FAQs

PEFC stands for the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. It is the world’s largest forest certification system, setting international benchmark requirements for sustainable forest management against which national and regional forest management standards are assessed.

Founded by small and family forest owners, PEFC’s forest management and chain of custody certification helps demonstrate responsible forestry and connects certified forests with businesses and consumers looking for trusted, responsibly sourced timber, paper and packaging solutions.

Today, more than 295 million hectares of forest are PEFC certified, whilst almost 30,000 companies worldwide benefit from PEFC Chain of Custody certification.

PEFC certification means that a forest or business has been independently assessed and verified as meeting PEFC’s sustainability, traceability and social responsibility requirements.

For forests, this involves managing woodland to a national or regional forest management standard that has been independently assessed as meeting PEFC’s Sustainable Forest Management Benchmarks. For businesses who obtain PEFC chain of custody certification, it means having systems in place to track responsibly sourced material through the supply chain.

PEFC certification provides assurance that wood-based products come from responsibly managed forests and controlled sources.

Yes. PEFC is widely recognised as a credible and robust forest certification system.

PEFC’s sustainable forest management benchmarks and chain of custody standards are developed through multi-stakeholder consultation. Certificate holder compliance is verified through independent, third-party audits conducted by accredited certification bodies, not by self-assessment.

PEFC is trusted by governments, businesses and NGOs around the world and the presence of the PEFC trademark on products is recognised across the timber, paper, packaging, construction and retail supply chains as assurance that the timber used in their manufacture is from PEFC certified and other well managed forests.

Sustainable forest management ensures forests can meet environmental, social and economic needs today while remaining healthy and productive for future generations.

It protects biodiversity, wildlife, water and soils, prevents illegal logging, and avoids genetically modified trees and the use of most hazardous chemicals. It also supports safe, fair working conditions, in line with International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions while enhancing the productive capacity of the forest.

Sustainable forest management also recognises the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, protects culturally and historically significant sites and supports long-term employment and rural development.

PEFC Chain of Custody certification tracks certified material through the supply chain, from the forest to the finished product.

It ensures that timber, paper and packaging sold with a PEFC claim originate from PEFC-certified forests, recycled sources, or other controlled sources. It also requires certified supply chains to have systems in place to prevent mixing with uncontrolled material.

Chain of Custody certification is a necessity for companies who wish to make PEFC claims about their products and use the PEFC logo on the products to promote their certified status.

For PEFC certification of a product to be maintained, all actors in the supply chain who take physical possession and/or legal ownership must hold valid PEFC chain of custody certification. PEFC claims, which confirm the certified status of the product and the supplier’s chain of custody certificate number should be stated on documentation, typically delivery notes and invoices, that accompany the product. The validity of a supplier’s chain of custody certification can be verified using PEFC’s public certificate database.

It is also possible to identify PEFC certified products by looking for the PEFC label on the product or the associated packaging.