Forest Stewardship Council Relaxes Certification Rules
2/22/00
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Title: Forest Stewardship Council Relaxes Certification Rules
Source: Environment News Service, www.ens.lycos.com
Status: Copyright 2000, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: February 22, 2000
LONDON, UK, February 22, 2000 (ENS) - One of the main international
bodies promoting sustainable forestry practices has relaxed some of
its specifications for timber based products, following pressure
from European participants in the program.
One of the changes reduces the percentage of virgin wood in chip
and fiber products that must come from forests certified by the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) before products can carry the FSC
logo.
The other change permits the FSC label to be applied to batches of
similar solid wood products, such as fence poles, rather than each
individual item.
The new policy follows what Anna Jenkins of the FSC's UK working
group described as "not an easy debate" within the movement, with
some participants fearing it could amount to a "climbdown."
The UK - along with Sweden, which has by far the largest area of
forests certified by the FSC as sustainably managed - was
particularly vocal in favour of the changes, as a carrot likely to
entice more companies into the scheme.
"Certain industries have been finding it very hard to reach our
standards," Jenkins said.
Under the new rules, approved at an FSC board meeting in Oaxaca,
Mexico last week, the minimum percentage of wood from certified
forests required for chip and fiber products to bear the FSC label
has been cut from 70 percent to 30 percent. This will be raised to
50 percent by 2005, and companies whose products bear the logo will
have to develop an action plan for progressively increasing FSC
content to meet this target.
Forest management goes back to basics in Scotland where plans to
restore the important floodplain forests will lead to benefits for
wildlife and reap rewards for landowners. (Photo courtesy World Wide
Fund for Nature) Changes to the labelling of solid wood items were
needed to remove bottlenecks and prevent prohibitive costs at
sawmills, Jenkins said.
One study found that complete separation of FSC and non-FSC timber
during handling raised costs by 27 percent.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-profit,
non-governmental organization. Led by the World Wide Fund for
Nature, it was founded in 1993 by a diverse group of representatives
from environmental and conservation groups, the timber industry, the
forestry profession, indigenous peoples' organizations, community
forestry groups and forest product certification organizations from
25 countries.
FSC accredits certifying organizations. They in turn certify
forestry organizations that meet FSC developed Principles and
Criteria and other specific standards identified at the national
and/or regional levels.
There are over 90 companies in the UK now publicly committed to
buying FSC labelled timber products.
{Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily, Europe's
choice for environmental news. Environmental Data Services Ltd,
London. Email: envdaily@ends.co.uk}