A whirlwind trip around Asia for PEFC’s CEO

Three weeks, five countries, countless meetings and many air miles! It has been an action packed month for Ben Gunneberg, the CEO of PEFC International.

“It has been fantastic to travel around Asia this past month,” said Ben. “From meeting with our members, old and new, to highlighting the benefits of PEFC to a wide range of industry professionals and government representatives.”

Indonesia
Ben began his trip in Indonesia, attending the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation (IFCC) Stakeholder Meeting in Jakarta. IFCC is our national member in Indonesia. Since their endorsement back in 2014, they have been working hard to increase the forest area under PEFC certification.

Japan
TOCOPG Meeting 2017From there Ben headed to Japan. One of the key meetings was with the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOPG), which he attended alongside the Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC) – our national member in Japan.

“As the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games come closer, it is vital that PEFC and SGEC certified materials are at the forefront of the procurement policies, ensuring that the many Olympic facilities are built with sustainable and local materials,” said Ben, following the meetings.

China
In China, Ben met with the Research Institute of Wood Industry (CRIWI), part of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, as well as our national member, the China Forest Certification Council (CFCC).

“CRIWI is an extremely influential institute within the Chinese wood industry,” said Ben. “We have already begun working with them to help promote PEFC and CFCC certification around China.”

Republic of Korea
After flying across the Yellow Sea to the Republic of Korea, Ben visited the offices of one of our newest members, the Korea Forestry Promotion Institute (KoFPI). KoFPI joined the PEFC alliance last year and is currently developing the national forest certification system.

Singapore
Ben’s final destination was Singapore, where he had a packed schedule, including a meeting with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA). Check out the video below to see Ben highlight why certification matters to business, during a special lunchtime talk at Eco Business.
http://pefc.org/news-a-media/general-sfm-news/2384-a-whirlwind-trip-around-asia-for-pefc-s-ceo

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