PEFC /16-01-01

PEFC UK NEWS ISSUE 17 APRIL 2010

NEW WEBSITE AT www.pefc.co.uk

This month saw the launch of
PEFC UK’s new website.
The upgraded site is designed to
provide a wealth of information
about the PEFC programme
with particular emphasis on the
organisation’s work in the UK.

The totally revamped site now includes

information about chain of custody, using
the PEFC logo, getting certified and finding
certified products.

Later this year, we will targetting our

market outreach to corporate print buyers
with the objective of driving traffic via the
website in the direction of PEFC-certified
printers and paper suppliers.

With an increasing number of publications

now seeking to use the PEFC logo on their
publications, the site contains a database
of almost 500 chain of custody certified
printers and details the services they offer.
Recognising that any certified print job
begins with certified paper, there is
also an extensive list of PEFC papers
across a range of grades from leading
manufacturers and merchants.
We’ve tried to make it a comprehensive
source of information for all our
stakeholders but if there is there anything
you’d like to see on the site that isn’t there,
let us know?
If your print company has PEFC chain of
custody, then check out your entry. You
can email feedback on the new site
to info@pefc.co.uk.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
PEFC UK’s Annual General Meeting
2010 will take place at the offices of
the Country Landowners’ Association
in London on Thursday 1 July 2010.
Members will receive an invitation to
the meeting together with a copy of
the 2010 Annual Report in May.
Manifesto Commitments on Timber
Some of our more observant readers might have noticed that an election
campaign is currently in full swing. For those who lack the willpower to
comb through the various political manifestos launched this month, we
thought you might be interested to learn what they have to say on timber.
Liberal Democrats have committed
to protecting the world’s forests, not
only to reduce carbon emissions but
also to preserve “this crucial reservoir
of biodiversity”. They will argue for
an international target of zero net
deforestation by 2020; support a new
system of payments to developing
countries to enable them to reduce
deforestation; and adopt at EU – or, if
necessary, at UK – level, a new law making
it illegal to import or possess timber
produced illegally in foreign countries.
Labour has pledged to press for an EU
wide ban on illegally logged timber, but will
ban it domestically if this does not succeed.
Dual Certification for UK Forests
When forest management certification
was first established in the UK, forests
were certified only to the FSC Standard.
However last month, PEFC was delighted
to announce that some one million
hectares of UK forests had been awarded
PEFC Forest Management certification,
by international Certification Body, SGS
Qualifor. The certification covers all the
Forestry Commission forests in England,
Rob Shaw (left) of Scottish Woodlands and Peter Latham of PEFC
Conservatives are pressing for only legally
harvested timber and timber products to
be made available on the market and for
financial support from within a reformed EU
budget to be given to developing countries
to halt deforestation. They also plan to
make it a criminal offence under UK law for
the import and possession of illegal timber.
So whichever party wins on May 6, if they
deliver on their manifesto commitments this
should spell the end for timber that cannot
be shown to be legal, on the UK market.
Scotland and Wales and some 500
privately owned forest estates, including
a number in Northern Ireland, managed
through the Scottish Woodlands and UPM
Tilhill forest group certification schemes.
Both PEFC and FSC use the UK Woodland
Assurance Standard as the basis for
certification in the UK and are recognised
by the Government’s Central Point of
Expertise on Timber (CPET) as providing
ENVIROWISE GREEN
PRINTER GUIDE
Last year, Envirowise launched a
revised guide to help printers meet
increasing environmental demands.
The Green Printer Guide, which was
produced in association with the
British Industries Federation, looks
at areas where print companies can
make the most effective environmental
improvements.
The Guide recognises that choice of
paper is important in the environmental
impact of a printed product. It advises
“Green Printers” that they should
be well informed on the relative
environmental merits of different
papers so that they can advise their
customers and explains the chain of
custody requirements for PEFC and
FSC as well as featuring the logos.
www.envirowise.gov.uk/uk/Our-
Services/Publications/EN924a-
Greener-printer-guide.html
evidence of legality and sustainability for
public sector timber procurement purposes.
Dual certification will enable sellers of
timber and other forest products from
these certified forests to display the
PEFC logo as well as the logo of the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as an
assurance that these products come from
responsibly-managed forests.
The UK forestry industry, along with other
enterprises selling timber across Europe,
recognises that a number of buyers of
timber and other forest products are keen
to source PEFC-certified products and, in
some cases, buyers look for both PEFC
and FSC certification.
This is particularly the case for overseas
buyers looking to source UK timber. This
move to dual certification will now provide
industry in the UK with greater flexibility to
meet customers’ requirements for certified
timber.
 EXHIBITIONS 2010
Ecobuild
In response to continuing strong demand
for PEFC-certified timber products, PEFC
was one of over 1,000 exhibitors at the
Ecobuild sustainable construction show
held at Earls Court, London last month.
In response to the increasing number of
overseas visitors attracted to the show, this
year we were joined on the stand by our
colleagues from PEFC Germany and the
Malaysian Timber Council.
The show’s organisers, International
Business Events, considered the exhibition
to be the most successful yet with this
year’s event attracting 41,000 visitors– a
20% increase from last year.
Ecobuild 2010
DPA demands certified paper
The Data Publishers Association (DPA)
is the industry body representing data
and directory publishers in the UK. In
2009, it introduced a code of practice
which specifies requirements for
managing the environmental impact of
Business to Consumer printed directory
production and distribution.
This Code of Practice focuses on the
management of environmental aspects
relating to directory production and
distribution by setting environmental
aims. KCOM Group PLC, Thomson
Directories Ltd and Yell UK have all
This is the third consecutive year that
PEFC has exhibited at the show. With
interest from the construction industry
in certified timber on the rise; this was
judged to be an ideal venue to showcase
the PEFC sustainable forest management
programme, the benefits of chain of
custody certification and what certified
timber suppliers could offer.
Despite a challenging economic climate
for the UK construction industry, the event
was clearly very popular and the PEFC
team was kept very busy throughout the
three day show. We were so pleased with
the reception we had this year that we’ve
already booked for 2011 when the show
moves to the ExCeL exhibition centre in
London’s Docklands.
signed up to the Code of Practice to
ensure that the paper used in directory
production is sourced from sustainably
managed forests which are certified
under independent forestry certification
schemes such as PEFC and FSC.
www.dpa.org.uk/documents/DPA_
Sustainability_Code_of_Practice.pdf
EXHIBITIONS 2010
IPEX stand F230/U
This year PEFC will be exhibiting at IPEX
for the first time. This important trade show
billed as “the largest English-speaking
global technology event for print, publishing
and media” is organised by IIR exhibitions
and will be held at the NEC Birmingham
from 18-25 May 2010. Visitors to the show
are drawn from 159 countries with 40% of
visitors coming from outside the UK. The
top ten visitor countries in 2006, when the
show was last held, came from Germany
and The Netherlands.
PEFC will be exhibiting in one of the 30
small exhibition pods in the Knowledge
Centre area, which will be located in Hall
11. If you are planning to visit the show,
stop by the stand and say hello.
For free admission,
register in advance
at: www.cts-online.
co.uk/shows/
EXHIBITIONS 2010
In Touch with Timber
stand S15
PEFC will be sponsoring a TRADA one-
day continuous professional development
seminar; In Touch With Timber 2010. The
event is designed to inspire construction
industry professionals to make the most of
timber, both structurally and aesthetically.
This year’s theme is ‘Innovations with
Timber’ and will focus on what has and can
be done with timber.
PEFC will be one of 25 sponsors offering
an array of timber and timber-based
building products and services which
will be exhibiting at the event. We will of
course be there to promote the benefits of
certified timber to delegates.
For further details: www.trada.co.uk/itwt10
PEFC UK BOARD NEW APPOINTMENTS
Three new directors have recently joined the PEFC UK Board.
JULIA GRIFFIN
Julia Griffin brings welcome retail
experience to the Board.
A member of B&Q’s Social
Responsibility team, her specialist area
of expertise is timber. Her role entails
working with B&Q’s commercial,
quality assurance teams and suppliers
to monitor timber and forest products
to ensure they meet the requirements
of B&Q’s Timber Policy. Julia has
been the resident timber expert
in B&Q’s Social Responsibility
team for almost five years and as
a result, has first-hand experience
of the practicalities and challenges
associated with implementing and
adhering to a responsible timber
sourcing policy.
CPET UPDATE
Earlier this month, CPET announced that
the Government Timber Procurement
Advice Note had been updated to include
social criteria.
Since the announcement of the inclusion
of social criteria by Hilary Benn at the
January 2010 Chatham House Illegal
logging conference, Defra and CPET have
been working to ensure that the inclusion
of social criteria in the application of the
UK Government timber procurement policy
is both effective and practical. There were
a number of challenges, not least due to
the fact that current interpretation of EU
procurement rules means that these do
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND CONTACTS VISIT WWW.PEFC.CO.UK
JOHN SANDERSON
John Sanderson is Director, Global
Environmental Market Support for
UPM Kymmene.
He has worked exclusively for UPM
since graduating from the University of
Wales with a degree in wood science
and forestry over twenty years ago.
Increasing environmental focus and
concern from UPM’s customers has
led to an unprecedented increase in
demand for environmental education,
commitment and performance from
suppliers. John’s current role aims to
address this market interest head on
by educating customers and end users
about the industry’s sustainability
credentials.
not allow social criteria to be part of a
specification, but can only be included in
the contract performance clauses.
Over the coming months, CPET will
be reviewing both the PEFC and FSC
certification schemes to ensure that they
continue to ensure compliance with the
UK government timber procurement policy.
CPET will also be amending both Category
A and Category B evidence guidance to
include social criteria and the new criteria
on ‘conversions’ and ‘governance’.
For further details visit
www.cpet.org.uk
ROB SHAW
Rob Shaw’s appointment further
strengthens the existing forestry team
on the PEFC UK Board.
Rob, a graduate of Aberdeen
University, is currently QESM Manager
for Scottish Woodlands. Between
1999 and 2002 he was involved with
international certification consultancy
projects in Latvia, and Slovakia. In
2007, he was appointed SEQ &
Contracts Director and oversees the
Utility and Landscaping Division in
addition to Certification and Safety
issues.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
In Touch with Timber
18 May 2010
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre,
London. PEFC Stand S15
For further details visit www.trada.co.uk
IPEX 2010
18-23 May 2010 NEC Birmingham
For further details visit www.ipex.org
PEFC International Stakeholder
Dialogue
26 May 2010 Geneva
Further information and registration:
pefc-may2010-forest.eventbrite.com
PEFC National Secretaries’ Meeting
27-28 May 2010 Geneva
PEFC UK Annual General Meeting
1 July 2010 London
Further details sent to members in May
PEFC General Assembly 2010
11-12 November 2010 Rio de Janeiro