PEFC /16-01-01

PEFCUK NEWS
WWW.PEFC.CO.UK ISSUE 22 JULY 2011

COMMUNITY FOREST OF THE YEAR

A record-breaking entry into the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) Excellence in Forestry Awards 2011 has revealed the very best in woodlands and forestry practices in counties ranging from Derbyshire and north London to East Anglia.

US Green Building Council Trials New Credit

Last month, the US Green Building Council announced a Pilot Credit for the use of certified products - Pilot Credit 43. The organisation uses Pilot Credits to test drive an idea before making it an official credit in the LEED rating tool. This pilot credit on certified products is specifically for nonstructural products, and includes a section on pre-approved certifications and labels which lists SFI, ATFS, CSA, PEFC and FSC among the pre-approved certifications. During this trial, builders and architects can achieve a point under the Innovation in Design section of LEED for using this pilot credit and providing feedback on the applicability of the credit. This means, builders and architects can implement this pilot credit using PEFC non-structural products (furniture, flooring, windows, doors, etc) to obtain a point under the Innovation in Design section of LEED. USGBC is keen to hear from stakeholders. Pilot credits can change based on feedback and comments from users and stakeholders. If youd like to voice your support for this inclusive approach, you can post a comment at (http://www.leeduser. com/credit/Pilot-Credits/PC43).

The awards are the countrys premier forestry competition and are held on a seven-year rotation around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. As part of its International Year of the Forest activities, PEFC UK sponsored the Community Forestry Award. The awards ceremony took place last month at Madingley Hall in Cambridge. RFS President Anthony Bosanquet commented One message that comes across clearly is that woodlands, and forestry, are alive and well, and that they play a key part in local

Hazel and Thoroughsale Woods, Corby, Northamptonshire, owned by Corby Borough Council. economies and the well-being of local communities. Alun Watkins, who heads up PEFC in the UK, was delighted to present the Community Forest Award to Lincolnshires Hill Holt Wood. Congratulations also to the runner up, Hazel and Thoroughsale Woods, Corby, Northamptonshire, owned by Corby Borough Council.

RFS Excellence in Forestry Award winners and runners up at Madingley Hall, Cambridge.

REPORT FROM THE 10TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Earlier this month, PEFC UK held its tenth AGM in London. In his opening address, Peter Latham commented that although the prevailing economic climate remains challenging, the PEFC UK team continues to work hard to raise the organisations profile and grow market demand for certified timber and paper products.
PEFC UK has retained its second place position for the largest number of chain of custody certificates within the PEFC global family which now stretches across 30 countries, accounting for more than 20% of the global total. In addition, demand for the PEFC logo has remained buoyant with the number of logo licenses issued growing by more than 10%. Over the past year, PEFCs global certified forest area had grown by 7% with newly certified areas in Malaysia, Belarus, Russia, UK and Estonia now bringing the global PEFC total to over 230 million hectares and the number of forest owners engaged in the PEFC programme close to half a million. Both the PEFC Sustainable Forest Management and Chain of Custody Standards were revised in 2010. Perhaps the changes which affect the majority of UK members are those to the Chain of Custody Standard which now place greater emphasis on social issues in particular workers basic labour rights and health and safety. January saw the publication of the results of the latest bi-annual CPET Review. Since the last assessment in 2008, new criteria covering social issues, forest conversion and national implementation had been introduced. The Review found that both FSC and PEFC continue to deliver evidence of sustainability in compliance with the Governments timber policy and equally important, that both schemes have made improvements since the last assessment.

Peter concluded by expressing his appreciation to the PEFC UK Board for the time they devote to PEFCs affairs and to the Finnish Forest Foundation for their continuing support. Thanks were also due to Heritage Envelopes and Williams Lea for supplying the organisation with certified paper enabling us to significantly reduce our print costs in a year when so much new information has been published.

DEFRA SEEKS YOUR VIEWS

The Defra appointed Independent Panel on Forestry is seeking views on forests and woodlands in England, and what this important part of our landscape can and should provide, now and in the future. The Panel views this consultation as start of an ongoing dialogue with everyone who is interested in the Englands forests and woodlands. It is seeking views on what forests and woods deliver for people, communities, nature and the economy; what it is about forests and woods that people value so much and why; and what works in the practice and can be repeated in other locations. You can email your views by 31 July 2011 to forestrypanel@ defra.gsi.gov.uk or post to: Secretariat to the Independent Panel on Forestry, Defra, Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR More about the panels work can be found at www. defra.gov.uk/rural/forestry/panel

NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION TO MARK YEAR OF THE FOREST

The United Nations has designated 2011 International Year of the Forests; a year when the world celebrates peoples role in the management and conservation of forests.
Governments, UN members, conservation organisations and the private sector have all been encouraged to help raise awareness of the importance of sustainable management, conservation and development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations. As part of its International Year of the Forest activities, PEFC UK will be sponsoring a new exhibition comprising of a stunning collection of large-scale photographs by some of the worlds greatest photographers. The exhibition will open in London in October and run for eight weeks until December. This free to visit exhibition aims to promote the protection and sustainability of the worlds forests. More details will be posted on the PEFC UK website once the venue has been finalised.

CHAIN OF CUSTODY UPDATE

The 2010 revision of the PEFC Chain of Custody Standard enabled a number of changes to be made. The review was designed to improve the Standard by simplifying the text to make it easier to understand. The new Standard and the amended logo use rules can be applied from 26th November 2010, with a one year transition period. This means that certified companies will definitely be assessed against the new Standard after 26th November 2011. All certification, re-certification and surveillance audits carried out after this date will be against the new chain of custody and logo usage requirements standards. A new Guidance Document was published last month - Chain of Custody of ForestBased Products Guidance for Use (PEFC GD 2001:2011. This document provides information required to implement the requirements of the PEFC Chain of Custody Standard PEFC ST 2002:2010. This can be downloaded from the PEFC UK website: http://www.pefc.co.uk/news-page/publications-a-documentation/technicaldocumentation. In May, PEFC published a Chain of Custody for Beginners Guide. This publication is intended to help companies familiarise themselves with the most essential elements of PEFC Chain of Custody certification and requirements for using the PEFC logo and labels. It offers those involved in the implementation of PEFC Chain of Custody processes within companies an introduction to the key concepts and explains the various items covered in Chain of Custody of ForestBased Products Requirements, the PEFC Logo Usage Rules and the PEFC Logo Usage Toolkit, Second Edition.

PEFC WELCOMES NEW MEMBER

PEFC UK is delighted to welcome our newest member The Independent Print Industries Association. The IPIA is the only association that brings together print managers, print distributors, trade manufacturers, material suppliers and associated service providers to create partnerships in print. Visit www.ipia.org.uk for further information about this organisation.

CHAIN OF CUSTODY WORKSHOP AT TIMBER EXPO

PEFC will be working with BM TRADA to explain how PEFC certification can help businesses meet their eco-responsibilities and boost business at an exclusive Chain of Custody workshop during Timber Expo. This interactive event is designed to help delegates better understand the PEFC programme and the importance of chain of custody certification for anyone manufacturing, trading or procuring timber products. Delivered by a panel of industry experts, it will explain the factors driving demand for chain of custody certified products in the UK, why the PEFC chain of custody standard is so valuable, its requirements and what a chain of custody certification assessment involves. Speakers will include Peter Latham, Chairman PEFC UK, Alun Watkins, National Secretary, PEFC UK and Alasdair McGregor, BM TRADA. The workshop will be held during Timber Expo on Tuesday 27 September 2011 from 1pm to 3pm. It is free to attend but early registration is recommended as places are strictly limited. Deadline for registration is Friday 12 August 2011. For more details or to register for the workshop contact Tracey Reeve tel 0114 307 2334 or email treeve@pefc.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL PAPER LAUNCHES SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE

International Paper, the worlds largest paper and packaging company, has produced The Little Book of Commonsense - an informative guide to sustainability and the paper industry. The publication illustrates how and why to get the best usability from paper and dispels some of the most common misconceptions concerning paper and its performance, and in particular its sustainability in terms of the environment. The guide is printed on PEFC certified paper, to provide assurances of responsible sourcing. To obtain a copy of The Little Book of Commonsense: visit www.internationalpaper.com/uk or email mike.robertson@ipaper.com.

MEET PEFC
Timber Expo 27-28 September 2011 Ricoh Arena, Coventry For further details visit www.timber-expo.co.uk PEFC Chain of Custody Workshop 27 September 2011 Aylesford Lounge, Ricoh Arena, Coventry For further details visit www.pefc.co.uk PEFC Stakeholder Dialogue 9 November 2011 Montreux, Switzerland For further details visit www.pefc.co.uk Print Services Summit 14th November 2011, Radisson Blu Hotel London Stansted For further details visit info@ipia.org.uk Ecobuld 20-22 March 2012 ExCel, London For further details visit www.ecobuild.co.uk

NEW PEFC MATERIALS

In May, PEFC distributed Member Information Packs designed to help certified companies make the most of their chain of custody certification. These materials can also be downloaded from the PEFC website www.pefc.co.uk/ communicate This area of the site contains a range of materials which can be downloaded including PEFC posters which can be supplied free of charge (minimum order 6). PEFCs Annual Report was also published in May. If you would like a hard copy of this or indeed any other materials please contact Tracey Reeve on info@pefc.co.uk

CONTACTS
Alun Watkins PEFC UK National Secretary e awatkins@pefc.co.uk t 0114 307 2334 For all general enquiries and queries about chain of custody, use of the PEFC logo Hilary Khawam PEFC Communications Director e hilary.khawam@pefc.co.uk t 01689 819902 Marketing and communications enquiries

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