The ongoing war in Ukraine has contaminated certified forests with explosive objects. As a result, substantial areas have had to be excised from the scope of certification. To achieve this goal, the current Forest Stewardship Standard (FSS) for Ukraine has been updated (FSC-STD-UKR-01.1-2024) to include criteria for excising contaminated areas as well as specific, nationally adapted indicators and verifiers. Those requirements are based on the scenario presented in Clause 2.2 of the FSC Policy on the Excision of Areas from the Scope of Certification. After the initial registration of the process by the Performance and Standards Unit of FSC (PSU) in March 2023, the Standard Development Group developed an updated draft in consultation with forestry authorities, the Ministry of Defense, the State Emergency Service, and other relevant bodies. The Policy Steering Group approved the updated FSS in June 2024.

Tree planting, or reforestation, is one of the many solutions to climate change due to the ability of trees to sequester substantial amounts of carbon as they grow. Governments worldwide are backing ambitious initiatives, encouraging people to donate time and money to reforestation projects. However, many tree planting projects designed to offset carbon emissions have faced criticism for failing to create sustainable forests. Numerous reforestation efforts have ended in failure. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that a large-scale government-organized tree planting project in Northern California had insignificant impact on carbon sequestration or tree cover. Similarly, a study by the Nature Conservancy questioned the environmental benefits of a government-funded tree-planting program in Mexico, concluding that forest loss rates were higher in states implementing the plan than in those that did not. In the Philippines, the National Greening Program was deemed a failure by its own government, achieving only a fraction of its intended forest cover increase.

In 2023, Sappi Europe’s Kirkniemi Mill in Lohja, Finland successfully transitioned to renewable biomass energy, reducing its Scope 1 emissions, direct emissions from Sappi’s own operations, by 90%. Building on the significant investment made to Kirkniemi’s energy systems, clean electricity is now also being supplied to the mill, eliminating scope 2, indirect emissions. These efforts have led to a 55% overall reduction in the carbon footprint of Sappi’s Galerie paper range, which is estimated to reach a remarkable 70% by the end of the year. This transformation is among nearly 80 projects outlined in Sappi Europe’s decarbonisation roadmap, a blueprint that will see the company’s energy-related sustainability targets through to 2025. This also closely aligns with Sappi’s science-based targets for 2030.

FSC is pleased to announce the official publication of the new FSC Forest Stewardship Standard for Peru, which covers all categories of Management Units in natural forests and plantations, including small and low intensity managed forests, as well as Non-Timber Forest Products. This standard, effective October 15, 2024, not only focuses on productive management, but also encompasses conservation management and forest restoration. Peru, being a country rich in natural forests, has a territory where almost 60% is covered by forests (Ministry of Environment (MINAM), 2024), covering a total area of 82,543,385 hectares as of 2019. These forests include Amazonian forests (94.2%), dry forests (4.7%) and Andean forests (1.1%), with a diversity of 42 types of forests on the coast, highlands and jungle, each with its own unique richness. These ecosystems are fundamental to Peru and the world, providing invaluable benefits such as natural resources, water and food, as well as playing a crucial role in stabilizing the climate and environment. They are also the home and livelihood of indigenous communities, representing a great potential for the development of sustainable productive initiatives that generate well-being for the people who live in them.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is pleased to announce its renewed partnership with world geospatial company, Esri. This is the third year of a large-scale collaboration aimed at integrating cutting-edge technology to advance global sustainable forest management. FSC has tapped into Esri’s in-kind support to bolster efforts to build out a comprehensive map of certified forests worldwide. In addition to increasing technological access for forest managers, it has enhanced monitoring of deforestation. “If you can’t map the forest, you can’t measure or track it,” says Scot McQueen, FSC’s Senior Technology Officer, who spearheaded the FSC-Esri partnership and recruited Esri to FSC’s Technology Consortium. Building on past successes, this ongoing collaboration will support FSC’s solutions for forest managers as they prepare to comply with the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), set to take effect later this year. EUDR mandates comprehensive reporting requirements for forest-based products entering the market from late December 2024, including the need for geospatial data, traceability, and risk assessments.

Stakeholders from around the world are invited to give feedback on the Austrian Forest Certification System. Deadline for comments is 6 September. Give your feedback. PEFC Austria revised the country’s national forest certification system to ensure its forest management standard is up-to-date and continues to meet stakeholder demands and expectations. The Austrian system was submitted to PEFC after being revised in line with PEFC requirements. The system is now undergoing the PEFC assessment process, carried out by an independent PEFC Registered Assessor. It must pass this assessment to maintain its PEFC endorsement. An important aspect of the assessment process is the public consultation. Over the sixty-day consultation, stakeholders from around the world can give their comments and provide feedback on any aspect of the system. The Registered Assessor will use the information received from this consultation in their assessment of the system.

If you have an interest in packaging policy or sustainable packaging, you have likely heard the term “EPR” or “extended producer responsibility.” But what exactly is EPR, and how will it ultimately affect the types of packaging we use? In this Deep Dive, we will explore the current EPR landscape in the U.S. and what is likely to come over the next several years. A note of caution: this article is intended as a general overview of packaging EPR with some basic advice for companies trying to navigate the new legislative landscape. It should not be taken as legal advice, and we highly recommend that companies who think they are regulated “producers” seek legal counsel to better understand their responsibilities. Introduction to EPR - Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, refers to a policy approach that shifts the responsibility for waste management of a given product from consumers/taxpayers and municipalities onto the producers of that product. Typically, the main goal of EPR is to minimize the environmental externalities of a product’s end of life – that is, minimize the unintended consequence of what happens to a product when we’re done with it. EPR prompts a society to start thinking on a large scale about where products end up when we’re done with them and how we can better manage them. EPR regulations are not new to the U.S. and have been around for over a decade to manage products like e-waste, mattresses, paint, tires, batteries, etc. Let’s take the example of paint. “Producers,” meaning paint manufacturers, are typically responsible for the paint up until the point where you, the consumer, purchase it. But there are some unintended consequences that come when you’re done with that paint can that likely has extra paint in it. While most paint is actually recyclable, many people throw it away or pour it down the drain, which can contaminate the environment with hazardous chemicals. Ultimately, consumers/taxpayers and the environment pay the costs to deal with this result, and paint companies don’t have an incentive to fix it.

The webinar focused on the advances we have made in aligning our sustainable forest management and chain of custody standards with EUDR requirements and looked at the vital data and integrity elements. Our PEFC experts Marta Martínez Pardo (Chain of Custody), Rob Shaw (Data and Integrity), Hubert Inhaizer (Sustainable Forest Management), and Maja Drca (EU Affairs) discussed PEFC's agile approach to aligning with EUDR guidelines by the end of the year. Marta introduced the PEFC EUDR Due Diligence System which is currently undergoing approval by the PEFC General Assembly and is expected to be finalised by late July. Rob discussed PEFC's strategy on data management. Hubert addressed the modification proposals to PEFC's Sustainable Forest Management standard, developed for harmonisation with EU frameworks like the EUDR.

A new standard for Poland updates guidance for forest management. It focuses on the protection of rare ecosystems and old-growth forests. Labour rights for forest workers will help to ensure social benefits for forest communities. Overall, the new standard seeks to keep Poland’s forests and all the resources they provide sustainable into the future. The standard becomes effective on 1 October 2024. About one third of Poland is forested, and just over 80 per cent of that is in public ownership. These forests are rich in biodiversity as well as being home to iconic species such as European bison, brown bear, lynx, and wolves. FSC certification has guided forest management in Poland for more than 25 years, but the FSC National Forest Management Standard needed to be brought up to date to reflect the FSC International Principles and Criteria.

Stakeholders from around the world are invited to give feedback on the Thai Forest Certification System. Deadline for comments is 31 August. Give your feedback. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) revised the country’s national forest certification system to ensure its forest management standard is up-to-date and continues to meet stakeholder demands and expectations. The revised system also includes a new standard for Trees outside Forests (TOF) certification. The Thai system was submitted to PEFC after being revised in line with PEFC requirements. The system is now undergoing the PEFC assessment process, carried out by an independent PEFC Registered Assessor. It must pass this assessment to maintain its PEFC endorsement.

The FSC Regulatory Module and FSC Risk Assessment Framework comprise FSC Aligned Certification for EUDR, along with system-wide updates to operationalize these changes and align with the intention of the Policy to Address Conversion. The launch of these requirements ensures that our certification system remains robust and relevant in the evolving regulatory landscape. The Risk Assessment Framework and other system-wide changes are also applicable for Certificate Holders not affected by EUDR. This new voluntary add-on module FSC-STD-01-004 FSC Regulatory Module supports EUDR compliance by providing additional requirements for Forest Management, Chain of Custody, and Controlled Wood Certification as well as accreditation requirements. It is designed to help companies use their FSC certification to meet EUDR’s stringent requirements by taking the guesswork out of what is required on top of FSC certification. The module outlines robust due diligence systems, conducting thorough risk assessments with FSC’s Risk Assessment Framework, and maintaining transparent supply chain documentation.

The two organisations have combined their expertise in satellite analytics and modular chain of custody to devise a program that guides PEFC-certified companies to EUDR compliance using a customised version of LiveEO’s EUDR platform, TradeAware. Companies can sign up today to join the program and start their compliance journey. As one of the pioneering partnerships tackling EUDR compliance, LiveEO and PEFC are establishing a new standard for innovative and reliable EUDR solutions for timber and tree-based products. By enhancing transparency in supply chains, affected companies significantly reduce the risk of illegal activities, supply chain disruptions, and non-compliance. Companies signed up for the program will be guided through key preparatory steps, including collecting geolocations and onboarding suppliers to the TradeAware platform, to ensure compliance readiness well ahead of the deadline. As part of the partnership, LiveEO develops a customised version of its EUDR platform TradeAware, that is specifically tailored to the needs of PEFC-certified organisations.

The Austrian Forest Certification System has been submitted to PEFC for assessment. The public consultation, which is your chance to give your feedback on this revised system, will run from 8 July to 6 September 2024. PEFC Austria revised the country’s national forest certification system to ensure its forest management standard is up-to-date and continues to meet stakeholder demands and expectations. To provide you with additional information about this revised system, we are holding a webinar on 8 July 2024 at 10:00 CEST.

The Thai Forest Certification System has been submitted to PEFC for assessment. The public consultation, which is your chance to give your feedback on this revised system, will run from 2 July to 31 August 2024. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) revised the country’s national forest certification system to ensure its forest management standard is up-to-date and continues to meet stakeholder demands and expectations. The revised system also includes a new standard for Trees outside Forests (TOF) certification. To provide you with additional information about this revised system, we are holding a webinar on 2 July 2024 at 8:00 CET.

Generation Z and Millennial consumers are more likely to pay a premium for products that are legitimately sustainable in some way, from materials to packaging to delivery. The third annual Consumer Sustainability Survey from Blue Yonder, a digital supply chain platform, confirms that sustainability remains a priority for all consumers. However, younger shoppers are more definitive and consistent in their choices, with 85% of Gen Z and 84% of Millennials reporting that sustainability considerations are important to them. “It’s especially promising that so many respondents are willing to spend more for sustainable products, given that price concerns, exacerbated by the ongoing challenge of inflation, have marked conversations around consumer behavior over the last year,” said Saskia van Gendt, Blue Yonder’s chief sustainability officer, in a statement.

FSC is pleased to announce the official publication of the new FSC Forest Stewardship Standard for Argentina. The standard becomes effective on 1 October 2024. The standard is applicable to all categories of Management Units operating in native forests and plantations, applies to small and low intensity managed forests and includes non-timber forest products. In addition to productive management, it is applicable to conservation and forest restoration management. Forests are important for the national economy of Argentina due to the social, environmental and economic benefits it provides. This includes of 1.3 million hectares of forest plantations and 28 million hectares of native forests, of which more than 80% correspond to the Tropical Climate Region (FAO FRA 2020).

Stakeholders from around the world are invited to give feedback on the Croatian Forest Certification System. Deadline for comments is 16 August. Give your feedback. This is the first time that CUPFOA, the Croatian Union of Private Forest Owners Associations, the PEFC national member for Croatia, has submitted its national system to PEFC for endorsement. After developing the national system in line with PEFC requirements, CUPFOA submitted the system to PEFC for endorsement. The national system is now undergoing the PEFC assessment process, carried out by an independent PEFC Registered Assessor. It must pass this process and be approved by the PEFC General Assembly before it can achieve endorsement. An important aspect of the assessment process is the public consultation. Over the sixty-day consultation, stakeholders from around the world can give their comments and provide feedback on any aspect of the system. The Registered Assessor will use the information received from this consultation in their assessment of the system.

National Book Tokens, the UK’s leading book gift card retailer, has partnered with Love Paper for their Love Paper 2024 Competition. This partnership will inform consumers of the sustainable facts about paper, books and wider paper products. Love Paper, a campaign run by the not-for-profit organisation Two Sides, promotes the sustainability and attractiveness of print, paper and paper-based packaging. The Love Paper competition invites consumers to learn the facts about paper and the environment. National Book Tokens’ partnership with Love Paper aligns with its commitment to supporting the literary community and promoting environmentally-conscious practices.

NeoLigno® by Stora Enso is a bio-based binder, ideal for mineral and glass wool. By changing to a binder made from renewable materials you can decrease your carbon footprint, while removing harmful formaldehyde and isocyanates from your loop. Phasing out fossils is not only about meeting industry standards and regulations. Harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and isocyanates used in traditional binders are widely present in our homes, workplaces, and schools. Invisible to the naked eye, they are in our walls in the insulation, risking our health while having a negative impact on the environment. For producers of insulation material there is a sustainable option ready in industrial scale. NeoLigno® is a natural binder, perfect for production of insulation materials in the building industry. Bio-based with superior mechanical strength and suitable for humid conditions, it is made from Lignin – a side stream of the pulp industry typically utilised as bioenergy – already being produced in millions of tonnes across Europe.

We were lucky to have LIVE EO, Osapiens and TimberID as gold sponsors at the PEFC Forest Forum, and Timbeter as a silver sponsor. At the conference, the sponsors met with PEFC members and international stakeholders to demonstrate and explain their technology solutions for EUDR compliance. Thanks go to Alberta Zatta and João Diogo, Michael Frank, Swapan Chaudhuri, and Anna-Greta Tsahkna! PEFC is working towards partnerships with all these companies, with our first announcement due soon on our plans with LIVE EO. LIVE EO, Osapiens and TimberID have end-to-end software solutions for EUDR compliance which include Earth Observation checks for deforestation and degradation, data sharing capability and Due Diligence Statement functionality.