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 market and importers of illegal wood products risk a penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment …

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 …

Portugal low risk for Controlled Wood … Portugal has joined Australia, Chile, Switzerland and more recently the UK to have a national FSC-endorsed Controlled Wood risk assessment in place, providing guidance for buyers of FSC Controlled …

Greenpeace: FSC needs to work harder … Rapid expansion of the FSC system combined with long-standing issues affecting the system’s credibility. That is a cocktail which stakeholders of the FSC system are increasingly unwilling to swallow. Greenpeace has …

Risk assessment for the UK … Companies manufacturing FSC Mixed Sources products will now find it less burdensome to control their non-certified timber when sourcing from UK …

Help us report directly from the next FSC General Assembly … NEPCon is the first organization to report comprehensively on an FSC General Assembly, and is looking to continue this initiative at the upcoming event in June.  …

Large concessions in Africa embark on legality verification … Three concessions held by the company SODEFOR in the DR Congo have successfully gone through Verification of Legal Origin (VLO) assessments carried out by the Rainforest Alliance. The …

Chatham House meeting: EU illlegal timber law requires urgent action … What steps can European companies take to keep up to speed with the new EU timber legislation? And do they have enough time? At Chatham House last week, the European Commission shed …