Environment and Energy

PEFC CoC (Chain of Custody)

Motivation and benefits

Certification of the flow of wood offers several advantages to wood processing and treating industry, the suppliers and buyers, wholesale and retail trade:

  • You will be listed in the Purchasing Guide as well as on the homepage of the international umbrella organization PEFC.
  • You can improve access to the market: as surveys show, customers are increasingly asking for wood and wood products that demonstrably come from certified forests.
  • You can demonstrate your sense of responsibility and commitment for the environment in the sense of sustainable development.
  • You can use certification as a tool for risk prevention ("ensuring the consumers do not need to worry").
  • You can improve the image of the wood sector.
  • By using the logo, you will increase the acceptability and credibility among customers that attach utmost importance to a certificate of origin.
  • The confidence level will be increased because customers are assured that wood does not come from contested sources.
Objectives

PEFC – Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes – is marking of wood and paper products coming from forest management that is ecologically, economically and socially compatible throughout the processing chain. Chain of Custody (CoC) certification reviews the whole processing chain. This will guarantee that the product has been inspected by the stringent criteria from the forest to the final product. This evidence is furnished by companies processing wood or trading with products made of wood and periodically inspected by independent bodies.

For customers, PEFC acknowledges that purchasing of a marked product guarantees and supports ecologically compatible forest management. The PEFC Quality Seal symbolizes the holistic approach of sustainability and has internalized the integral idea of protection of nature. At PEFC, independence of the certification bodies is particularly guaranteed by accreditation according to international standards.  PEFC furnishes uninterrupted and binding evidence of sustainable use of resources, upon which each consumer can rely. PEFC is the market leader worldwide because PEFC enables fair participation of all forest owners independently from the size of their properties and considers the diversity of the forest eco-systems, cultural heritage and the ownership structures. No other certification system can hint at a certified forest area with a comparable size. Thus PEFC guarantees sufficient supply with wood and wood products originating from forests managed sustainably.

Content

PEFC stands for sustainability, credibility and safe supply.

  • Sustainability: The PEFC Quality Seal stands for sustainable, careful and responsible forest management. Thus our forests will also be kept as a basis for living, working and recreation for future generations. PEFC, in particular, symbolizes the holistic approach of sustainability and has internalized the internal idea of nature protection.
  • Credibility: At PEFC, independence of the certification bodies is particularly guaranteed by accreditation according to international Standards.  PEFC furnishes uninterrupted and binding evidence of sustainable use of resources, upon which each consumer can rely.
  • Safe supply: As PEFC enables fair participation of all forest owners independently from the size of their properties and considers the diversity of the forest eco-systems, cultural heritage and the ownership structures, PEFC is the market leader worldwide. Thus PEFC guarantees sufficient supply with wood and wood products originating from forests managed sustainably.

Among other things, the following aspects will be considered in the audit:

  • the suppliers' assessment
  • training evidence
  • balancing the amounts
  • risk management
  • usage of the logo
  • documentation
Target group
  • sawing and planing mills
  • wood processing industry
  • building joiners and cabinet makers
  • carpenters
  • wood trade
  • paper industry and trade
  • printshops and publishing houses
Certification

The way to the Certificate and logo

  • Quality Austria is asked for a certification of the „Chain of Custody“

  • Quality Austria sends information and a data sheet, which serves to inquire all the data necessary for certification

  • An application form, information on preparation within the company and a specific offer are sent

  • A preliminary talk is held in order to clarify the system requirements and prepare the Certification Audit

  • Upon completion of the preparations within the company and after documentation has been sent to Quality Austria for purposes of the preliminary review, the Certification Audit will be conducted on site

  • If necessary, required changes will be sent to Quality Austria (depending on the audit result)

  • Upon positive review and assessment, a certification report as well as a certificate will be issued (valid for five years)

  • Compliance with the requirements relating to the „Chain of Custody” will be reviewed every year

  • Upon expiry of the certificate, prolongation for another period will be possible

  • Use of the PEFC Logo will be applied for at PEFC Austria on the basis of the valid certificate (on a voluntary basis)
Accreditation

The qualityaustria audit achievments result on the basis of the accreditation at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs. With PEFC Austria has been made a notification agreement.

Other relevant standards

ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EMAS, Sustainability Reports, Austria Quality Seal products, FSC® CoC, ISO 38200

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