Beyond timber – will FSC put a price on the wider forest values? … Can we put a price on drinking water, Orang-utans, cultural or historical sites in pursuit of conserving these values? Issues around these questions were raised during yesterday’s meeting …

Underwater forests – FSC's next frontier? … Close to 300 million trees are currently standing underwater, yet this vast resource remains largely untouched and ignored by the global timber market. Canadian-based Triton Logging has pioneered the field of …

Controlled Wood: hot in 2008, red-hot in 2011? … Transparency, consistency, credibility: words that express core values for FSC and are often heard in the debate surrounding FSC Controlled Wood. We asked Greenpeace how they see FSC's progress on this …

FSC Principles & Criteria review: for better or for worse? … The fundamental principles for good forest management, the global Principles & Criteria (P&C) were heavily debated among FSC’s members over the weekend. A key issue of concern was whether they …

Jameson French: “Some said I was a communist” … Jameson French relays what it was like to be one of the early proponents of FSC among the US industry. Today, many of his earlier critics are certified …

Sabah: Conversion criterion hinders expansion of FSC … There had to be a cut-off date, and FSC chose the year 1994. After that point, certification of plantations converted from natural forest is excluded. But FSC certification was invented as a …

Small but essential … Has FSC made the step-change needed to meet this ambitious goal in its Global Strategy to boost FSC certification in the tropics and among communities? Some exciting initiatives are underway, so we look at how the 2008 motions have …

FSC to create online tool for timber traceability … FSC has announced that it is in the process of developing an online platform for tracing FSC-certified timber products throughout the certified supply …

Icecream with a touch of frog … Need something good to cool you down on a hot summer's day? Buy a Magnum icecream and support responsible land use, for the benefit of the environment and the local people who produce the cocoa used for the delicious …

The Netherlands: endorsement of PEFC reconfirmed … Prompted by complaints filed by several NGOs, the Dutch Timber Procurement Assessment Committee (TPAC) has re-assessed the PEFC international …

Increased flexibility for using reclaimed materials in FSC products … FSC has released a new version of its standard “Sourcing reclaimed material for use in FSC Product Groups or FSC Certified Projects” (FSC-STD-40-007 …

New tool helps importers transition to new EU timber law … NEPCon and the Rainforest Alliance are launching a new tool today that will aid companies importing timber into the EU to identify and manage weakness in their supply chains. Importers urgently …

Graphic industries embrace forest certification for comeback … Historically, the paper and print industry has been an important driver of forest certification worldwide. Now this role is set to grow even stronger. Forestry certification schemes play a …

McDonald's gives preference to FSC for packaging … Sandwish wraps, fry boxes, takeout bags and trayliners. …

Carbon investors turn to forestry … At an Environmental Finance conference this month, financers signalled strong interest to invest in forest carbon …

Maersk Line launches responsible container flooring … One of the world’s biggest sea carriers, Maersk Line, has announced an ambitious procurement policy for container floorboards. The aim is to ensure that any wood in the container flooring derives from …

Indonesia and Liberia sign deals with EU to cut illegal timber trade … On the 4th and 9th of May respectively, Indonesia and Liberia signed Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) with the EU, pledging to halt illegal timber harvesting in their …

Pilot tests bring contractor certification closer to reality in Spain … Contractor certification is looking promising in Spain, and is likely to boost FSC certification among small and medium sized …

Australian timber act under way … The Australian government has released an "Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill 2011" for public consultation. The proposed Act bans illegal timber products from entering the Australian market and importers of illegal wood …

Will the EU Timber Regulation be effective? … Tim Grabiel from the organisation of activist lawyers ClientEarth puts the EU Timber Regulation on trial: will it effectively exclude illegal timber from the EU marketplace? The answer rests in the detail …