Environment
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
FSC is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests. It was founded in 1993 in response to public concern about deforestation and demand for a trustworthy wood-labelling scheme. There are national working groups more than 50 countries including the UK. FSC UK is a registered charity. It is supported by
NGOs including WWF, Greenpeace and the Woodland Trust.
The FSC runs a global forest certification system with two key components: Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification. This system allows consumers to identify, purchase and use timber and forest products produced from well-managed forests. The Forest Stewardship Council's “tick tree” logo is used on product labels to indicate whether products are certified under the FSC system. When you see the FSC logo on a label you can buy timber and other wood products, such as paper, with the confidence that you are not contributing to the destruction of the world's forests.
The PEFC Council (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification)
PEFC UK Ltd was established in 2000 and is the member of PEFC International, an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) through independent third-party certification. PEFC International is an umbrella organisation that endorses national forest certification systems developed through multi-stakeholder processes and tailored to local priorities and conditions.
PEFC works throughout the entire forest supply chain to promote good practice in the forest and to ensure that timber and nontimber forest products are produced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards. Thanks to its eco-label, customers and consumers are able to identify products from sustainably managed forests.
ISO 14001
The International Standard ISO 14001 sets out requirements for an Environmental Management System (EMS) which can be employed by an organization to measure and document their environmental impact. EMS's that meet the ISO 14001 requirements can be externally audited and certified by an accredited Certification Body. The certification body must be accredited by the ANSIASQ National Accreditation Board in the USA, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service in the UK, or the National Accreditation Board in Ireland. Certification auditors need to be accredited by the International Registrar of Certification Auditors.