The French Forest Certification System has been submitted to PEFC for assessment. The public consultation, which is your chance to give your feedback on this revised system, will run from 24 July to 21 September 2023. PEFC France revised the country’s national forest certification system following the entry into force of the revised 2018 PEFC Sustainable Forest Management standard. The revised French Forest Certification System also includes new Trees Outside Forests (TOF) requirements. TOF certification was one of the innovative developments of the 2018 PEFC Sustainable Forest Management standard.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) announced the launch of the SFI-NCASI Carbon and Water Tools today. These science-based tools will help increase understanding of how SFI-certified forests can be used as nature-based solutions to help mitigate climate change and ensure water conservation. These new measurement tools help quantify the contributions of the 370 million acres/150 million hectares of forestland certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard in addressing climate change and meeting the water needs of both society and ecological systems. “We know the carbon in SFI-certified forests make them essential to reducing the impacts of climate change. However, quantifying the carbon values associated with SFI-certified forests can be challenging. These new tools will inform scientists in ways that will advance the already significant impact of forests toward mitigating climate change and providing for our water needs,” said Paul Trianosky, SFI’s Chief Conservation Officer.

“Successful outcomes result from partnership and collaboration. That’s why the EPA deserves a round of applause for bringing together recycling stakeholders, decision makers and government officials to celebrate recycling successes, learn from each other and address the challenges before us. For our part, as an industry we are working to remove confusion about what is recyclable – pizza boxes, for example, which are recyclable. “Paper and paper-based product manufacturers have a long history of applying sustainable business practices to innovate and adapt to market demands to drive future successes. Take the U.S. paper recovery for recycling rate. In 2018, industry and consumer commitment to increasing the quality and quantity of paper recovered for recycling contributed to a record high 68.1 percent rate. The paper recovery rate has met or exceeded 63 percent for the past decade.