PEFC turns 20 – celebrate with us!
Learn more about our year of celebrations and the history and future of PEFC!
PEFC turns 20 – celebrate with us!
1 July 2019 20th anniversary
2019 is a very special year for the PEFC family, as it marks our 20th anniversary!
20 years ago, European small-forest owners came together to create an international forest certification system that had their needs at heart. On 30 June 1999, PEFC was born.
From January 2019 to June 2020, we are celebrating the achievements from 20 years of caring for forests globally and locally.
Through a series of chapters, we will tell the story of PEFC, from the early ideas back in 1999, until today. From July to June, we will publish texts, photos and videos about PEFC’s history, approach, members, stakeholders and much more. Each month, one chapter will shed light on another facet of PEFC.
Voices of the past and present will speak about highlights from the last 20 years, key events that have shaped the organisation, and the future of PEFC.
Chapter 1 – PEFC: The early years
This is the first article of the series, opening Chapter 1: “PEFC: The early years”.
Throughout July, this chapter will introduce the early history of our organisation, the first ideas in the early 1990s, the foundation of PEFC, and the milestones on the way to become the world’s largest forest certification system.
July will also introduce small- and family forest owners around the world, the reason we were created. We’ll explain how we have enabled one million smallholders achieve certification and benefit from the many advantages it brings.
30 June 1999 - minutes after PEFC was founded
Chapters of the PEFC story
July 2019: PEFC: The early years
August 2019: We are PEFC: Membership and governance
September 2019: Smallholders: The people we cannot fail
October 2019: From Europe to the world: PEFC goes global
November 2019: Stakeholder engagement: Shaping the future together
December 2019: Supporting local initiatives beyond certification: PEFC Collaboration Fund
January 2020: Practicing continuous improvement: The evolution of PEFC standards
February 2020: External recognition and credibility: An expression of trust in PEFC
March 2020: Raising awareness for forests: How we tell the PEFC story
April 2020: Assuring quality: Safeguarding our performance
May 2020: Fashion, food, construction and much more: Spotlight on sectors
June 2020: Innovation in forest certification: The future of PEFC
Get involved!
From July to June, there will be many opportunities to get involved in the celebrations.
Later this year, we will launch our #myPEFCmoment campaign, and everybody can take part. Just take a picture of the PEFC label on a product, share it online with the hashtag #myPEFCmoment and win fantastic prizes!
The hashtag #20yearsofcaring provides a collection of activities of PEFC members and stakeholders around the world.
PEFC-certified companies can celebrate with us by using our special 20-year logo, available on the Label Generator. If you’re not certified, but would like to use the 20-year logo, let us know at t.arndt@pefc.org.