ASI Has Suspended Holzforschung Austria from Issuing FSC CoC Accreditation

Accreditation Services International (ASI) has suspended the certification body Holzforschung Austria from issuing FSC chain of custody (CoC) certificates worldwide. The measure came into effect on 21 October 2016.

The suspension will be in place for a maximum of six months and it restricts Holzforschung Austria’s ability to issue new FSC CoC certificates or perform initial certification services globally. However, existing certificates issued by Holzforschung Austria will remain valid and the company can continue to conduct surveillance and re-certification audits for its clients during the period of suspension.

This measure is as a result of the company’s inability to resolve major non-conformities with FSC accreditation standards.

The suspension can be lifted if Holzforschung Austria addresses and closes all major nonconformities during the next six months. Only in the event that Holzforschung Austria is not able to do so, current certificate holders will need to seek another FSC accredited certification body and have their existing certificates transferred.

This action reinforces expectations that standards are continuously audited with the consistency that is expected by FSC and that accreditation body ASI oversees all certification bodies rigorously.
Holzforschung Austria currently has 135 CoC FSC certificates.

read more/source: https://ic.fsc.org/en/news/id/1694

Related Posts

Snowboard Brand Burton Closing Stores, E-Commerce Site to Join Global Climate Strike (mytotalretail.com)

Burton will be joining millions of students and workers across the world participating in the Global Climate Strike on Fri., Sept. 20, according to a press release sent to Total Retail. To support the marches that will take place, Burton will close all its offices and stores for 24 hours so employees worldwide can join nearby marches meant to raise awareness and demand action. The retailer's e-commerce site will also be closed on Sept. 20th to online orders, and will instead redirect to the Global Climate Strike homepage to build awareness for the cause. Though Burton's offices will be closed, employees will receive paid time off to join strikes in their regions. Burton's flagship stores will be open to the public as gathering spaces before and after nearby matches, but cash registers will be closed. The retailer will have supplies on hand for making signs for the strike.

A trillion trees is not enough

How many trees are there on Earth? It sounds like an impossible question, but researchers at the Crowther Lab have come up with a number: 3.04 trillion – or roughly 422 trees per person. That may seem huge, but it is a far cry from what it used to be. Collecting data from over 400,000 forest plots worldwide, the Zurich-based ecological lab setup by British ecologist Tom Crowther estimated there are 46% fewer trees today than when human agriculture started 12,000 years ago, but humans could reset the dial and tackle the climate crisis through mass tree planting. According to Crowther’s report, planting one trillion trees globally could remove up to 200 billion tonnes of carbon over the next 50-100 years.

FPAC Statement on President Trump’s Comments Regarding California Forest Fires

Forest Products Association of Canada CEO Derek Nighbor issued the following statement after U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments partially blaming Canadian lumber imports for forest fires in California. “First and foremost our thoughts are with people in Canada and the U.S. who have been displaced from their homes or are on evacuation alert, and with our first responders who are valiantly battling fires on both sides of the border,” said Nighbor. “The U.S. simply does not have the milling capacity to meet consumer needs and are only able to satisfy about 75 per cent of American wood demand. Unfortunately, Americans are being forced to pay higher prices for wood products because of U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber. The U.S. could provide an immediate discount to Americans rebuilding after fires by rescinding tariffs on Canadian lumber, which has increased the cost of lumber by 20 per cent.” Click Read More below for additional information.
Back To Top
×Close search
Search