Respected forester Dr Hans Drielsma has been elected chairman of Australian Forestry Standard Ltd.
Hans, who has served as interim chairman since the resignation of Kate Carnell AO at the AFS AGM in Sydney last year, was elected at a recent meeting of the AFS board of directors.
Hans Drielsma – AFS Chairman
Since its inception, Hans has been taken a leading role in the development of the Australian Forest Certification Scheme, and its endorsement by PEFC. He was a Director of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Council from 2006 to 2016, and served on the PEFC International Governance Review Panel. He was also instrumental in a more active multi-nation promotion of PEFC in the Asian region
Hans has worked in the forest industry for over 40 years. Growing up in the Blue Mountains of NSW led to an early interest in the effects of the forest industry on the environment and local communities. Following postgraduate studies in natural resource sociology at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, he worked for Forests NSW and Forestry Tasmania. During his time in Tasmania, he led the introduction of environmental certification into the organisation.
Hans said he was encouraged by the solid progress of AFS in the Australian market, which particularly was a result of the efforts, both nationally and internationally of CEO Simon Dorries.
Dr Drielsma said AFS Ltd was focused this year on a revision of the standards process and embarking on a new project to create awareness and understanding of our certification scheme and drive demand for Australian certified wood and wood products.
Dr Drielsma chairs a board of directors comprising Alison Carmichael, general manager, Agsafe Ltd, Alan Bones, general manager, sales and marketing, Carter Holt Harvey New Zealand, Nathan Trushell, acting CEO, VicForests. Colin Fitzpatrick, CEO, TABMA Australia, Suzanne Little, environmental scientist and certified auditor, based in Sydney, and Craig Smith, NSW district secretary and divisional national vice-president, CFMEU.
