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| The report, "Behind the logo", by an ENGO umbrella organization is one more in a series of biased propaganda aimed at trying to discredit genuine attempts by all other stakeholders in society to promote sustainable forest management through a range of credible forest certification schemes.
The attempts by certain elements of the ENGO community to push one scheme only and to denigrate all others, having rejected repeated invitations to participate, are merely counter-productive and an anathema to their stated aims of promoting products from well managed forests. It is ironic that these same environmental organisations normally associated with the promotion of diversity and opposed to globalised monopolies; are in this case attempting to stifle the diversity of credible national and local schemes by promoting only a one-world option.
The PEFC Council is disappointed that yet another opportunity to contribute constructively to the process of promoting sustainable forest management has been missed. Rather than actively engaging in the ongoing development of independent forest certification schemes; so-called "in-depth" comparisons are made by people interested in pushing only one scheme. The constructive thing to do would have been to co-operate with the schemes to commission a mutually acceptable independent consultant to do the assessment. This would have resulted in a more objective result as for example the study by Professor Thoroe, comparing FSC and PEFC parallel certification in a pilot area in Germany, which showed both schemes to be equivalent from an ecological point of view
Unfortunately the "Behind the logo" report does not contribute constructively to the debate. Rather it detracts, with unsubstantiated and often misleading statements and conclusions. The money and effort spent on this exercise could have been better utilized to promote sustainable forest management. Our forests deserve better
Once again, we invite the organisations behind the report to become actively involved in the ongoing development of national schemes, and are happy to consider the "case studies" as their initial contribution to be considered with their involvement within the national processes.
Finally, PEFC is seriously concerned that misdirected efforts to discredit PEFC and other credible schemes, are risking the reputation of certification as a tool to promote sustainable forest management. It also risks consumers being frightened off buying timber from certified forests and substituting it with less environmentally friendly products.
Don?t be part of the problem, become part of the solution ? for our forests sake.
Contacts:
For more information contact:
PEFC Council: Mr Ben Gunneberg, Secretary General: Tel +352 26 25 90 59
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