Certified wood

Certified wood and paper products come from responsibly managed forests – as defined by a particular standard.

[9] In 2021, PEFC issued a position statement[10] defending their use of private standards in response to the Destruction: Certified report from Greenpeace.

Some commentators, including Jared Diamond, have suggested that many competing private standards were set up by logging companies specifically aiming to confuse consumers with less rigorously enforced but similarly named competing standards.

Forest ecosystems are complex and a simplistic ‘one size fits all’ approach to certification cannot address all sustainability needs.".

[21] There are over 600 organizations certified to the SFI Chain-of-Custody Standard, and SFI-certified products are sold in more than 120 countries around the world.

Incorporating third-party certification into forest product buying practices can be a centerpiece for responsible wood and paper purchasing policies that include factors such as the protection of sensitive forest values, thoughtful material selection and efficient use of products.

The report cites four demand drivers for certification:[25] The World Resources Institute, in partnership with the Environmental Investigation Agency, released a fact sheet designed to answer some of the frequently asked questions about the Lacey Act, which was amended in 2008 to ban commerce in illegally sourced plants and their products—including timber, wood, and paper products.

The fact sheet says forest certification is a very good approach for demonstrating due care by showing government and customers that a company has taken proactive steps to eliminate illegal wood or plant material from its supply chain.