With the endorsement of IFCC’s sustainable community forest management certification, PEFC forest certification is now more accessible for Indonesia’s community forest management. The system was developed by the Indonesian Forest Certification Cooperation (IFCC), our national member for Indonesia, in collaboration with local communities, and supported by the 2015 PEFC Collaboration Fund. “It is fantastic to see that our Collaboration Fund has paved the way to forest certification for Indonesia’s small- and family forest owners,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. "As of 1 June 2019, Indonesia has a total of 3.09 million hectares of forests managed by 679,467 households included in the Social Forestry program,” said Dradjad Wibowo, Chairman of IFCC.

Keep Me Posted (KMP) is a global advocacy campaign working for the right of every consumer to choose, free of charge, how they receive important information from their service providers – on paper or electronically. Overseen by Two Sides North America, the KMP North America campaign focuses on educating and challenging corporations that are removing consumer choice and charging fees for paper. KMP compiled online and email comments from a survey by Consumer Action and the Keep Me Posted and Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications websites. The comments were compiled into the latest KMP fact sheet to demonstrate why paper documents are important to millions of North American consumers. The testimonials had common themes as to why consumers want the choice to continue to receive paper documents.

While Koehler may be a globally active company, it doesn’t focus exclusively on the big stuff. Its immediate surroundings also play an important role for the company. This is equally true when it comes to recruiting employees as it is with preserving the environment. So it came as no surprise when theKoehler Paper Group’s environmental officer, Rolf Peter, actively supported the campaign day “A Half Day for the Environment”. Other Koehler employees also took part. The task of the day was to build bird nesting boxes that would serve as breeding grounds for cavity nesters – such as the great tit, blue tit, nuthatch, starling, redstar, black flycatcher and the two sparrow species – in the ecologically important and scenic orchard meadows of Kugeleck.

Last October, storm "Vaia" hit northern Italy with 150 km per hour winds, damaging forests in Trentino, Friuli, Veneto and Lombardy – the regions that provide two thirds of all Italian timber. The winds knocked down 20 million trees – over 8.5 million cubic metres of wood – equal to the amount of wood harvested in five to seven years of average silviculture. Regional governments estimated damages of more than a billion euros. No single event of extreme weather had ever caused such extensive destruction to Italian forests. But also the reaction it triggered appeared, in its own way, unprecedented. In the aftermath of the disaster, PEFC Italy launched a ‘fair supply chain’ to mitigate the environmental and socio-economic impact. They urged public forestry consortia, mountain communities and private firms to collect and purchase timber from the damaged forests at fair prices.

Amazon announced the early completion of its commitment to host 50 solar systems on its fulfillment and sortation center rooftops globally by 2020. Additionally, Amazon was ranked #1 in the U.S. for the amount of corporate on-site solar installed in 2018 by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The on-site solar systems reduce Amazon’s reliance on fossil fuels, and can generate as much as 80 percent of a single fulfillment facility’s annual energy needs. Amazon’s on-site solar investments support Shipment Zero – Amazon’s vision to make all Amazon shipments net zero carbon, with 50% of all shipments net zero by 2030 – as well as its companywide goal to use 100% renewable energy across its global operations and infrastructure.

“EPA’s proposed rule recognizes Washington’s stringent, but attainable standards to protect human health for all communities, and we will work to see that this dynamic is ultimately maintained,” said Harman. “Washington has a long record of scientifically-based environmental stewardship. The 2016 rule proposed for withdrawal imposed federally-mandated, unachievable standards that provide no measurable human health improvement.” BACKGROUND: AF&PA has long advocated that the Obama Administration’s federal rule wrongfully over-rode Washington’s comprehensive approach to high water quality standards. In February of 2017, AF&PA joined with eight other organization in filing a joint petition with EPA, arguing that the Washington state standards provided a more attainable, yet protective approach to water quality. Click Read More below for additional information.

The difference between people’s perception of the impact of paper on the environment and fact has been highlighted in a groundbreaking study by Two Sides Of all the world’s materials, paper is perhaps the most misunderstood. While no one doubts the environmental damage the burning of fossil fuels and disposal of single-use plastics is doing to the planet, there’s still a lot of confusion around paper and how its use affects the climate. To counter the many misconceptions about print and paper, and its impact on the environment, Two Sides commissioned a wide-ranging European study to assess people’s perceptions of paper and the often large differences between these perceptions and fact. Not only did the study uncover a series of common misconceptions about paper, but it underlined the enduring value paper and print has in a society increasingly dominated by digital media. Click Read More below for additional information.

We received 668 comments during the 60-day global public consultation on our revised PEFC Chain of Custody and PEFC Trademarks standards. The Working Group responsible for revising these documents will now consider all the comments at their next meeting in September. The global public consultation is an essential part of the PEFC standards setting process. Up to this point, a multi-stakeholder group (known as the working group) has developed the documents. For these two standards, this includes group representatives from forest industries, certified companies, certification bodies, labour organizations and PEFC members. The public consultation is when we share the work done by the working group with the rest of the world. This is important for gaining additional feedback and insights. No matter where they live, stakeholders can give their input and share their knowledge, helping to shape these vital standards. Click Read More below for additional information.

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we have spoken a lot about the importance of small-forest owners. They are the reason we were created. But how do we ensure that they can access certification? The answer is group certification. Group certification enables small-forest landowners to group together and organize themselves, pool their resources and work as a team to achieve certification. This makes PEFC certification affordable and practical for smallholders. Around one million small-forest owners have achieved PEFC certification through group certification, and the number continues to grow. This is a testimony to the fact that forest certification is possible for small landholders, and that it is a powerful and cost-effective way of promoting forest conservation and sustainable management. Click Read More below for additional information.

This summer, Zac Wagman of Project Learning Tree (PLT) Canada embarked on a cross-country adventure to celebrate and promote youth working in green jobs that include wildlife management, forest management, forest-based programs, conservation and environmental education. Wagman started his Green Ride for Green Jobs bike ride across Canada in May and is riding from coast to coast (more than 5,400 miles) for the rest of the summer. Wagman plans to make more than 100 stops, one of them being with Domtar Dryden employees, and highlight 2,000 green jobs in Canadian communities. “We want to raise awareness of the incredible jobs and career pathways that exist in forestry,” says Wagman. “Nobody I knew growing up worked in forestry or had anything to do with forestry, so I didn’t even know it was an option. Had I known back then how rewarding and fulfilling this industry is, I would have likely gone down this pathway a lot earlier.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Hosted in Tokyo on 24 June, the SGEC/PEFC Forest Certification Forum commemorated our 20th anniversary and celebrated the enduring role of forest certification in improving the social and environmental conditions of the world’s forests. The Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC) is our PEFC national member for Japan. For Japan, as for the rest of the world, consumers and industry alike are increasingly demanding the materials they use and buy are certified as originating from sustainably managed forests. The country is therefore experiencing a rising interest and demand for the certification of its forests. “With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games approaching, the PEFC endorsement of the Japanese forest certification system means this, and other construction projects, can benefit from certified timber, provided locally through SGEC,” said Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International CEO. Click Read More below for additional information.

Three years into its five-year initiative to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown) (www.crowncork.com) has achieved 94% of its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. As of December 31, 2018, Crown achieved a 9.43% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per billion standard units. Absolute emissions have decreased by 1.7% even as production has increased by 8.4%. In 2016, the Company announced plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 10% per billion standard units of production from 2015 levels by the end of 2020. In addition, in 2018, 100% of Crown's U.K. facilities were powered by direct supply of renewable electricity. This milestone brings the Company's use of renewable electricity worldwide to 6.7% and supports its pledge to the RE100 initiative, which focuses on accelerating the transition to zero carbon grids on a global scale. Crown has committed to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2050. Click Read More below for additional information.

The creation of PEFC in June 1999 was a turning point for small-forest owners in Europe. It marked the start of an international forest certification system that put their needs first, enabling them to achieve certification and access demanding markets. But it wasn’t long before forest owners outside Europe could also benefit… As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, over the next few months we’re going to be taking a look at our history. Today it is our early years. After the establishment of PEFC in June 1999, we needed an office and to decide which country we would be based in. Luxembourg was chosen, and within a year, the PEFC Secretariat office was up and running and the small team had got to work. In order to communicate to the PEFC members and the wider forestry sector, the first PEFC newsletter was released in March 2000 – take a look! And not to forget, back then we were called the Pan European Forest Certification (PEFC) Council. Click Read More below for additional information.

Smurfit Kappa has opened a new recycling plant in the Tuscan region of Italy, strengthening its recovered paper service in the region. Smurfit Kappa Marlia will process approximately 15,000 tonnes of recovered paper annually and this is expected to increase to 25,000 tonnes next year. The new plant is strategically located in the district where 60% of Italian containerboard and 90% of tissue paper is produced. The Marlia depot works closely with the local council, supermarkets and businesses to collect used paper and board which is transported to the Smurfit Kappa Ania Paper Mill in Lucca where it is used as raw material to produce new containerboard. Speaking about the new facility, General Manager, Luca Mannori, said: “We are delighted to have this new plant up and running, which is further evidence of our ongoing commitment to sustainable development and an important addition to the region. Click Read More below for additional information.

A growing number of actual and proposed bans on single-use plastic products, such as grocery bags, straws and water bottles, are feeding a worldwide appetite for bioalternatives, such as reusable, refillable and/or recyclable products and packaging. As a result, we’re seeing renewed markets for existing paper-based products and new opportunities for innovation in plant-based biomaterials. Take a look at some of the latest global efforts to reduce our dependency on plastic: •Canada announced in June that it plans to ban single-use plastics starting in 2021. •Mexico City’s ban on plastic bags, utensils and other disposable plastics will go into effect next year. •New York, California and Hawaii, as well as several major U.S. cities, have banned plastic bags, joining 127 countries that have similar bans or regulations already in place. •Schools in the United Kingdom will eliminate all single-use plastics, including cling film, by 2022. •India, one of the world’s most populated countries, will ban all single-use plastics by 2022. •The European Parliament voted to ban single-use plastic cutlery, straws, stirrers, cotton buds, cups and more in a sweeping initiative that will include all European Union member states. Click Read More below for additional information.

Highlights of the past year include: •Co-founded the Alliance for Period Supplies to help women and girls in need access period supplies; •Met absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals four years early, down 27% (vs. 2005 baseline); •Reduced use of fiber from natural forest landscapes by 30% since 2011; •Diverted more than 21,000 metric tons of material to higher value alternatives; •Reduced our water use at our facilities in high-stress regions by 24%; and •Introduction of alternative energy sources across six manufacturing sites, including wind, solar and cogeneration projects. Click Read More below for additional information.

With summer in full swing, REI Co-op and AutoCamp are bringing new immersive experiences to Yosemite National Park. REI has launched six fully guided day tours for visitors to fully experience the wonder of one of the nation’s most epic natural places. Guests staying at AutoCamp’s newly opened high-end outdoor lodging property can arrange their REI-led hikes with optional transportation to and from the comfort of their custom Airstream or luxury canvas tent. A guided day tour with the expertise of a local guide is an incredible way to bask in the park’s majesty, including North America’s tallest waterfall, giant Sequoia groves, sparkling lakes and abundant wildlife,” said Seth Heald, REI director North America operations. “We are excited to partner with AutoCamp and expand on our collaboration as they too are focused on providing unique and unrivaled experiences.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Environmental claims such as “go green - go paperless” and “save trees” are regularly used by banks, telecoms, utilities, insurance companies and many other service providers, as they encourage their customers to switch from paper to lower cost electronic bills and statements. However, a Two Sides global anti-greenwash campaign operating since 2010 has found that the majority of these claims are unsubstantiated and misleading. To date, Two Sides has successfully engaged with 441 companies worldwide to remove or change such claims about print and paper. Sectors showing the highest occurrence of greenwashing include telecom providers, banks and financial institutions, utility providers and governmental organizations. In North America, 120 companies, including many of the Fortune 500, have changed or removed their environmental claims following discussions with Two Sides. “Environmental claims in the U.S. and Canada must meet the guidelines and rules of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission¹ and the Competition Bureau of Canada² which include having credible and specific science-based facts to support claims. Unfortunately, we have found that these requirements are rarely met and corporations use ‘go green’ claims purely for marketing and enticing more customers to digital options. Click Read More below for additional information.

“From his first days in office, President Trump demonstrated support for U.S. manufacturing by directing his Administration to expedite permits for modernizing or constructing efficient and globally competitive manufacturing facilities and to reduce unwarranted regulatory burdens. We strongly support the continuation of these efforts, including regulatory certainty for our industry’s sustainable use of bioenergy and systemic regulatory reforms to ensure government regulation does more good than harm. Moreover, the pulp and paper industry has made consistent voluntary progress in improving our energy efficiency by more than 10 percent and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 20 percent since 2005 and has achieved a record 68.1 percent paper recovery for recycling. We applaud sustainable regulation that promotes both economic and environmental progress for our nation.” Click Read More below for additional information.

While there is a definite day on which PEFC was founded – the 30th June 1999 – the idea that led to PEFC evolved during a range of meetings and discussions that lasted over a year. PEFC was neither the only, nor the most significant, outcome of these discussions. But what could be more significant than PEFC, an organization that evolved to become the world’s leading forest certification system? Passion, or more concretely, the understanding of small- and family forest owners that they all share the same passion for forests, for responsible forest management. That they all benefit from collaboration and cooperation, from sharing best practices and mutually supporting each other. And that they needed to start speaking with one voice to get themselves heard – and PEFC became part of this voice. Click Read More below for additional information.

Stewart Holm, AF&PA Chief Scientist: “Proponents of AB 161 have continually repeated environmental and health concerns about paper receipts that simply are not true. Paper receipts are safe for consumers and point-of-sale employees, and to make claims to the contrary to frighten the public is irresponsible. The scientific community has not established any health risks associated with exposure through paper receipts, which is why Californians have received no warnings about the dangers of handling receipts under Proposition 65. Furthermore, paper receipts are an environmentally responsible option. “If the bill’s supporters were truly concerned about alleged health hazards of paper receipts, state lottery tickets, parking tickets, boarding passes and other government receipt documentation would not be exempt from AB 161. These legislators know paper receipts produced by the state of California are as safe as any receipt generated by local businesses, but they have no problem burdening business owners and consumers in the name of unfounded science.”

Climate change is mitigated by emission cuts and by binding atmospheric carbon dioxide to plants and soil. UPM is doing research to evaluate the size of the carbon sink generated by its brassica carinata plantations – a new feedstock for biofuel production – in Uruguay. Carbon sequestration or capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in plants and soil, is an efficient way to mitigate climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasises in its 2018 report how important carbon sinks in forests and soil are in alleviating the impact of climate change. “Cultivating carinata in Uruguay benefits not only the environment, but local farmers and UPM´s businesses as well,” confirms Liisa Ranta, Sustainability Manager, UPM Biofuels Development. “The plant provides an excellent feedstock for our biofuels production. And because the carinata farms absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the carbon footprint of our renewable fuels is diminished further. As important, local farmers will have extra income from cultivating carinata as a second crop.” Click Read More below for additional information.

With the deadline of 9 July approaching, don’t miss your opportunity to give your feedback on the revised PEFC Chain of Custody and PEFC Trademarks standards. These two vital international standards are entering the last stage of their revision, and now we need to hear from you. Give your comments, feedback and suggestions, to help us ensure these standards meet your needs and expectations. Give your feedback – deadline 9 July 2019. To provide you with more information about the proposed changes to both standards, we held a series of webinars during the public consultations. To find out more about our ongoing standards revision process, including which standards are currently under revision and which ones have already been approved, visit our PEFC Standards Revision website. Click Read More below for additional information.

20 years ago, European small-forest owners came together to create an international forest certification system that had their needs at heart. On 30 June 1999, PEFC was born. From January 2019 to June 2020, we are celebrating the achievements from 20 years of caring for forests globally and locally. Through a series of chapters, we will tell the story of PEFC, from the early ideas back in 1999, until today. From July to June, we will publish texts, photos and videos about PEFC’s history, approach, members, stakeholders and much more. Each month, one chapter will shed light on another facet of PEFC. Voices of the past and present will speak about highlights from the last 20 years, key events that have shaped the organisation, and the future of PEFC. Click Read More below for additional information.

Volunteers at the UPM Changshu Mill in China spread green awareness and social wellbeing through youth-driven projects. Wang Feng smiles as she recalls a special moment she experienced while walking down the street one day. “A group of kids came up to me and said, ‘this is the lady who teaches us how to look after our planet,” says Wang, an energy engineer at UPM’s Changshu Mill. Wang is a familiar face to many children in Changshu, as since 2011 she has been regularly visiting local schools to educate kids about low-carbon living and energy saving as part of the UPM Green Future project – an experience she describes as “extremely rewarding”. “I have gained a lot from interacting with young people who are eager to learn. My family and friends are also very proud of what I’m doing,” says Wang, who additionally takes part in organising educational summer camps on the mill site. Click Read More below for additional information.