Sourcing legal wood? New corruption index released … Transparency International has released the 2014 figures for the perceived corruption level in most of the world's countries. Gain an overview of the changes and their implications for legal and FSC …

First energy company in Denmark receives FSC certification … NEPCon has issued an FSC chain of custody certificate to the trade arm of the Danish energy company Verdo A/S.  The company is now able to deliver wood chips, pellets and briquettes from …

Agri-schemes top driver of forest loss in Cambodia … A recent study estimates that 90 % of Cambodian timber products are derived from forest conversion, a fact that speaks to the country’s rapid loss of forest cover. The main drivers of deforestation are …

NEPCon is now an FSC certifier … NEPCon is now an independent FSC certification body. This implies that NEPCon will no longer be providing FSC services on behalf of the Rainforest Alliance. However, the close collaboration between NEPCon and the …

Is Chain of Custody certification a “myth”? … Doubts over timber industry Chain of Custody (CoC) certification have been raised with growing intensity over the past year. We look at the reasons why the former FSC General Director André de Freitas recently …

Company risk assessments for Controlled Wood remain valid post-2015 … Until now, companies have used their own risk assessments in countries without an FSC-endorsed national or central risk assessment. Company assessments were to be eliminated from the …

NEPCon approved as Sustainable Biomass Partnership certification body … Today, the Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) announced its approval of NEPCon as the world's first SBP …

Green building - a key driver of timber certification … The use of timber in green construction is a growing trend worldwide.  Backed by innovative techniques, its eco-friendly characteristics spell golden times for  sustainable timber as a sought-after …

FSC Policy for Association in action: for better or for worse? … For the second time in two years, FSC has used its Policy for Association to disassociate from a leading timber trader. We take a close look at the impact and repercussions of the …

FSC at risk – PEFC at peace? … Over the past year, Greenpeace has stepped up its public scrutiny of the FSC system. This might lead some industries, particularly in Europe, to see PEFC as the safer choice in terms of avoiding the NGO spotlight. However, …

Time for FSC to be brave … At the close of the FSC General Assembly 2014, the good ship FSC has set its course for the next three years. But will the agreed moves be bold enough to solve the key issues that FSC is struggling with? In this commentary, …

FSC General Assembly 2014: key outcomes … As the FSC General Assembly 2014 unfolded, the temperature went up and down, perhaps reflecting the emotional state of the participants. Despite discords, there was consensus that FSC needs to modernise, to …

Mangrove mania: Snapshots from a field audit … During a field audit in mangrove forests, our auditor team learned about the woes and wonders of this enchanted …

NEPCon returns to “the Lost World" of Sabah … The Maliau Basin is one of the most pristine areas of tropical rainforest on Borneo, home to endangered species such as orangutans, leopards, pygmy elephants and hornbills. NEPCon has entered into a five-year …

FSC certification an asset for forest carbon projects … A study commissioned by the Rainforest Alliance reveals that numerous synergies exist between the FSC Principles and Criteria for forest management and voluntary forest carbon standards. Importantly, …

FSC system updates for FSC CoC certificate holders … Due to the alignment process of the FSC system with the EUTR, FSC chain of custody certified companies face a number of changed and new requirements. Several are effective immediately and need urgent …

Illegal timber is now illegal in the EU … As of today, it is illegal for companies to place illegal timber on the EU market, owing to the EU Timber Regulation coming into force. NEPCon's Executive Director Peter Feilberg welcomes the landmark legislation …

Is Indonesian V-Legal timber FLEGT licensed? … Indonesian timber accompanied by “V-Legal Documents” which carry the name of FLEGT recently started to appear in the marketplace. The reference to FLEGT has caused a widespread misconception that the V-Legal …

Guidance provides clarifications and reveals potential loophole in the EU Timber Regulation … On 9 November 2012, the long-awaited guidance document clarifying important details of the EU Timber Regulation was presented by EU. It provides clarification on …

New corruption figures: implications for legal timber sourcing … On 5 December 2012, Transparency International released the results of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) …