FSC launches dedicated site to streamline EUDR compliance

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today that Structurlam is the first Canadian manufacturer of cross-laminated timber (CLT) to be certified to the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard. Structurlam blends the expertise of wood science with the ingenuity of European fabrication to produce mass timber products including CLT, the next-generation of engineered wood products. Structurlam has manufactured CLT for six years and supplied the product to over 350 projects in North America. Extensively tested, the product has vast applications for construction. “We are excited that Structurlam is the first CLT manufacturer in Canada to be certified to the SFI Chain of Custody Standard. A few months ago I had the opportunity to visit Structurlam’s site and was impressed with their commitment to sustainability and the innovation driving their product development. Many of Structurlam’s suppliers manage forestlands certified to SFI so it is great to know that Structurlam will continue to source and build with SFI certified materials,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. Click Read More below for more of the story.

Indonesia-based Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) does not always score the most favorable press. Many publications, including TriplePundit, have cast everything from a watchful eye to scathing criticism of the company’s alleged environmental practices — or malpractices. Many NGOs, including Greenpeace, have long accused APP of dodgy deforestation throughout its Southeast Asia operations and have described the company’s words of promise as “greenwashing.” But the evidence suggests that APP, which ranks among the world’s largest pulp and paper companies and one that is important to many companies’ supply chains, is beginning to listen after a decade of withering exposes and censure from the international media. The company’s most recent sustainability report that covered its operations in China claims it has launched a bevy of environmental and social responsibility programs. They include a $140 million investment in environmental protection in 2014, which the company says has boosted its overall spending on such programs to a total of $1.4 billion. Another $5.3 million of the company’s funds have been devoted to education and community development programs.

Developing a much stronger presence in South America to better communicate the benefits of forest certification to forest owners, companies and consumers - this is the objective of the first PEFC South American Regional Workshop. The workshop, which will take place from 20-24 April 2015 in Montevideo, Uruguay, will bring together South American based PEFC organizations and external stakeholders to assess opportunities for identifying potential synergies and improving collaboration and coordination, and to develop strategies to improve market demand and access for PEFC-certified products.