FSC Publishes New Trademark Standard for Certificate Holders

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement regarding New Jersey’s Paper Bag Ban (NJ Senate Bill 864 / Assembly Bill 1978): “The American Forest & Paper Association opposes the action taken today by Governor Phil Murphy, signing into law a statewide ban on paper bags. This action undermines an environmentally responsible option for consumers. New Jersey is now the only state in the nation to ban paper bags, which are made from a renewable resource and are recyclable, reusable and compostable, providing a safe packaging option to protect purchases from damage and contamination. With the stroke of a pen, Governor Murphy sent an alarming message in devaluing family-wage manufacturing jobs, which are often union labor. This is an unfortunate message to send to the thousands of people working in direct and indirect jobs supported by the paper and wood products industry in the Garden State.”

A recent study by researchers at Yale University revealed that there are more than 3 trillion trees now growing on the planet, seven times more than scientists previously thought. Using a combination of satellite imagery, forest inventories, and supercomputer technologies, the international team of researchers was able to map tree populations worldwide at the square-kilometer level. Their results, published in the journal Nature, provide the most comprehensive assessment of tree populations ever produced and offer new insights into a class of organism that helps shape most terrestrial biomes.

Last month, FSC International announced that the effective dates have been delayed to September 1, 2021 for the revised Chain of Custody standard (FSC-STD-40-004 V3-1 Chain of Custody Certification) and revised Chain of Custody Evaluations standard (FSC-STD-20-011 V4-2 Chain of Custody Evaluations). The transition period has also been delayed and extended to December 31, 2022. These changes were made in consideration of the disruptions to onsite audits and auditing schedules caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to allow more time for FSC International to prepare materials for Certification Bodies and Certificate Holders to support a smooth transition.