FSC UK Forest Matters January 2017 Public Edition by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) UK

Forest Matters January 2017

Director’s Overview Contents Dear Reader, 3

News in Brief

Glebe Cottage Celebrate

Chain of Custody Standards

James Cropper

Product Focus

12 Reindeer 14

Product Focus

Wood Richardson

18 UKWAS 20

A Letter from... FSC Italy

Furniture and Forest Sustainability

Perplexed about Procurement?

Vietnam’s Smallholders

Schweighofer Group

Just for Fun and FSC in Numbers

We hope you enjoyed a great festive season and saw plenty of FSC® logos on cards, wrap, packaging and gifts! This issue we’re featuring some great paper success stories: from a paper manufacturer introducing an innovative alternative to plastic packaging (p.8), to a printer who has selected FSC certified paper as their house stock (p.16), and a greeting card company celebrating a decade of FSC certification (p.4). We’ve also got updates on new developments in the FSC system, most notably the publication of a revised Chain of Custody (CoC) certification standard, designed to simplify and streamline CoC certification (p 6). The standard becomes effective on 1 April 2017 and all FSC CoC certificate holders will need to be evaluated against it by 31 March 2018. On page 18 you can also find the latest information on the progress of the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS). The days may be getting longer but there’s still a chill in the air, so why not take some time to curl up with a hot drink and read about how FSC certification of Swedish forests is helping to support the Sami people and their four-legged charges? Check out page 12 for the full story. Would you like to be a Forest Matters cover star? Send us your photos of FSC certified forests or products for a chance to be featured on a forthcoming edition. Wishing you a very happy 2017!

Rosie Teasdale Executive Director, FSC UK 2

News in Brief p6

FSC Publishes Revised Chain of Custody Standards The FSC Board of Directors has approved revised FSC chain of custody standards FSC-STD-40-004 V3-0 and FSC-STD-20-011 V4-0.

Glebe Cottage Celebrate Ten Years of FSC Certification

The revised standards will become effective on 1 April 2017.

Glebe became the first direct-to-retail publisher in the UK to take this step back in November 2006. Since then everything it has published has been FSC certified.

p22

Report Review: Furniture and Forest Sustainability Dr Mark Wright looks at the practical implications of the WWF ‘Are you sitting comfortably?’ report for the furniture sector.

New Certification Body: Interface NRM Limited (INRM) As of 20 December 2016, Accreditation Services International (ASI) have approved INRM to issue FSC chain of custody certificates. Contact details: Paul Chadderton University of Wolverhampton, Telford Campus, Telford, TF2 9FT, UK

Congratulations Scott Pallets! This month’s cover photo was supplied by Scott Pallets (FSC®C041490), who were selected as winners of our December photo challenge!

01952 288325 paul@interface-nrm.co.uk www.interface-nrm.co.uk

Image credits © WWF; © Glebe Cottage

Guest Feature

Celebrating Ten Years Eco-friendly greeting card publisher, Glebe Cottage (FSC®C007915), is celebrating ten years of holding its own FSC chain of custody certification.

he publisher became the first directto-retail publisher in the UK to take this step back in November 2006. Since this date everything Glebe Cottage has published has been FSC certified, displaying the distinctive FSC ‘tick tree’ symbol - which assures consumers that the paper comes from responsible sources. Director Susanna Morrish said,

“When we first took this step

we said we wanted to enable consumers to make positive choices in favour of the environment, based on credible environmental claims. Obtaining FSC certification was a big step forward for us - and we haven’t looked back since! ”

As well as the obvious environmental benefits of using FSC certified material Glebe says that having its own Chain of Custody has enabled the company to be both competitive and to broaden its options for board. “We are fortunate to work with some fantastic paper mills and suppliers so we have been able to commission our own FSC recycled paper makings. The use of boards such as tecknocard recycled or James Cropper’s (featured on p8) coffee-cup paper has been made viable by taking responsibility for our own paper procurement, and managing the FSC chain of custody ourselves.” This has been particularly helpful in the company’s creation of environmentally responsible bespoke products for charity clients - which now form a substantial part of the business. Rosie Teasdale, Executive Director of FSC UK said, “In the past 10 years both the worldwide area of FSC certified forests and recognition of the logo in the UK have more than doubled (now 195M hectares and 48% respectively). Glebe Cottage’s decade-long commitment to FSC certification has seen them pave the way for others in the greeting card sector, ensuring that their cards not only show care for the recipient but also for the forests from which they’re sourced.” Retailers interested in stocking products from Glebe Cottage can see the collections on its new website www.glebecottage.co.uk or contact the office for the latest brochures on 01626 369269.

Image credits: © Glebe Cottage

Revised Standards

FSC Publishes Revised Chain of Custody Standards The FSC Board of Directors has approved revised FSC chain of custody standards FSC-STD-40-004 V3-0 and FSC-STD-20-011 V4-0. The revised standards will become effective on 1 April 2017. The two revised standards are: FSC-STD-40-004 V3-0 Chain of Custody Certification (download: http://bit.ly/2j4L2GP) (applicable to organisations that manufacture and trade FSC certified products) FSC-STD-20-011 V4-0 Chain of Custody Evaluations (download: http://bit.ly/2iDWR7Q) (applicable to certification bodies evaluating organisations against FSC-STD-40-004)

What is FSC chain of custody (CoC) certification?

What were the main aims of the revision?

The FSC chain of custody (CoC) is the path taken by products from the forest, or in the case of recycled materials from the moment when the material is reclaimed, to the point where the product is sold with an FSC claim and/or it is finished and FSC labelled. The CoC includes each stage of sourcing, processing, trading, and distribution where progress to the next stage of the supply chain involves a change of product ownership. Any change of ownership in the supply chain of FSC certified products requires the establishment of effective CoC management systems at the level of the respective organisation and their verification by an independent FSCaccredited certification body, if the organisation wants to make an FSC claim about their products.

The standards were revised with the purposes of simplifying and streamlining FSC chain of custody certification. Requirements have been simplified, including the addition of illustrative examples, tables, and graphics to clarify key concepts.

What do the main content changes include? New transaction verification requirements: A new clause has been added requiring businesses to support transaction verification conducted by its certification body and Accreditation Services International (ASI), by providing samples of FSC transaction data (as requested by the certification body). Further information on this will be communicated in the first quarter of 2017.

What is transaction verification and why is it important? Transaction verification is verification by certification bodies and/or Accreditation Services International (ASI) that FSC output claims made by certificate holders are accurate and match with the FSC input claims of their trading partners. Ensuring the accuracy of FSC claims is vital to maintaining the credibility of the FSC system.

Permitted application of percentage and credit systems at multiple site level, under certain conditions, also called “crosssite methods”. Note: FSC will monitor the implementation of these requirements and re-evaluate them after two years.

Refined credit system and product group requirements. This includes clarifying credit accounting for assembled wood products and an extension of the credit accounting period from 12 to 24 months. Reduced threshold for FSC-labelled recycled wood products from 85 per cent post-consumer reclaimed material to 70 per cent (same threshold as required for FSC Mix products). The balance for FSC Recycled wood products must still be pre-consumer reclaimed (max 30%). A merger of advice notes and standard interpretations is incorporated into the standard.

How will the revised standards affect certificate holders? All FSC certificate holders are advised to familiarise themselves with the revised CoC standard (FSC-STD-40-004 V3-0) and begin making necessary adjustments in preparation for evaluation against it by 31 March 2018.

If you have any questions, please contact project coordinator, Lucia Massaroth at l.massaroth@fsc.org. Image credits: © Newbridge Sawmill; © FSC UK

Guest Feature

Paper Packaging Spurs Profit Rise British master paper-maker James Cropper (FSC®C009165) has reported a 46% increase in profit before tax, as it introduced its new FSC certified paper alternative to plastic packaging.

ames Cropper 3D Products (JC3DP) was formally launched at the London Packaging Innovations show in September where it showcased its range of sustainable moulded fibre products for use in packaging.

“We know that the recycling rates for paper in the UK are far higher than those for plastic. As it is 100% recyclable with household paper our moulded paper is easy for consumers to dispose of in their recycling and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.”

“A number of exciting development projects and prototyping activities have commenced,” said Cropper, “the first phase of our investment earlier this calendar year facilitated these, and proved a stand-out ability to create FSC certified moulded paper packaging in vibrant colour.” He added, “Advantages include uniform wall thickness, easy creation of cavitations and holes and clear and sharp embossing. As well as consistency of colour and a quality finish, the material is easily recyclable with household paper.

The moulded paper packaging is made using wood fibre from responsibly managed FSC certified forests. All fresh fibre is either elemental chlorine free (ECF) or totally chlorine free (TCF).

Below: Cathy Hollis, sales manager, watching the product being made in the factory.

Chief Technology officer Patrick Willink said:

“FSC certification gives us

the confidence we need in the origins of our raw materials. Just as importantly it allows us to pass that confidence on to our customers so they can relay it to consumers.”

JC3DP is already working with a number of blue chip companies who want to use a sustainable alternative in their packaging. “Although we aren’t claiming that we can replace plastic entirely,” Willink said, “we know we can offer a true alternative in a multitude of applications that has the inherent quality, warmth and tactility of luxury paper. We are using cure-in-the-mould technology to realise the full potential of paper in a way that 8

Image credits: © James Cropper

has significant benefits for brand owners, consumers and the environment.” He added that the colour lab and master blenders have developed the ability to match any colour customers require. “We have been doing this in our luxury paper business for a long time and now we are applying these skills to moulded paper. Our expertise and knowledge in fibre blending allows us to create the precise combination of raw materials to make moulded paper that has a real consistency and depth of colour. What’s more, we can repeat the process with perfect results every time. We know from experience that the product can be used for packaging across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, consumer electronics, luxury drinks, giftware and e-retail.” In 2013, James Cropper unveiled a purposebuilt Reclaimed Fibre Facility, the first commercial processing plant able to separate valuable pulp fibres from the polythene lining of billions of pre-consumer cups thrown away each year.

Below: Master colour blender Mark Starrs analysing a piece of moulded paper packaging in the colour lab.

The British manufacturer now returns those fibres to the supply chain in Coffee, a range of papers that demonstrate the highest standards in sustainable, luxury paper production. In January, James Cropper announced a partnership with fast food giant McDonald’s with a trial recycling scheme. Paper cups were collected from McDonald’s and then baled by Simply Cups, the UK’s only paper cup recovery and recycling scheme, before being delivered to James Cropper for reprocessing. The company is in the development stage of producing a system to enhance coffee cup recycling.

“The move to post-consumer coffee

cup recycling is dependent on a wide range of factors, in particular action taken by brands and waste management organisations to gather the waste,” said Willink. “However, we would hope to implement this as soon as is practically possible.” This article has been reproduced with kind permission of Packaging News. For further information visit www.packagingnews.co.uk.

Product Focus

ELEPHANT dining table

It’s the start of a new year and there’s an ELEPHANT in the room... Good Wood Home Designs FSC Licence Number: FSC®N002507 Products: Quality reclaimed teak home furniture

new year is again upon us and it’s time to look forward to all the good things it will bring. What better way to start than by gathering friends and family around one of our beautiful ELEPHANT dining tables? Handcrafted in FSC® certified reclaimed teak and naturally aged over decades, our ELEPHANTS are of a quality rarely found in today’s mass-produced furniture. Our homely ELEPHANTS instantly evoke long lazy Sunday lunches, cosy suppers and ladles of family life playing out over them for generations. This sturdy, solid wood hero really is a table that will last a lifetime.

ELEPHANT coffee table

homes alike. Pair one with a fabulous matching ELEPHANT bench that fits snugly underneath or use the bench as a piece of furniture in its own right. Don’t forget our equally impressive ELEPHANT coffee tables – a pint-sized version of their bigger siblings. Available in four wonderfully natural finishes. When all is said and done, the stories these tables could tell – because an ELEPHANT never forgets.

Enjoy a 10% discount on ELEPHANT products from 14 January up to and including 14 February (Valentines Day). Enter ELE10 at checkout. Check our website for great additional offers too!

A natural magnet for family young and old, the combined durability of teak with the sturdy construction of these tables, means they will withstand virtually anything you throw at them. And with a table-top 10cm thick and legs even wider, they could even cope with a bit of table-top dancing! A natural, rustic aesthetic and chunky contemporary design means our ELEPHANT tables will be at home in city and country Image credits: © Good Wood / Janet Broughton

ELEPHANT bench

Winter Special

Reindeer and Responsible Forestry Reindeer are incredible animals that possess several adaptations to extremely cold weather that allow them to survive in some of the world’s toughest conditions. Sadly, even their special survival features haven’t protected them from global decline, caused by factors including competition for resources, illegal logging and deforestation. But logging can be done responsibly and managed to make sure the area remains a forest in the long term, and continues to provide shelter and food for reindeer and other animals.

Sweden, land of forests More than half of Sweden (69%) is covered with forests, and with almost 10% of the world’s sawn timber, pulp and paper exports coming from Sweden, timber production is crucial to the national economy. Twelve million hectares – around 40% – of Swedish forests are FSC certified. FSC helps take care of forests, as well as the people and wildlife calling them home, and its global forest certification system lets people buy forest products with confidence that they’re helping to protect our forests for generations to come.

A way of life FSC certification has brought with it positive changes for the indigenous Sami population. The Sami live in north-western Sweden and traditionally gain their livelihoods from reindeer herding. During the winter the semi-wild reindeer herds migrate from the mountains to the valley forests. Although the Sami people have customary rights to graze their reindeer

in these forests - where, when and how is not specified in law. A large part of the forest area in the region is managed by FSC certified forest companies; here the Sami are consulted about how forest management activities affect their ability to feed and move their herds.

“FSC provides one way for the

Sami people to continue their traditional way of life of reindeer herding.” - Reindeer herder, Olof T Johansson

Clear-cut? In Sweden, as the forests are primarily boreal (cold, temperate, dominated by taiga and forests of birch, poplar and conifers), ‘clearcutting’ has been used for over a century. A clear-cut is an area in the forest where most of the trees are logged in a single operation. The area is then typically replanted within two years of harvest. FSC demands that all trees valuable for biodiversity are retained during harvesting. Hollow trees, canopy trees and old trees that have survived disturbances are valuable for many species, and are used by more vertebrates and insects than regular mature trees. The FSC standard does not allow clearcutting in key woodland habitats or areas of forest that

have particularly high importance for social or environmental reasons. A minimum of 5% of a company’s forest area is excluded from harvesting in order to maintain the biodiversity of the forest and ensure winter pastures for the Sami people’s reindeer and recreational needs.

Burning for biodiversity Forest fires are important for forest ecology - in fact, storms and forest fires are the two most important naturally recurring disturbance regimes in the forest landscape. Swedish forests have historically burned every 20 to 200 years, creating a mosaic forest landscape with trees of different ages.

Managers of large FSC certified forests in Sweden are required to burn at least 5% of their regeneration area every five years in order to maintain or enhance biodiversity.

A gift to the forests The FSC label can be found on many wood and paper products. Choose FSC and give a gift to the world’s forests.

There are over 100 insect and fungus species that only occur in recently burned forests and several species of bryophyte and lichen also depend on or favour forest fires. Reindeer are the only mammal able to eat lichen, which provides an important winter food source.

Image credits: © FSC Sweden / Carl-Johan Utsi; © FSC UK

Product Focus

Get Spring Ready! The Woodland Trust FSC Licence Number: FSC®N002173 Products: Garden products

deep – perfect for transplanting young plants without damaging their roots. Made from FSC certified oak, the paper potter is both economical and eco-friendly. Original paper potter (above), £10.99 Bempton hanging bird table (below), £28.99

Winter gardening might be chilly on the fingers but it’s the perfect time to get your garden spring ready and make sure our feathered friends are in fine fettle. Luckily the Woodland Trust, the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, has FSC certified products to help.

To see the full range of FSC certified products that the Woodland Trust offers, visit their online shop: woodlandtrustshop.com

The Woodland Trust’s FSC certified garden wildlife habitats make the stormy days and cold nights a bit easier for your garden friends. Handmade from FSC timber the Bempton hanging bird table is a popular bird table, suitable for small birds and various feed types. It features intricate lattice woodwork in a painted green finish, with a real verdigris copper roof and a natural rope for hanging. Keeping plants picture-perfect is a matter of pride for the gardener. The clever Original Paper Potter can be used to make biodegradable plant pots from strips of old newspaper that are 4cm wide and up to 5cm

Image credits: © FSC UK (opposite page); © Woodland Trust

Guest Feature

Printer Helps Customers ‘Go Green’ York-based printer Wood Richardson (FSC®C007825) has announced that it is using FSC certified paper as its house stock in a bid to be as environmentally friendly as possible and to help its customers to make their own informed and responsible print decisions. Alan Coulson, Sales Director at Wood Richardson said:

“We’ve been an FSC certified

printer since 2009. Becoming certified was a strategic decision which made good business sense and pro-actively encouraged responsible printing to our clients.”

Wood Richardson works with its clients to ensure that a range of options are considered for every print job. Measures include recommendations on paper sizes to reduce waste; suggestions on the use of environmentally friendly inks such as vegetable-based inks; and on making informed decisions about paper stocks and finishing considerations, so as to make the finished product more easily recyclable.

One tonne of recycled paper saves approximately six mature trees and 3.3 cubic yards of rapidly diminishing landfill space.1 Aside from statistics such as these, to be FSC certified makes good business sense too. Businesses who consciously ‘go green’ have been proven to improve market access, achieve higher revenues and enhance their public image. Making the commitment to sustainable forestry is doing a huge job in making a stand against deforestation. FSC certified forests all over the world ensure they meet the highest environmental and social standards and paper from FSC forests are marked with the ‘tick tree’ logo so buyers can be confident that choosing this paper won’t be causing harm to the world’s forests. At Wood Richardson, in addition to guiding customers through the process of sustainable printing and making responsible choices, the business ensures that through continual investment in its production processes and presses, their equipment is state of the art. By operating ‘computer to plate’ and ‘closed loop colour control’, the number of ‘make ready’ sheets needed are reduced, thereby minimising overall energy consumption. Wood Richardson was established in 1905 and has been run by the Richardson family since the 1920s, based in purpose built facilities in Left: (Left to Right) Sales Managers Tim Falconer, Simon Pirie and Andrew Ingram, with Sales Director Alan Coulson.

York. It combines the skills and experience of a century of craftsmanship with an ongoing investment in the latest technology and innovations in print and production machinery. Dynamic and responsive, the company works closely with a wide range of customers throughout Yorkshire, delivering high quality print and customer service by a team of print experts. In 2011 it recognised the need to demonstrate its commitment towards ethically produced products for all of its customers. Being an internationally recognised approval system, FSC fitted the bill perfectly. The company subsequently employed FSC certification body, SGS, to help achieve certification. “SGS were invaluable in their help in understanding the process and implementing it into our systems to achieve the relevant certification,” said Alan. “For us, the traceability of raw materials from the forest, through multiple production processes across the globe is the definitive solution to protect the credibility of any wood-based product.” “Through this impressive process and the commitment of manufacturers & suppliers to comply with the FSC chain of custody standard, we can be sure that the print we supply has a positive impact - economically, environmentally and socially - wherever our paper is sourced from.” Being a commercial printing company, Wood Richardson supply marketing literature like leaflets & brochures, books, greetings cards, menus and whole host of ink-on-paper products to customers from many sectors. Almost all the paper it buys today is FSC certified and it actively encourages customers to take advantage of the FSC claim and apply the FSC label to their print. A good example is arts event organisers York Open Studios who have been a client of Wood Richardson for many years and have the FSC label applied to their printed work. Committee member Robin Grover-Jacques explained:

“A commitment to sustainability is really important in all our activities, and the familiar FSC logo on our print communicates this really well with our patrons.”

To administer production from their York facility Wood Richardson rely on the computerised Management Information System (MIS), Primo, supplied by Lancashire based Tharstern Ltd. who specialise in MIS for the print industry. It has the flexibility to manage all FSC compliant work and records all the pertinent data for auditing - from traceability of purchases, through to label use, delivery & invoicing communication, thus making the process easier to manage, whilst also reducing paperwork. Alan summed up the impact that introducing FSC stocks has had on the business:

“Without doubt, our FSC

certification has opened doors for us with customers who insist on FSC certified paper stock - but it’s also started a whole new topic of conversation with customers who think that recycled paper is the only solution for environmentally conscious print.”

www.woodrichardson.co.uk www.yorkopenstudios.co.uk www.tharstern.com

Source: 1. FAO: http://www.fao.org/

Image credits: © Wood Richardson

Forestry

Moving Forward with UKWAS 4 The UK Woodland Assurance Standard, or UKWAS, is the standard used in FSC forest management certification in the UK. The draft of the next edition, UKWAS 4, was not approved when it was considered by FSC International’s Policy and Standards Committee last year.

ack in November we reported that further feedback had been received from Policy and Standards Unit (PSU) at FSC International on those areas where the draft of UKWAS 4 did not fully address the FSC Principles and Criteria. At the beginning of December the UKWAS Steering Group met to discuss proposals put forward by FSC UK to deal with the outstanding issues. “I cannot praise highly enough the constructive attitude of the Steering Group,” says Dr Owen Davies, Forest Standards Manager at FSC UK. “Everyone overcame their disappointment that the draft standard had not been approved, and concentrated on the discussion of practicable solutions for fulfilling the Principles and Criteria. FSC UK does, of course, share that commitment to finding a workable way forward.” FSC UK continues to work closely with PSU to ensure that the concerns of FSC International are being addressed in a way that works for the UK. The latest draft was discussed with PSU staff shortly before Christmas, and the feedback received will inform the version resubmitted for approval.

Delays to controlled wood national risk assessment revision In the September 2016 edition of Forest Matters we talked about the revision of the controlled wood national risk assessment for the UK, and mentioned that a public consultation on the revision would be held before the end of the year. Unfortunately, the need for further work on UKWAS has resulted in delays to this process, and the public consultation is now expected to take place in the first half of 2017. If you have any questions about the revision process, please contact Dr Owen Davies at owen@fsc-uk.org.

Relevant links: UKWAS website: http://ukwas.org.uk/ Press release: More work to do on UK Woodland Assurance Standard version 4: http://www.fsc-uk.org/en-uk/newsroom/id/377 Press release: Clearer way forward for UKWAS 4: http://www.fsc-uk.org/en-uk/ newsroom/id/392

Image credit: © FC England

19 19

Get to Know...

FSC Italy: Boosting the Italian Forestry Sector FSC Italy just finalised their draft for the new Forest Management Standard for Italy, which is now undergoing Policy and Standards Unit (PSU) approval. Despite a third of their territory being covered by forests, Italy is still among the major importers of timber in the world.

SC Italy say that responsible forestry involves taking care of forests and adding value to short supply chains, thus giving greater possibility for SMEs and local economies to grow. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why they have worked hard on their new standard,

talking with their stakeholders and members, and sharing with them their experience. They hope the new standard will give their national forestry sector a refreshed vision of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible in responsible forestry.

Building a new CSR approach through certification FSC Italy have been working with Tetra Pak® Italy for many years now, and, just as they do with other major retailers, are helping them through marketing and communication campaigns, to communicate their commitment and the importance that certification has in their corporate social responsibility policies. In 2016, FSC Italy decided to participate jointly at Ecomondo (right), one of the main green and circular economy fairs in the EuroMediterranean region:

“We wanted to build a

booth that allowed visitors to see and feel the benefits of certification; something other than brochures, business cards and video that would engage visitors and get them excited about responsible forest management.”

They decided to seek FSC Project Certification for the Booth. The Project used over 250m2 of FSC certified honeycomb cardboard, 100m2 of sustainably sourced chipboard and covered an area 80m2. Project certification code ICILA-PRO-000001 confirms the significant use (more than 90% by volume) of FSC certified materials.

Responsible forestry as a common value 2017 will be an exciting, challenging year for FSC Italy: they have recently expanded their office, are increasing core services, and are building new training programs, planning to almost double their presence at fairs and events. They are also working on the 5th edition of their Design Award. The winning project of the last edition: a highly customizable, FSC certified wooden shelf, was launched with a pilot project in a Leroy Merlin Italy’s store. Left: The team at FSC Italy, Padua

The successes they have achieved in their first 15 years are partly due to their work and partly due to a brandmark, which is moving away from a technical symbol to a strong brand - well-recognised and sought after by people and businesses.

“What we have found is that, along

with encouraging certification, it is necessary to work to spread a more general culture of responsible forest management. In this sense, FSC certification is not just a marketing tool but also a means to create a community that works together to enhance and protect forests - for all, forever.”

FSC Italy’s national office is made up of 5 full time and 2 part time staff. They also have some volunteers helping them during fairs and events. Their office is based in Padua. www.it.fsc.org Image credits: © Giulia Grotto / FSC Italy

Guest Feature

Furniture and Forest Sustainability Dr Mark Wright of WWF UK Global Forests and Trade Network looks at the practical implications of the WWF ‘Are you sitting comfortably?’ report for the furniture sector.

espite the EU Timber regulations, there is still a significant risk that furniture being sold in the UK will contain timber that has been illegally sourced. In fact, total furniture imports from ‘high risk’ countries (where the potential for illegal timber is greater) is valued at €1.9 billion per year. This poses a very real risk to reputation for businesses who, by sourcing such material, may be inadvertently having a highly damaging impact on biodiversity in forests from which their timber is extracted. WWF recently launched a report examining how well the furniture sector is addressing issues of responsible sourcing of timber and timber products. An assessment ranked furniture retailers based solely on publicly available information downloaded from their websites. Encouragingly, of the 74 brands surveyed, 10 achieved the maximum ‘performance’ rating. Less encouragingly, 39 of the 74 (53%) were rated ‘no information’, as they had made no reference whatsoever to responsible timber sourcing. Comparison

with other sectors covered in WWF’s 2015 Timber Scorecard, suggests that the furniture sector is lagging behind in terms of sourcing commitments and public disclosures of performance. The ‘Are you sitting comfortably?‘ report (http://bit.ly/2hJbNE9) helps to raise the issues for those companies that were not aware of the risks they face, and also lays out some clear and simple steps that they can take to both reduce their risk and improve their performance. Most importantly, companies need to make a genuine commitment to doing better in terms of understanding their supply chains and putting in place requirements that ensure their product components can be properly traced. Five key elements were identified: • Publish a responsible timber sourcing policy that makes public your commitments to best practice, with clear targets that are reported against annually. • Engage with suppliers to make sure they are fully aware of your requirements and expectations. • Display a positive commitment to a credible forest certification scheme (such as FSC) and through chain of custody certification, prove to customers that timber has originated from certified and wellmanaged forests. This can be aligned with a clear procurement policy (see p24 for information and guidance on procurement) stating the preferred/sole use of recycled fibre/wood and prohibiting materials from unacceptable sources.

• Pro-actively communicate with customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders on plans to source timber responsibly and to build credibility and trust through demonstrating a commitment to making genuine, measurable progress. • Seek support from suppliers, industry bodies, environmental groups and even competitors, who may be able to share experiences or resources to help with responsible sourcing. There is no shortage of tools, case studies and guidelines to help companies embarking on this journey. Our own programme, the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) assists businesses in overcoming obstacles to responsible sourcing, providing them with guidance on how to exercise due diligence on supply chains for forest goods and prioritise sourcing from legal and sustainable forest

sources. We share a lot of tools online and are happy to pass them on directly with any businesses willing to take action - http://www. wwf.org.uk/what-we-do/projects/global-forestand-trade-network-uk. We can also help point the way to relevant organisations such as FSC. With the environmental performance of the private sector coming under increasing scrutiny, it makes good business sense to secure a sustainable and responsible supply chain, and in doing so, there are tangible environmental benefits. As such, WWF have a strong vested interest in not only promoting these approaches, but also with working with companies wanting to transition to a truly responsible timber sourcing practice and policy. Thank you WWF UK for this article and the update on the Timber Scorecard review below.

Scorecard Review

Coming Up: WWF Timber Scorecard 2017 Review In 2015, WWF-UK published a Timber Scorecard reviewing publicly available information for 128 companies that trade in the UK to determine their commitment and progress towards sourcing sustainable timber. In spring of 2017, WWF UK will repeat the exercise, including a wider range of businesses to see how they are performing against their commitments to support responsible forestry and source sustainably. This review will follow the 2015 methodology by focusing on: • Policy - their policy on timber and timber-product sourcing • Claims – their claims on purchasing responsible, ethical, sustainable or verified timber and timber products • Performance – their performance against criteria used for participants of WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) or equivalent. Ahead of the launch, WWF UK will be in touch with those companies to be assessed to explain the process and, as before, will provide draft scores with plenty of opportunity for them to respond. WWF UK see this as an exciting opportunity to do a stock-take of progress and for companies to flag their successes in driving forward the sustainability agenda. Current 2015 Timber Scorecard: http://bit.ly/2huCby5

Procurement

Perplexed about Procurement? Our forests are under threat and organisations who buy a range of materials, including timber, paper and other forest products could be inadvertently rewarding damaging and destructive practices.

any timber and paper suppliers will tell you, often in good faith, that their supplies are from ‘sustainable’ or ‘managed’ sources, or from plantations. However without an independent certification system, there is often no way of verifying this or of demonstrating to your clients that you have met their expectations. If you don’t know where your timber and paper come from, you could be part of the problem.

How can the FSC system help? FSC helps take care of forests and the people and wildlife who call them home. The FSC system can help you to specify and procure timber, paper and other forest products such as cork and latex, from well-managed forests and/or verified and recycled sources.

“Some 129 million hectares of forest - an area almost equivalent in size to South Africa - have been lost since 1990 ” - FAO 2015

Why specify FSC? • We have the highest standards We set higher standards than any other forest certification scheme, which gives users the best assurance that certified forests are being managed responsibly.

• We are respected and credible We are the preferred certification scheme for business and the one most widely used by members of the Fortune 500.

• We are recognised FSC is recognised by BREEAM and the UK Government Timber Procurement Policy. We are a member of ISEAL Alliance, the global association for sustainability standards, and are the only forest certification scheme endorsed by Greenpeace and WWF. For the full ‘10 reasons to choose FSC’ visit: http://bit.ly/2hFosrU

Advice for purchasing • Make sure you source from an FSC certified supplier. All FSC certified organisations are included within the FSC certificate database at www.info.fsc.org where you can check the validity of a certificate and that it covers the appropriate product categories. • Specify FSC certified materials when placing your order and let your supplier know that you need them to make an FSC claim on their sale documents. • Check that the delivery note and/ or invoice clearly identifies the FSC certified products and includes the supplier’s FSC certificate code. FSC UK can help you to locate appropriate suppliers and materials – just contact info@fsc-uk.org for free advice.

What products are available with FSC certification? FSC certification is available on wood, paper and other forest products, such as cork and natural latex. Just about everything from sawn timber to sticky labels is available with FSC certification. Many of the UK’s leading timber and paper suppliers hold FSC certification.

Template policies and factsheet Interested in drafting a policy or sharing procurement information with your organisation? We have a factsheet and template timber/ paper procurement policies for the private and public sectors available for download on our website. Just visit: http://www. fsc-uk.org/en-uk/business-area/procurement

Procurement Policies As buyers of forest products could be contributing to deforestation, many organisations have, or are now implementing procurement policies to safeguard this. A timber/paper procurement policy is a good way to ensure everyone in your organisation knows what timber/paper is acceptable for use. It can also help you to make and meet Corporate Social Responsibility targets.

International Feature

Vietnam’s Smallholders are Doing it for Themselves Sand, erosion, wind and poverty are unlikely makings of a success story. But a group of smallholders in the central Vietnam province of Quang Tri (FSC®C125390) have turned adversity into inspiration.

hese smallholders once grew mostly subsistence crops. But they battled with sandy soil and heavy winds – tough conditions made worse by lingering effects of bombing during the 1960s war. Illegal logging and sheer desperation threatened survival of the remaining natural forest. In the 1990s, the Vietnam Government launched reforestation programmes to help address rural poverty and the Quang Tri smallholders started planting acacia trees in degraded areas and on sandy dunes. In time, they had a new income stream from selling their timber and they also found that these trees helped lessen erosion and, as soil quality improved, increasing crop yields.

Organised group They organised themselves into the Quang Tri Smallholder Forest Certification Group, and in 2010, became the country’s first group to be FSC certified. The group was made up of 112 households in two villages and 249 hectares of acacia plantations. Today, with a renewed FSC certificate, it includes 517 smallholders on 1,393 hectares of plantations in 30 subassociations and 51 villages. Mauro Giuseppe Ciriminna, Policy Manager of ForCES, FSC International, says:

“Something is working here. In

fact, it’s working so well that it ripples across the world: consumers will find Quang Tri wood in furniture sold in retail giant, IKEA’s stores.”

IKEA, working to increase its own supply of FSC certified wood, has supported the group financially. Furniture manufacture is a big sector in Vietnam. Export markets increasingly demand products made from FSC certified timber, which manufacturers often have to import at great cost. Left: Quang Tri ecosystem services training 26

As a well-organised group, Quang Tri smallholders sell directly to local furniture manufacturers that supply IKEA, rather than pay middle-men to trade for them. Their wood is much sought after for furniture: their forest management practices include extending rotation from 4-5 years to 9-11 years, which results in superior quality timber.

ForCES pilot Importantly, the Vinh Tu commune in Quang Tri province is a pilot site for the Forest Certification for Ecosystem Services (ForCES) project, started in 2011 by the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and FSC with the United Nations Environment Programme. It is aimed at adapting FSC standards to emerging ecosystem services (ES) markets. ES (water, carbon, biodiversity, soil and recreation) are the life-sustaining benefits that we obtain from nature. The intention is that FSC certification becomes a market tool for ES, allowing FSC certificate holders to receive benefits for responsible management of ES. The coordinator of the FSC National Standard Development Group in Vietnam, Que Anh Vu, says the pilot suggests that the ES model can be used as a resource to provide added value to the certification model. It points to the potential of applying ES approaches to the entire Quang Tri group certification area.

Wider benefits Que Anh adds that the Quang Tri group certification model is a pioneer in Vietnam. “It is a tool to push for certification in vast plantation areas – around 2.5 million hectares – owned by smallholders in Vietnam,” she says. “Through better group organisation, the financial and administrative burden of certification for these smallholders is reduced.” Apart from farmers getting the economic benefits of better prices for their FSC certified timber, “they are more aware of the social and environmental impacts of forest functions and Image credits: © Nguyen Thi Hue © Vu Thi Que Anh

ecosystem services”, she says. “With improved knowledge and skills, farmers know how to do their forestry business in a sustainable way with long-term purpose.” Mauro points out that people in the pilot area are far more aware today of the value of their natural forests:

“They are producing seedlings and planting native trees alongside the acacia and around water sources.”

Going forward Next up for the Quang Tri smallholders is an FSC forest management surveillance audit, including a field test of ES requirements. This will assess the impact of the management activities on the soil protection service. If the certificate holder can demonstrate a positive or at least a zero impact, Mauro says, “then it can make additional FSC promotional claims about enhancing or maintaining ES. These new claims may attract corporate and/ or government support or other marketing benefits. The system is new and will be tested in Quang Tri as part of the ForCES project.” This article was orginially published on the FSC International website: https://ic.fsc.org/en

Key Update

FSC Places the Schweighofer Group on Probation for Disassociation FSC has decided to place the Schweighofer Group (FSC®C132602) on probation for possible disassociation for involvement in irregularities and illegalities in its timber trade operations and in illegal logging by its Romanian forest land enterprise.

nder probation, the Schweighofer Group is required to meet a number of conditions prior to the next meeting of the FSC International Board of Directors to be held from 7th to 10th February 2017. If the group fails to do so, the board will then decide for disassociation. FSC firmly believes that this decision is the most effective way to ensure that the Schweighofer Group engages in actions to fully address any involvement in irregularities and illegalities in its timber trade operations and in illegal logging by its Romanian forest enterprise. The decision was based on a report by an independent complaints panel appointed in March 2016 that has conducted an indepth investigation of the allegations against Schweighofer Group’s forestry related business operations in Romania and raised in a Policy for Association complaint by WWF Germany against the group. As a result of the investigation, the complaints panel reported that there is ‘clear and convincing evidence’1 that the Schweighofer

Group has been involved in significant irregularities and illegalities in its timber trade operations in Romania, and in the harvesting of timber from forest land that was purchased under a dubious legal framework. The investigation led the complaints panel to conclude that the Schweighofer Group has violated the FSC Policy for Association by its ongoing involvement over an extended period of time in illegal logging and the trade of illegal timber. At the same time, FSC acknowledges that there are important issues related to legality and sustainability in the Romanian forest sector. Finding solutions to these issues requires joint efforts by industry and civil society in the country, and FSC is keen to explore how it can play a constructive role as a robust certification scheme and a dialogue platform in helping stakeholders find long-term solutions to these identified challenges. Engaging in a constructive dialogue in Romania also means working to ensure that forestry companies such as the Schweighofer Group, understand the importance of sustainability and legality and commit, along

with other stakeholders, to carry out sweeping improvements in their operations in the Romanian forestry sector. “The FSC board has taken into account recent measures introduced by the Schweighofer Group to address the shortcomings found in its system, particularly related to its due diligence, but extensive improvement is still needed in many areas in order for the company to maintain association with FSC after the probation period,” says Kim Carstensen, FSC Director General. The probation for possible disassociation means that the Schweighofer Group must meet the following main conditions prior to the next February 2017 FSC board meeting: 1. Publicly declare their responsibility for certain irregularities in their supply chains and their commitment to address relevant shortcomings in collaboration with civil society organisations. 2. Demonstrate that it is engaged in a transparent and constructive dialogue with environmental and social stakeholders about a clear plan of corrective action built on the recommendations of the

complaints panel. This plan shall address both the significant shortcomings still existing in their operations as well as the major impacts on forests and people that irregularities in their operations have caused. 3. Present a preliminary plan of corrective action to the FSC board for approval. If by the February 2017 FSC board meeting the Schweighofer Group has not presented FSC with sufficient evidence demonstrating that these conditions have been satisfactorily met, the FSC board will immediately decide for FSC to disassociate from the Schweighofer Group.

1. Clear and convincing evidence: The evidence available to the complaints panel must be substantially more probable to be true than not. The complaints panel has a firm conviction that the defendant is responsible for a violation of the Policy for Association (As defined in the ‘Standard of certainty’ in the FSC procedure “Processing Policy for Association Complaints in the FSC Certification Scheme” FSC-PRO-01-009 - http://bit.ly/2hRqi4T).

Just for Fun

Guess the product! Can you work out what FSC certified product is shown in the photo? Tweet your suggestions to @FSCUK using the hashtag #GuessFSC.

Keep up-to-date with us on Social Media! Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook

Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) UK is a charity dedicated to promoting responsible forestry. For more information about FSC UK: www.fsc-uk.org info@fsc-uk.org The Billiard Room, Town Hall, Great Oak Street Llanidloes Powys, SY18 6BN 01686 413916

Charity number: 1130203 FSC® F000231

FSC in numbers 2,364 Chain of Custody certificates in the UK 1,633,904 hectares of FSC certified forest in the UK 31,599 Chain of Custody certificates worldwide 196.285 million hectares of FSC certified forest worldwide Latest figures from FSC IC. Correct as of 6 January 2017. The full list of figures can be viewed at https://ic.fsc.org/en/facts-figures