Port Hawkesbury Paper Releases Latest Sustainability Report

With the deadline of 18 February fast approaching, make sure you do not miss your opportunity to give your feedback on our revised Group Certification standard. Take part in the…

PEFC International is delighted to welcome the Hungarian Forest Certification Non-profit Ltd. as the 41st national member joining the PEFC family. “We have learned from experience that PEFC is much more than a just label that allows consumers to make ethical purchases. PEFC is a cleverly designed, robust technical framework. Perhaps even more importantly, PEFC is a community of friendly people who care about forests and care about our future. We are proud to become a member of this community,” said Endre Schiberna, Head of the Standard Setting Committee. “Hungary is a perfect example of how the forestry sector can benefit from forest certification,” continued Mr. Schiberna. “While our forest related regulations are said to be among the most rigorous in Europe, the general public is unaware of this, even within the country. This means that Hungarian forest products are not favored by environmental-conscious consumers.”

Increasing regulatory requirements such as the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) and market pressure for responsibly produced products are posing a serious challenge to businesses, certification schemes and producers in agricultural and forest-based sectors. The RIA will develop and maintain credible risk assessments with a range of partners and across commodities offering value beyond the EUDR. Through an innovative and collaborative approach, the Alliance will encourage risk data sharing in a pre-competitive sphere and cut through the complex and costly landscape facing companies and sustainability systems. “Historically, businesses, certification schemes and other stakeholders have worked in isolation to evaluate risks. Without coordination, it is easy to imagine how they may come to different conclusions for the same indicators, wasting time, resources, and potential impact,” said David Hadley, Regulatory Impact Programme Director at Preferred by Nature.