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 …

FSC remains sole forest scheme for LEED Green Building … Should the forestry benchmark of LEED - the US rating system for green building – be changed, permitting non-FSC schemes to earn green building credits? This question has been buzzing in the …

Sourcing FSC Controlled Wood? Beware of new corruption figures … If you are sourcing FSC Controlled Wood, you should take stock of new corruption figures released by Transparency International on the 26th of …

Verified legal teak furniture from Indonesia hits the market … “When most of the industry shifted away from Indonesia in the late 1990s,” says Rene De Kok, ScanCom International’s commercial director, “we continued to build our presence there, investing …

FSC may soften Controlled Wood requirements for co-products … Two draft advice notes put out by FSC imply changes for companies currently operating within the transitory requirements that apply to co-product inputs used in FSC product groups under the FSC …

Borneo company takes legality verification one step further … Yayasan Sabah Group has obtained the very first Verification of Legal Compliance (VLC) statement ever issued by the Rainforest Alliance to a Forest Management …

Leading retailers push to halt trade in illegal wood products … As the EU debates a new regulation to halt trade in illegal timber products, a group of leading retailers with strong wood purchasing policies are stressing the importance of landing an …

The Rainforest Alliance lifts suspension of FSC certification for IKEA subsidiary … Following an appeal process, the Rainforest Alliance has lifted the suspension of the FSC Forest Management certificate held by Swedwood Karelia in …

EU ministers: thumbs down to ban on illegal wood import … During a meeting on the 15th of December, the EU Council of Agricultural Ministers decided against a proposal to put an EU-wide legal ban on trade in illegal wood products - a move that would match …

Spanish wood industries call on forest operations to get certified … In a recent communication, three major associations representing the Spanish wood industry - pulp and paper manufacturers, wood processing companies and furniture makers - called for …

PEFC certification does not meet FSC Controlled Wood criteria … A report published by FSC concludes that PEFC certification is insufficient evidence of compliance with the FSC Controlled Wood requirements, and that therefore PEFC certified material should …

Lidl launches FSC-labeled drink cartons on the German market … German consumers will soon become even more familiar with the tick-mark tree and the letters …

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 …

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 …

Social issues in the FSC supply chain: real change in sight? … For the first time, FSC’s Chain of Custody standard covers social issues such as the ILO core conventions and occupational health and …

Illegal logging: Will EU legislation match the US Lacey Act? … During a key international meeting on illegal logging, significant early effects of the US Lacey Act were highlighted, while it seems likely that similar proposed EU legislation to combat …

FSC group certification of forests: New rules under way … A new FSC standard for group certification of forest operations is being finalized, and FSC sent out the final draft for public …

Catching up with the new agriculture standard: How Indonesia is doing … The Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard has triggered several changes in agricultural operations. Stakeholders in Indonesia must improve their approach to …

Roadmap to sustainability: A look into Catalonia Hotels & Resorts' responsible practices … From small steps in reducing energy consumption to participating in biodiversity conservation projects, Catalonia Hotels & Resorts has redefined what it means to be …