New certification bodies accredited against FSC standards

Stakeholders globally are invited to provide feedback on its compliance with PEFC International's Sustainability Benchmarks by 29 July 2016. Sweden was one of the first countries to achieve the PEFC endorsement of its national system back in 2000, and joins Finland (now re-endorsed) and Germany as the only other countries to submit a system for re-endorsement for a third time. There are now nearly 11.4 million hectares of PEFC-certified forests in the country. PEFC International ensures that national systems are revised regularly in multi-stakeholder processes by limiting the validity of endorsements to five years, after which they can apply for re-endorsement to continue benefitting from PEFC recognition.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) announced up to $304 million in funding for four projects to pilot transformational technologies designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) in Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas and Wyoming. Nonprofit research institute RTI International was selected for award negotiations to lead the carbon capture pilot in Mississippi in collaboration with International Paper (IP), SLB and Amazon. A first-of-its-kind for the pulp and paper industry, the pilot will be at IP's Vicksburg Containerboard Mill. The project aims to capture 120,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, an amount equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of nearly 27,000 gasoline-powered cars, and direct it to a site for permanent geologic storage. Phase 1 of this pilot project will conduct a front-end engineering design (FEED) study for a carbon capture system at IP's containerboard mill. If successful, subsequent phases would lead to permitting, construction and operation of a carbon capture plant.

Voting for the 2017 elections for the FSC US Board of Directors will be open until Sunday, August 6. Candidates include: •Sophie Beckham, International Paper, Economic Chamber •Tim Beyer, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Economic Chamber •Peggy Murphy, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Economic Chamber •Jason Grant, Sierra Club, Environmental Chamber •Linda Walker, World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Chamber •Ted Wright, Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands, Environmental Chamber •Celia (Cece) Headley, Northwest Forest Worker Center, Social The Board of Directors is FSC US’ highest governing authority. Organized under FSC’s three chamber system, the Board leads the development of national strategy, approves national forest management standards and policies, ensures effective financial oversight, and oversees the chief executive. Click Read More below for additional detail.