Demonstrating the legality and sustainability of tropical hardwood is a must

“We are entering a new age for timber, a new industrial revolution for timber,” said Peter Latham, Chairman of PEFC international, speaking today at the first Malaysian Timber Conference.

MTC Peter 2018“This isn’t just a climate-positive story of using a renewable crop, a crop that can still lock in the carbon when at the end of its use; but also one in which certification can demonstrate how we look after our forests, how we cooperate with indigenous people, how we protect worker’s rights, and so much more.”

Peter addressed the global supply and demand for forest certification and certified timber, its associated challenges and trends, and the outlook and opportunities for forest certification, during his speech on ‘Certification: opening or closing doors to global markets for tropical hardwood’.

“In terms of global fibre consumption, tropical hardwood is a small part, but it is at the top of the pyramid, it is the prestige product,” Peter explained.

“Demonstrating that it is legal and sustainable is a necessity, a necessity that ensures that the product that we value and love is given a true value in the market place.”

The first Malaysian Timber Conference, organized by the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC), was held on 18 October 2018 at the Le Meridien Hotel in KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Themed “Towards a Better Tomorrow” the conference was opened by the Minister of Primary Industries in Malaysia, YB Teresa Kok, who emphasized the importance of sustainability in enabling the Malaysian timber industry to be well established in the global market place, adding that “sustainability and certification will determine long term success” for the timber sector.

In his welcoming remarks, the Chairman of MTC, Dato’ Low Kian Chuan, drew attention to Malaysia’s good forestry practices, with sustainable forest management practices incorporated in the national system. He highlighted that Malaysia is committed to maintaining over 50% of forest cover and preserving forests as natural heritage.

The need for certification to prove that products are from sustainable sources was a key point of the panel discussion on forest protection; with Peter adding that the “best way to protect our forest is to use our forest in a sustainable manner”.
https://pefc.org/news-a-media/general-sfm-news/2616-demonstrating-the-legality-and-sustainability-of-tropical-hardwood-is-a-must

Related Posts

General Assembly Moves FSC Into Forest Restoration

At the FSC General Assembly recently, members voted on a range of important issues. Organized into Social, Economic and Environmental Chambers, the diverse perspectives brought by FSC’s members is key to the system’s integrity and credibility. In particular, the membership voted to approve changes to the FSC Principles & Criteria that will support implementation of a new Policy to Address Conversion. This was the result of years of debate and stakeholder engagement, impacting millions of acres of forests, particularly in tropical countries. This change will bring FSC into forest restoration, to create market incentives to restore degraded and deforested lands.

Eternal renewal of forests

At UPM, we have zero tolerance for deforestration and have strict processes in place to ensure that forests always grow more than they are used. In the North, commercial forests have a growth cycle of between 60 to 100 years, so the forests we plant today will be harvested by our children and our children’s children. Jue Wang, a Senior Environmental Specialist with UPM Specialty Papers, says that there is a false belief that using paper and pulp drive deforestation. The key element to commercial forestry is imitating how natural forests grow, she adds: “We analyse the differences and try to mimic them, such as increasing the share of broadleaf trees and leaving deadwood as a habitat for insects. This way, forests can be healthier and more resilient to the environment.” Forest planning generally covers a period of ten years and defines the activity proposed for the area each year. “Through skilled management, the trees can better adapt to climate change and eventually produce a better quality of wood. It’s not about getting the most trees, but to obtain the healthiest forests in the long term,” says Wang,

Office Depot, Inc. Releases Sustainability Report Announcing New Sustainability Goals

Office Depot, Inc. announced the release of its 2019 Corporate Sustainability Report, incorporating sustainability information for Office Depot, CompuCom and Grand & Toy. Additionally, the report contains the company’s public-facing sustainability goals around energy consumption, transportation emissions and local communities. “We are committed to decreasing the company’s environmental impact through waste diversion programs, greener packaging, transportation innovations and product solutions that extend throughout the lifecycle,” said Gerry Smith, chief executive officer for Office Depot, Inc. “We look at sustainability as another challenge we can help our customers address. By supporting the social and environmental values of our customers, we are able to significantly scale our impact beyond our walls and into the workplace of every customer.” Click Read More below for additional information.
Back To Top
×Close search
Search