Give your feedback on the new PEFC EUDR DDS standard module

The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) recently announced its biennial international Blue Sky Young Researchers Award contest to generate interest and raise awareness around innovations taking place in the world of forestry. The ICFPA is an international group representing twenty-eight countries from around the world that liaises with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) on forest policy development and shares leading practices. It supports important dialogue across this global network to promote global forest policy commitments on sustainable forest management, recycling, innovation, water conservation, mitigating climate change, ensuring a safe and inclusive workplace, and optimizing the use of environmentally-friendly wood and paper-based products.

It’s been an eventful year since the Sappi Chair in Climate Change and Plantation Sustainability was launched at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). As we celebrate another World Environment Day on 05 June the Forestry team at Wits reflects on a year of significant progress, characterised by collaboration and dialogue. Under the guidance of Professor Mary Scholes - an internationally recognised authority on tree physiology and climate change- the team has pioneered research and capacity-building initiatives that equip the forestry industry to navigate the challenges of climate change. With the southern hemisphere’s winter heralding a forecast of scant rainfall, the insights provided by the Wits Research Chair to the forestry industry on El Nino impacts and the risk of increased wildfire prevalence in the 2024 fire season in South Africa’s plantation regions, is just one of the crucial areas where this research is proving to be invaluable.

Auditors from around Southeast Asia are invited to join our Chain of Custody auditor training session, with a special focus on the Due Diligence System (DDS) for sourcing from smallholders. The training takes place in Yangon, Myanmar, 2-3 May, with an optional field trip and demonstration audit on 4 May. Sign up now! The training costs USD350/person for all three days (including field trip). This includes lunch and training material. The training will be in English. You will receive a certificate of attendance after successful completion of the course. Register for the training! Registration deadline is 25 April 2019. Click Read More below for additional detail.