Responsible Wood CEO Simon Dorries (left) and communications officer Jason Ross
The National Governing Body for PEFC in Australia is in New Zealand this week to discuss the standard development and champion the all-important PEFC forest certification message. Mr Dorries and Marketing and Communication Officer Jason Ross will be spending this week traveling through Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington. Source: Timberbiz
They have already been taken aback by the interest in forest certification from sustainably mindful New Zealanders.
“We have a busy itinerary, as it stands we are meeting with a variety of timber and paper based companies which proudly carry PEFC forest certification,’’ Responsible Wood’s CEO Simon Dorries said.
“We are also meeting with a number of influential groups including the New Zealand Tropical Timber Importer’s Group and the New Zealand Green Building Council, briefing the New Zealand market on the development of the new joint standard for Sustainable Forest Management.”
According to Mr Ross it is awareness and recognition of PEFC forest certification that is growing in the New Zealand marketplace, and forest certification inquiries continue to grow, especially in the building materials sector.
“And with the development of the new Trans-Tasman forestry standard, the first joint Australian and New Zealand standard for Sustainable Forest Management, PEFC forest certification is increasingly used by Australian and New Zealand businesses to demonstrate all important timber legality requirements both during procurement and at time of purchase,” he said.
“Increasingly forest certification isn’t just a matter of preference but a necessity for buyers looking to do the right thing.”
Mr Dorries indicated that a balance of Australian and New Zealand representation will be embodied on the Standard Committee.
“Certainly, the interest from New Zealand stakeholders has been high, on the balance Australian and New Zealand representation will be almost 50-50 with slightly greater representation from Australians,” he said.
