FSC Compliance, What does FSC mean?

FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, it is primarily a force for good as far as sensible control of the worlds timber resources are concerned. One of the main suppliers to DirectDoors.com is JB Kind, they are committed to adhering to the principals of FSC registration and by way of a mission statement they (JBK) say.....  

J.B. Kind is working towards obtaining all its doors from well-managed sources. We hold our own FSC chain of custody certification for certain doors within our collection and are continually working towards increasing this range. Chain of custody certification ensures that the systems within our business allow us to track the door from the day we buy it; through to the day we deliver it. Wherever you see the FSC logo, doors within that range have been produced from certified material. 

A brief outline of FSC, Concerned about accelerating deforestation, environmental degradation and social exclusion, a group of timber users, traders and representatives of environmental and human rights organizations met in California in 1990. This diverse group highlighted the need for a system that could credibly identify well-managed forests as the sources of responsibly produced wood products. The concept of FSC and the name were coined at this meeting.

The Earth Summit produced no legally binding commitments on forest management, but it did result in Agenda 21 and the non-legally binding Forest Principles. And crucially it provided a forum for many non-governmental organizations to come together and gather support for the innovative idea of a non-governmental, independent and international forest certification scheme.  

Following intensive consultations in ten countries to build support for the idea of a worldwide certification system, the FSC Founding Assembly was held in Toronto, Canada in 1993.

The FSC Secretariat opened in Oaxaca, Mexico and the FSC was established as a legal entity in Mexico in February 1994. The FSC Secretariat relocated to Bonn, Germany in 2003. The number of certificates issued in both forest management and chain of custody have increased exponentially, passing a total of 20,000 certificates in 2011; the 1,000th forest management certificate was also issued in 2011 to a Portuguese small farmers’ association covering their cork plantations. Our 6th General Assembly was held in 2011 in Sabah, Malaysia, and was attended by about 400 participants. In October 2010, the European Union adopted the EU Timber Regulation (Regulation 995/2010) to prevent sales of illegal timber and timber products on the EU internal market.

From 3 March 2013, any operator who places timber or timber products on the EU market for the first time must ensure that they have been legally produced.

The EU Timber Regulation will affect thousands of companies, small and large, that are producing timber domestically or importing timber or timber products into the EU. It covers a wide range of timber products, including plywood, veneer, particle board and furniture, but exempts some products, in particular printed media. The Timber Regulation includes three key obligations:

• It prohibits the placing of illegally harvested timber and products derived from such timberon the EU market, whether they are of domestic or imported origin.
• Timber accompanied by a FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) or CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) license will be accepted as legal. In all other cases, operators must exercise 'due diligence’ when they sell imported and domestic timber or timber products.
• Traders (those after the operators in the supply chain) need to keep records of their suppliers (and customers). In this way the operators can always be traced.
• FSC supports without reservation the goal of banning illegally harvested timber from the EU market. We are working to ensure that our systems fulfill the requirements of the regulation when it enters into force in 2013, so that FSC certificate holders do not have to apply any additional due diligence activities for their FSC materials. We will be seeking formal confirmation from the EU authorities that this will be the case.
• FSC is growing at an unprecedented rate in response to the demand from the market for FSC certified timber and non-timber forest products.Currently certification figures are at over 134 million hectares, roughly 13% of the world’s production forests. The demand in markets in Europe and North America is driving the growth of FSC certified area around the world.

The uniqueness and success of the FSC system is that it takes a holistic, integrated approach that provides concrete solutions for responsible forest management which addresses social, economic and environmental issues. We provide leadership in the development and acceptance of the Principles and Criteria as the highest environmental and social standards for forest management. Our vision and unique governance structure give a voice to communities, indigenous people and forest workers, who are often overlooked stakeholders in forest management.

Be part of the solution, Ways of giving

Individual Contributions  Be a part of the solution and donate to FSC to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable forestry worldwide. Philanthropic Giving FSC partners with international and national foundations, companies and government aid agencies to make a global difference. Your support is essential to strengthen our programs within our PSU and to build capacity of our Regional Offices. Sponsorship We offer a range of opportunities for companies and organizations to sponsor FSC activities and events. Sponsoring an FSC event is an excellent opportunity to effectively showcase your products and services to a targeted audience while showcasing your commitment to socio-environmental responsibility and sustainable development. 

Sponsorship packages can be customized to suit your needs. 

Your sponsorship would make a significant contribution in making the outcome of an event effective and sustainable.

Main Source for information... fsc.org

Info supplied by www.directdoors.com

Any questions, email info@directdoors.com and ask "Chippy"

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