Certification can help upscale corporate sustainability transformation

28 February 2024 Driving innovation

Certification can help scale up business transformation and ensure that corporate actions not only address the environmental issues, but also the social and economic dimensions of sustainability, said Thorsten Arndt, Head of Advocacy at PEFC International, at the United Nations Environment Assembly today in Nairobi Kenya.

He highlighted that with close to one million forest owners and tens of thousands of businesses certified, PEFC offers an ideal opportunity to scale up actions and deliver impacts beyond the scope of individual companies.

Thorsten made his remarks during the Launch of the Business and Industry Major Group Beacon Projects Report 2024 side event at the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 6).

The report showcases 35 leading Beacon Projects from across private-sector associations and institutions, highlighting the impact potential of these associations and their member companies. The report also illustrates the value-creation possible in developing or emerging economies and the transformative impacts that are achievable in local communities. 

Reflecting on the event, Thorsten said that certification not only offers an ideal platform to upscale individual company actions to the global community of responsible forest owners and businesses in the forest products value chain, but is also a mechanism to demonstrate and verify responsible practices. 

In addition, lessons learnt and best practices can be considered in the evolution of certification standards and thereby help mainstream activities that tackle climate, nature, and livelihood challenges. The unique structure of PEFC as a bottom-up organisation providing global solutions for sustainable forest management through local implementation, with a focus on smallholders and SMEs, represents an ideal opportunity to replicate and mainstream innovative and inspiring business solutions.

The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 6) is being held at UNEP headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi from 26 February to 1 March 2024. With a focus on strengthening environmental multilateralism to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution, this year’s Assembly will be negotiating resolutions on issues ranging from nature-based solutions and highly hazardous pesticides to land degradation and drought, and environmental aspects of minerals and metals. More than 70 Ministers and 3,000 delegate are expected to attend.