Responsible Wood recently participated in the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE), with the global event providing an ideal platform to highlight the credibility of Australian-certified timber and showcase the people and processes bringing those standards to life.
Held in Brisbane with members of the Responsible Wood team and Board in attendance, WCTE provided a unique opportunity to speak directly with engineers, architects, researchers, and other domestic and international specifiers and decision-makers about the importance of third-party certification in meeting climate, compliance, and procurement goals.
Responsible Wood’s presence reinforced the value of Australia’s PEFC-endorsed system and its alignment with global best practice, with both CEO Simon Dorries and Sustainability Manager Matt de Jongh presenting at the event.
- Advancing Sustainable Timber Management: The Role of Responsible Wood Certification
Matt’s presentation focused on the transformative potential of Responsible Wood certification in promoting sustainable forest management within the timber industry. By adhering to globally recognised standards, Responsible Wood ensures that forest products positively impact both the environment and society. - Marketing of timber design and construction from a sound sustainability basis
Aligning with Matt’s earlier session, Simon presented on the marketing of timber design and construction, outlining systems for verifying sustainable management and origin of timber products and introducing project certification, where a verified sustainability claim can be made on the timber elements of a completed project. These approaches combine to support unimpeded marketing of and greater confidence in sustainably sourced timber as a building material. His presentation also included an update on recent developments to ensure compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation.
Together, the presentations helped underline the importance of robust, transparent certification in delivering real-world impact: not just for forest managers and product manufacturers, but for designers, builders, and policymakers working toward low-carbon, responsibly sourced outcomes.
The event also gave opportunity for the Responsible Wood Board to come together, meeting to discuss key priorities while taking inspiration from the global perspectives being shared across the five days. Conversations throughout the event helped reinforce that certification provides credible, independently verified assurance that timber products meet sustainability and responsible sourcing expectations – building trust with specifiers, procurement teams, and end-users. It was also an opportunity to showcase the outstanding work being done by certification holders and providers.
In meeting rigorous standards, these organisations and operators are helping further enhance the credibility of Australian certified products, and the trust with which end users can approach locally grown or endorsed forest products.
