Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
sustainable forestry
world wide web at www.pefc.org
There anyone can search and
find information on any
certificate or logo licence
number relating to any forest or
chain of custody certification in
every PEFC-endorsed scheme.
and forest certification
Check it out for yourself online.
It’s what you
For more information please visit our web pages to find out the local PEFC contact
in your country: www.pefc.org sell that makes
the difference
Certification – a ready-made
assurance mechanism
PEFC provides an assurance mechanism
to purchasers of wood and paper products
that they are promoting the sustainable
management of forests. Sustainably
managed forests are those whose
management implements performance
standards based on internationally agreed
environmental, social and economic
requirements that form the cornerstones
of sustainability. Although many forests
are sustainably managed, the only way to
provide credible proof of this is through
independent checking.
By and large wood-based products have a
better overall environmental record than
Therefore someone who is independent,
competitor materials, but questions have
qualified and impartial – a certifier – needs
arisen about the management of the forests
to check that the forests are managed on
from which the wood originates. In order
the ground according to these cornerstones
to address this and to reassure their
and other key elements such as international
customers, industry and retailers need to
conventions including the International
provide proof that the products they sell
Labour Organisation (ILO) core conventions.
come from sustainably managed forests.
This is called forest certification.
In addition, a voluntary private sector proof
mechanism can be useful in complementing
Similarly, a certifier has to check that
government law enforcement endeavours to
enterprises have wood accounting systems
combat illegal logging.
in place, so that wood from a certified
forest can be traced from harvested tree
through to finished product. This is
called chain of custody certification.
Every enterprise is a link in the overall
‘chain’ for the wood from forest to the
final product. It is therefore important
that all enterprises dealing with wood
have their area of responsibility certified
to ensure that this ‘chain’ is complete.
Certification – what’s in it for you? responsible corporate citizens and
increasing access to their markets.
Forest and chain of custody certifications play
In addition, more and more customers
different roles for different stakeholders:
now specify wood from certified
sources only and, in some markets,
● consumers can support sustainable
demand is outstripping supply.
forestry through the purchase of products
that use raw material harvested from
● the wood-processing industry can
certified forests.
improve the image of its sector and
promote the use of its products.
● retailers/traders (customers of the
wood-processing industry) can support
● woodland owners can provide
their business activity by promoting
independent proof that their forests
the use of wood/paper products from
are managed according to sound
sustainably managed sources,
environmental, social and economic
fostering their public image as
practices adapted to local conditions,
and so improve market prospects for
their timber.
Protective Biological
functions of diversity General
Soil erosion forests protection
General Threatened
protection species Biodiversity Rare ecosystems
Water in production
conservation forests