Celebrating power of forests for good

As featured in the Timber & Forestry E News

DELEGATES to the Doing Timber Business in Queensland were briefed on the historic trans-Tasman sustainable forest management standard (AS / NZS 4708) by Simon Dorries, CEO, Responsible Wood.

The standard will provide common benchmarks for certified Australian and New Zealand forests.

“The new standard, scheduled for release later this year, will be audited for acceptance by PEFC International to meet current and future expectations for forest management in both countries,” Mr Dorries said.

Reflecting on the International Day of Forests (March 21), Mr Dorries stressed the importance of sustainable and responsible forestry practices in unlocking the full potential of forests.

“The new standard has been developed to recognise the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing a framework for our industry to achieve commitments to the SDGs.

“Whether its minimising poverty and hunger, promoting education, good health and welling being and gender equality or clean health, sanitation, affordable and clean energy and decent work opportunities, our standards plays an all-important in setting benchmarks and for forest certification.”

Mr Dorries congratulated Timber Queensland’s ‘Timber Hub’ office fit-out which became the second project in Australia to be certified under AS 4707 – Responsible Wood’s chain of custody for sustainable forest management claims.

“Responsible Wood project certification is a specific form of chain-of custody certification which allows companies to receive recognition for the use of certified timber in their projects,” Mr Dorries said.

“Project certification provides an important mechanism for gaining independent verification for the use of certified timber in one-off projects, such as the Timber Hub which has a limited duration.”

Responsible Wood, Australia’s largest forest certification scheme, was gold sponsor of the Timber Queensland symposium, which brought together representatives of the full Queensland supply chain for forest products.