AWC, AF&PA testimony: Reality Check on Proposed Ozone Standards

Forest certification is in this context a success story. As of 2019, about one-third of the wood used in products, packaging or construction is certified as originating from sustainable forest management and supply chains. PEFC, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, has been instrumental to this success. With innovations such as group certification, a mechanism that makes certification accessible to small- and family forest owners, PEFC has expanded the accessibility of certification. Today about one million forest owners have obtained PEFC certification. With its latest sustainable forest management standard, PEFC expanded the scope of certification to include Trees outside Forests, extending the impact of PEFC certification beyond the boundaries of the forest. This innovation can make PEFC certification practical and affordable to farmers or other land managers, who are often growing trees as just one of their many crops.

Stakeholders from around the world are invited to give feedback on the revised national forest certification system for Switzerland. Deadline for comments is 9 April. Give your feedback now! PEFC Switzerland revised the country’s national forest certification system following the entry into force of the revised 2018 PEFC Sustainable Forest Management standard. After revising the national system in line with PEFC requirements, PEFC Switzerland submitted the revised system to PEFC. 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.

RWE Supply & Trading and Koehler Paper have agreed on a long-term green power supply of up to 175,000 megawatt hours per year. The green power certificates come from the Dutch 54-megawatt Waddenwind wind farm in the Groningen region, which has been connected to the grid since the beginning of the year. RWE Supply & Trading combines the certificates of origin into a green power supply and integrates them into Koehler Paper's procurement portfolio. Thanks to this contract, production at Koehler Paper’s Kehl site is largely climate-neutral. “By taking this step, we are saving around 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. We are thus underlining our claim to carry the concept of sustainability through the entire value chain of our paper production,” says Dr. Stefan Karrer, Chief Operating Officer of the Koehler Group. The family-owned company has set itself the goal of producing in a climate-friendly manner and thus making a contribution to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. Koehler is sticking to these goals, despite the enormous unexpected challenges resulting from the current energy crisis. “We are pleased to support Koehler Paper in the realisation of its sustainability strategy,” says Dr Hendrik Niebaum, Head of Commodity Solutions at RWE Supply & Trading. “The demand for CO₂-free electricity supplies from renewable sources is growing strongly. The cooperation with Koehler Paper and Waddenwind shows the potential in the European market.” The contract has a term of ten years and is valid from 2023.