AFIC and PEFC create a sustainability roadmap for a sustainable furniture supply chain

As featured by PEFC International

PEFC is embarking on a four-year journey with the ASEAN Furniture Industry Council (AFIC) to improve sustainability outcomes throughout the furniture supply chain in the ASEAN region.

As consumers worldwide demand sustainable products across a variety of fields, every industry must adapt to satisfy their requests. Furniture customers are no different, and sustainable furniture is a highly sought-after product.

Furniture supply chain sustainability and responsible procurement are critical to make sure that we all benefit from the many products that forests provide now, while ensuring these forests will be around for generations to come.

The sustainability roadmap

AFIC and PEFC are therefore starting on a strategic four-year sustainability roadmap to promote furniture supply chain sustainability and responsible procurement.

The partnership has flexibility built in so that it can adapt and change over time, but the key goal will remain the same: to increase the demand for certified, sustainable wood. This will help improve sustainable forest management outcomes and protect the natural resources upon which we all depend, including biodiversity, watersheds, and the climate.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with PEFC on a four-year project, helping our member associations and companies better understand the benefits of working with certified wood sources,” said Nicolaas K. de Lange, AFIC Secretary General.

“We are very glad to have PEFC as our Sustainable Partner in our vision for supply chain sustainability and responsible sourcing. We look forward to this collaboration, exchanging knowledge, best practices and experiences, and supporting each other as we work toward our vision of sustainability for our future and our hope for our forests to be around for generations to come,” said Emmanuel Padiernos, AFIC Chairman.

The four-year sustainability roadmap that AFIC and PEFC have put together includes the following key goals:

1. Raise awareness on the importance of sustainably sourced forest and tree-based materials which subsequently boost demand for certified materials.
2. Build capacity in the wood-based supply chain to facilitate members and companies to reach sustainability goals.
3. Support companies who want to demonstrate legal and sustainable sourcing with PEFC certification.
4. Improve knowledge sharing between PEFC and AIFC members.
5. Build visibility for AFIC and PEFC.

In addition, the roadmap calls for the creation of an ASEAN Furniture Sustainability Award to recognize companies that demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices, including sourcing.

AFIC is an important regional trade organisation that promotes the interests of the furniture industry and furniture-related businesses in ASEAN countries. Established in 1987, it includes members from all the key ASEAN states. Working together, PEFC and AIFC aim to convene disparate stakeholders across the furniture value chain and support them in a two phase, four-year-long plan to promote improve sustainability.

Responsible Wood is the National Governing Body for PEFC Australia. To find out more about Responsible Wood and forest certification more generally please visit the Responsible Wood website.