There might not have been champagne corks popping across the UK trade. But the announcement last week that the PEFC and SFI certification schemes had finally passed government muster as proof of timber’s “sustainability and legality” was worth a bit of celebrating.
Initially, the government’s procurement advisory body, the Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET), concluded that only the FSC and Canadian CSA schemes were proof of sustainability. Much to their disappointment, the SFI and PEFC got the lower “proof of legality” status. However, they were allowed a period to revise their rules and resubmit them to CPET.
The latter was reported to have come to its conclusion on the updated schemes a few weeks ago, but the government delayed going public until it had tried to smooth the feathers of environmental groups, notably Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. They were never going to be happy with the PEFC and SFI being put on a par with the FSC scheme and, predictably, as soon as CPET’s verdict was released they condemned it, reiterating their view that other certification schemes just don’t cut it.
The less biased view is that the SFI’s and PEFC’s approval is good news for the industry, its customers and ultimately for forest management and the environment. It means that government procurement officers will regard timber certified under all these schemes as environmentally sound. As a result they’ll have a wider choice of wood products and be less likely to specify alternative materials. Government procurement policy should also influence the private sector, giving the PEFC and SFI credibility there too, while its focus on certification may help raise the public profile of timber as a renewable material overall.
It has also been made clear that CPET’s approval could be withdrawn if schemes fall off the pace. They will all be kept under constant review, which should be good for the standard and development of forestry and timber certification generally – something everyone should be happy about.
