Revised FSC Chain of Custody Directive: key changes … FSC has published an expanded version of its Chain of Custody Directive (FSC-DIR-40-004), including three new advice …

Australia passes Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill … On 19 November 2012, the Australian Senate voted in favour of the Australian Illegal Prohibition Bill, which prohibits the importing of illegally logged timber and timber products as well as processing …

FSC pushes forward on EU Timber Regulation alignment … On 31 October, FSC released an expanded version of the FSC chain of custody directive (FSC-DIR-40-004), including changes that are essential for the system's alignment with the EU Timber …

World Bank: time to get tough on forest crime … In recent years, a number of initiatives have been launched to address the problem of illegal logging, such as the EU FLEGT program addressing forest governance in tropical countries and initiatives in the …

WWF: The EU drags its feet over legality measures … In its “Government Barometer 2012”, WWF criticises EU member states for being too reluctant when it comes to on-the-ground actions that they are expected to carry out to halt the flow of illegal timber …

Australian Timber Bill endorsed … Australia has come considerably closer to adopting a new Timber Act, after a special committee of the Australian Senate has given its full support to the Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition …

Leadership needed in absence of global climate deal … Governments of the world who gathered for the climate conference in Durban were unable to agree on an international, legally-binding …

Tears, sweat, and optimism … “I’m in this for the long haul”, says Kasper Kopp, referring to his timber trading business TRACER ApS. The Danish company specialises in FSC-certified tropical timber and promotes Lesser Known Species in order to support …

Environmental devotion propels success for greeting cards … Perhaps more than other forestry products, greeting cards have a unique ability to connect with consumers on an emotional …

FSC and PEFC requirements: update on key changes … The FSC and PEFC forest certification systems are constantly evolving based on stakeholder feedback and new developments in the political and legislative …

Outlook 2012: sustainability trends in the timber market … Will the global financial crisis kill efforts to foster sustainability in the timber sector? This would seem likely, but the opposite seems to be the …

FSC aligns with the EU Timber Regulation … Minor non-certified components will need to be completely phased out of the FSC system within a year's time. FSC has found this to be a necessary move in order to ensure recognition of FSC certified products as …

Malaysian timber scheme rejected by Dutch Board of Appeal … The Board of Appeal of the Dutch Environmental Foundation has ruled to uphold a judgement made last year by the Dutch Timber Procurement Assessment Committee (TPAC). TPAC found that the PEFC …

FSC Controlled Wood standard to be amended … A new draft version of the standard for Company Evaluation of FSC Controlled Wood is open for public consultation until 30 November. It includes several new requirements, which have been added in order to …

Group FSC scheme unlocks potential for UK small enterprises … The Rainforest Alliance has awarded FSC certification to Oxford Timber Audits – the largest chain of custody group in the …

Contractors may hold key to concerns over European forestry … The European Environment Agency called for a renewed effort to improve the biological diversity in Europe’s forests through sustainable forest management in a report published on 18 October …

NGOs: PEFC fails to deliver key values … Despite recent revisions and improvements of a number of core PEFC standards, Greenpeace and eight other NGOs find that the PEFC system does not provide sufficient assurance of responsible forest …

FSC makes headway in Greenland … FSC certified wood is now available for the booming housing construction sector in Greenland. STARK, the Danish chain of professional builders merchants has expanded its multi-site FSC certificate to cover its stores in …

Survey underpins market strength of FSC … Why do companies choose to become FSC-certified? An FSC market survey report published by FSC shows that customer demands are a key driving force: as many as 83% of chain of custody certificate holders were driven …

Celebrate FSC Friday today … Individuals, companies and organisations are all doing their bit today to celebrate the wonders that forests have to offer and how FSC helps us to continue to enjoy them for the years to …