include the Canadian Standards Association, Forest Stewardship Council, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC).
The government currently accepts the first four schemes as providing assurance of legal and sustainable timber, while the MTCC is evidence of legal timber only.
“This is a perfectly proper and appropriate process for CPET to go through if it is to retain credibility and support from stakeholders, “ said Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White. “ The whole CPET process has been a powerful lever for bringing about change in PEFC and MTCC.”
Interested parties can make comments on the schemes via e-mail to cpet@ProForest.net by June 24.
