Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes

Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes
Non-profit_
founded_date = 1999
founder =
location = Geneva, Switzerland
origins =
key_people =
area_served = Global
focus = Forest conservation, Ecology
method = Certification
revenue =
endowment =
num_employees =
owner =
Non-profit_slogan =
homepage = http://www.pefc.org/

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) is a system that ensureS the sustainability of wood products. Founded in 1999, it is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation which promotes sustainably managed forests through independent third party certification. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

PEFC's criterias are based on international processes such as the Ministerial Conference for the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE), ILO guidelines, and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

It acts as an umbrella organisation for the assessment of and mutual recognition of national forest certification schemes developed in a multi-stakeholder process. At the moment it is the world's largest certification scheme. Having 25 national schemes and over 1,000,000 km² of forest certified.

The demand for forest certification came in 1990s, when environmental issues rose to the spotlight and sustainablity of ecosystems was wanted to be ensured.

Competing forest certification system

Forest Stewardship Council is the main competing forest certification system. Mutual recognition of FSC and PEFC certified material in the chain of custody has not yet happened. However, the national Forest Management Standard in the United Kingdom - UKWAS - is both accredited by FSC and endorsed by PEFC. Both FSC and PEFC were found to deliver UK government criteria for legal and sustainable sourcing of timber products.

External links

Official PEFC sites

* [http://www.pefc.org/ PEFC official website]
* [http://www.pefc.at/ PEFC Austria]
* [http://www.inmetro.gov.br/english/ Brazilian Program of Forest Certification] , member of the PEFC
* [http://www.pefccanada.org PEFC Canada]
* [http://www.ffcs-finland.org The Finnish Forest Certification Council]
* [http://www.pefc-france.org PEFC France]
* [http://www.pefc.de/ PEFC Germany]
* [http://www.mtcc.com.my Malaysian Timber Certification Council]
* [http://www.pefc.se PEFC Sweden]
* [http://www.aboutsfb.org Sustainable Forestry Initiative (USA)]
* [http://www.pefc.co.uk PEFC United Kingdom]
* [http://www.pefcnederland.nl PEFC Netherlands] (dutch)

Critics

* [http://www.fern.org/media/documents/document_1890_1900.pdf Footprints in the Forests] : A FERN's assessment of 8 forest certification schemes (2004)
* [http://www.fern.org/pubs/reports/behind/btlpage.html Behind the Logo] : A FERN's environmental and social assessment of four forest certification schemes - the FSC, PEFC, SFI and CSA (2001)
* [http://www.fern.org/campaign_area_extension.html?clid=3&id=3642 FERN] 's site on certification (supporter of the main competing scheme)
* [http://wilderness.org.au The Wilderness Society] The Wilderness Society
* [http://www.pefcwatch.org/ PEFCWatch] , a joint initiative of the competing scheme FSC, Finnish Nature League and Greenpeace