2024 AGM and Annual Report
Adapting global standards to local needs
We are endorsed by PEFC whose international sustainable forest management benchmark sets out the criteria and indicators we believe are vital for the sustainable management of any forest globally. However, the benchmark cannot address all the different forest types and situations found at country level. That’s where Responsible Wood comes in…
This is because forests (and countries) are highly diverse. As is their management, legislation and law enforcement, local traditions, cultural and spiritual expectations, average property sizes and support structures. This diversity means there is more than one way to manage a forest sustainably.
That is why we work through national forest management standards, developed by local stakeholders for local stakeholders. This enables countries to tailor their sustainable forest management requirements to their specific forest ecosystems, legal and administrative framework, socio-cultural context and other relevant factors.
Then, thanks to our endorsement process, we can ensure that while they are locally adapted, all national standards meet the PEFC benchmark. Every system is different, but all meet (and often exceed) global requirements.
National forest certification systems - The Responsible Wood Certification Scheme
The national forest management standard is part of a national forest certification system. In Australia, the Responsible Wood certification scheme outlines the rules, procedures and management criteria for carrying out forest certification at national level, in Australia, in line with our international requirements. It also incorporates all operational aspects involved in managing a forest certification system.
For PEFC, how the national forest management standards are developed is as important as their final content. We therefore set out requirements for the national standard setting process, as well as performance and management requirements that national forest management standards must address.
