Forest Stewardship Council to Commend Tough UK Scheme
10/25/99
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Title: The Forest Stewardship Council to Commend the UK Woodland
Assurance Scheme
Source: Environment News Service
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: October 25, 1999
OAXACA, Mexico- The Forest Stewardship Council will commend the UK
Woodland Assurance Scheme standard at its international board meeting
taking place October 29 through November 3.
Launched last June, the Woodland Assurance Scheme established a
national certification standard for British forestry that meets the
highest international standards for forest management. Timber from
forests that reach this standard is expected to carry the eco-label
of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), guaranteeing that timber
comes from well-managed sustainable forests.
With full recognition and implementation of the Woodland Assurance
Scheme, the volume of UK-produced timber that carries the FSC label
is expected to jump from one to 75 percent -- the highest percentage
of FSC certified timber of any country in the world.
The program will allow consumers to choose to buy timber products
that are independently certified to have come from forests that meet
stringent standards of sustainability.
"We greatly look forward to UKWAS receiving formal recognition and
being able to deliver the FSC label on-product," said Anna Jenkins,
coordinator for the FSC United Kingdom working group. "We are
committed to ensuring that this happens. The forest industry, the
environmental sector, forest user groups, and FSC have all worked
extremely hard to develop a credible, world-class standard that
deserves world-class recognition.'
At the upcoming meeting, the nine-member FSC Board of Directors will
consider:
Member commitments: The board has asked for a full review and an
evaluation system of the commitments of FSC members in all categories
and chambers. This association has to decide collectively what sort
of commitment and support it expects from its members.
Position on carbon sequestration: The Council is under pressure to
develop a position on the function that forests perform in removing
the heat-trapping greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
A technical and scientific basis for the policy on genetically
modified organisms.
Whether or not the FSC needs an independent committee to take
accreditation decisions, rather than the elected board of directors.
Self-financing: The FSC aims to raise money from trademarks for its
core programme. Donors will not go on paying for much longer. The
market will have to pay.
"These are all major issues and they will be difficult challenges,"
said FSC executive director Dr. Timothy Synnott. "Yet if we have
confidence in what we are doing, we can achieve our goals."