March 7, 2014, Shenzhen-The sustainable management forest certification seminar with the theme of “China Forest Certification System (CFCS) and the Age of International Standards” was held in Shenzhen. The representatives of the China Forest Certification Commission (hereinafter referred to as CFCC) and the Forest Certification System Certification Program (hereinafter referred to as PEFC) formally announced at the meeting that CFCS and PEFC have recently completed the final mutual recognition. This marks the formal integration of China’s forest certification system with international standards, and provides more certification and procurement options for domestic and foreign forestry and paper companies.
As a market mechanism, forest certification aims to ensure the legality and sustainability of forest management and utilization. For companies, through forest certification can not only prove to the government, customers, consumers and other stakeholders that they implement sustainable forest management, but also can prove that their raw materials and product sources are legal. According to Wang Wei, director of the China Forest Certification Committee, in order to promote the sustainable development of China’s related forestry and paper industry, actively participate in the development of the world’s forest certification system. In 2010, China established the China Forest Certification Committee, with extensive participation of multiple stakeholders.
At present, the area of artificial forests in China is at the world’s leading level, and its forest coverage has increased from 12% 30 years ago to more than 21% in 2013. The Chinese government has taken various forms to improve the quality and quantity of forests, in order to achieve the goal of reaching 23% of forest coverage and 223 million hectares of forest area by 2020.
