Give your feedback on PEFC Chain of Custody standard

13 May 2019 Chain of Custody

PEFC invites stakeholders globally to give their feedback on the revised PEFC Chain of Custody standard.

This vital international standard is entering the last stage of its revision, and now we need to hear from you. Give your comments, feedback and suggestions, to help us ensure this standard meet your needs and expectations. The consultation for the revised PEFC Trademarks standard is running at the same time.

Give your feedback – deadline 9 July 2019.

Want to know more?

To provide you with more information about the proposed changes to both standards, we will be running a series of webinars throughout the duration of the public consultations:

• 29 May, 14.00 - 15.30 CEST
• 3 June, 11.00 - 12.30 CEST
• 3 July, 11.00 - 12.30 CEST

Chain of Custody

This standard lays out the requirements for Chain of Custody certification for forest-based products – the conditions a company must meet to achieve PEFC certification. PEFC Chain of Custody establishes the link from the forest to the market, tracking forest-based products from sustainable sources to the final product.

Many of the proposed changes will make PEFC Chain of Custody certification more resource-efficient and environmentally friendly, while retaining the robustness of the system. For example, an option to use remote internal auditing in multi-site certification would reduce travel-related costs and greenhouse gas emissions for on-site auditing.

One of the biggest opportunities is the expansion of the PEFC Due Diligence System (DDS) to cover ‘core sustainability issues’. This would further raise the bar for the small amount of uncertified material that can be mixed with certified material, especially in countries with weak legislation and/or law enforcement.

Public consultations

These public consultations come towards the end of our current PEFC Standards Revision process. We have already revised and published several international standards, including Sustainable Forest Management and Group Certification. 

Public consultations are a vital part of the development process of our international standards. They are when you get to read the draft, make your comments and give direct feedback. Every comment made will get an answer.