PEFC Annual Review – The highlights of our work in 2023

10 May 2024 News

We are delighted to present our 2023 PEFC Annual Review! 2023 was an exciting year for the PEFC Alliance, bringing a new strategy, new members, and new collaborations.

The number of certified hectares of forest grew in all areas of the world, by a total of 7 million hectares. We welcomed the Croatian Union of Private Forest Owners Associations (CUPFOA) as our national member for Croatia, and Mayr-Melnhof Holz, Mercer International, Precious Woods and HS Timber Group as international stakeholder members.

A highlight of the year was the launch of the PEFC Alliance 2030 Strategy during the SFI Annual Conference and PEFC Week in Vancouver, Canada. Developed by the entire PEFC Alliance through a series of reviews, discussions, and projections with our members and stakeholders, the strategy sets the collective pace for our organisation.

We celebrated the endorsement of the first national Trees outside Forests systems in the Netherlands, India, and Portugal, opening the way to the first PEFC-certified trees growing outside of forests in the three countries.

We continued the development of a series of new standards for RED II, moved forward with EUDR alignment, and further explored carbon stock and emissions mapping.

We intensified our collaboration with different market sectors, including construction, fashion, rubber, packaging, and furniture. By telling the stories of forest heroes around the world, we showcase the impact that PEFC certification makes for people on the ground.

The Annual Review gives an insight into the work and some of the key achievements of PEFC and our partners in 2023 – have a look!