A call for forest certification schemes to work together was sounded by timber traders at a lively environmental forum hosted by the London Softwood Club (LSC).
The event, held at London’s Charing Cross Hotel, saw traders listen to presentations from the two main certification schemes – the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) – as well as Greenpeace and Stora Enso.
An animated debate, chaired by the Timber Trade Federation‘s corporate social responsibility adviser Andy Roby, saw the LSC’s Simon Anstey urge PEFC and FSC to talk to each other, while Martin Gale of UPM branded some of the panel speakers “irresponsible” for trying to highlight differences between the different schemes.
Earlier Greenpeace senior forest campaigner Pat Venditti had told the forum an area of forest the size of a football pitch was being destroyed every two seconds.
He said Greenpeace currently believed the FSC was the only credible certification scheme and that the group disagreed with the findings of the government’s Central Point of Expertise on Timber.
FSC UK Working Group director Nick Cliffe said FSC now had 65 million ha of forests certified worldwide, with 445 chain of custody schemes implemented in the UK. He said FSC had responded to the industry through a revamp of its standards.
William Walker, national secretary of PEFC UK Ltd, said the different schemes needed to strive for harmony and learn from each other so timber can take its rightful place in the market.
Ragnar Friberg, senior vice-president (sustainability) of Stora Enso Wood Supply Europe, outlined the company’s efforts to promote forest certification but added: “It’s a mistake to believe that only certified forests are well managed. Other forests are also well managed.”
