Time to include the timber trade in FLEGT … After more than 10 years of implementation, the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan has achieved tremendous results. In particular, it has raised the global focus on illegal …

Tackling FSC fraud: will the Online Claims Platform fail or fly? … As the FSC system grows, so does the potential for false claims and labels. FSC’s answer is the Online Claims Platform (OCP), a system enabling users to record and confirm their FSC …

How to orchestrate the world’s largest FSC print run … Two years ago, sustainability specialist of Inter IKEA Systems Matthieu Leroy faced the daunting task of achieving FSC certification of all IKEA catalogues worldwide. Following a successful process, …

FSC trademarks: simplify standards, boost the brand … Ultimately, it’s all about responsible forest management and credible eco-labelling. But we’ve come to a point where we can’t see the trees for the labels. Carsten Huljus, Director of GFA …

Rebooting FSC: a fresh perspective … After 20 years of reconciling interests, FSC is showing signs of fatigue. But surely the system will receive a vitalising injection of innovative thinking from its members this week. Before we leap into the future, …

Sourcing legal wood? New corruption index released … Transparency International has released the 2014 figures for the perceived corruption level in most of the world's countries. Gain an overview of the changes and their implications for legal and FSC …

First energy company in Denmark receives FSC certification … NEPCon has issued an FSC chain of custody certificate to the trade arm of the Danish energy company Verdo A/S.  The company is now able to deliver wood chips, pellets and briquettes from …

Agri-schemes top driver of forest loss in Cambodia … A recent study estimates that 90 % of Cambodian timber products are derived from forest conversion, a fact that speaks to the country’s rapid loss of forest cover. The main drivers of deforestation are …

NEPCon is now an FSC certifier … NEPCon is now an independent FSC certification body. This implies that NEPCon will no longer be providing FSC services on behalf of the Rainforest Alliance. However, the close collaboration between NEPCon and the …

… Is Chain of Custody certification a “myth”? … Doubts over timber industry Chain of Custody (CoC) certification have been raised with growing intensity over … FSC General Director André de Freitas recently called CoC certification a myth, and how this can be addressed. …

Company risk assessments for Controlled Wood remain valid post-2015 … Until now, companies have used their own risk assessments in countries without an FSC-endorsed national or central risk assessment. Company assessments were to be eliminated from the …

NEPCon approved as Sustainable Biomass Partnership certification body … Today, the Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) announced its approval of NEPCon as the world's first SBP …

Green building - a key driver of timber certification … The use of timber in green construction is a growing trend worldwide.  Backed by innovative techniques, its eco-friendly characteristics spell golden times for  sustainable timber as a sought-after …

FSC Policy for Association in action: for better or for worse? … For the second time in two years, FSC has used its Policy for Association to disassociate from a leading timber trader. We take a close look at the impact and repercussions of the …

FSC at risk – PEFC at peace? … Over the past year, Greenpeace has stepped up its public scrutiny of the FSC system. This might lead some industries, particularly in Europe, to see PEFC as the safer choice in terms of avoiding the NGO spotlight. However, …

Time for FSC to be brave … At the close of the FSC General Assembly 2014, the good ship FSC has set its course for the next three years. But will the agreed moves be bold enough to solve the key issues that FSC is struggling with? In this commentary, …

FSC General Assembly 2014: key outcomes … As the FSC General Assembly 2014 unfolded, the temperature went up and down, perhaps reflecting the emotional state of the participants. Despite discords, there was consensus that FSC needs to modernise, to …

Mangrove mania: Snapshots from a field audit … During a field audit in mangrove forests, our auditor team learned about the woes and wonders of this enchanted …

NEPCon returns to “the Lost World" of Sabah … The Maliau Basin is one of the most pristine areas of tropical rainforest on Borneo, home to endangered species such as orangutans, leopards, pygmy elephants and hornbills. NEPCon has entered into a five-year …

FSC certification an asset for forest carbon projects … A study commissioned by the Rainforest Alliance reveals that numerous synergies exist between the FSC Principles and Criteria for forest management and voluntary forest carbon standards. Importantly, …