TimberNews 4.02-engelsk - SCA Forest Products AB

The Chairperson of FSC International:“The range of FSC-certifiedproducts must increase”“It is very worrying to note that the large andgrowing areas of FSC-certified forest are onlyproducing very modest volumes of FSC-certifiedproducts. This is an issue we have to address,and I have high hopes of seeing positivedevelopment after the FSC General Assemblyin November.”FSC-certified timberproducts from SCAMuch of the raw materialused at SCA sawmillsstems from SCA’s largeareas of forest that wereFSC-certified in 1999.• SCA offers a wide rangeof FSC-certified pineproducts (70% FSCtimber).• The range of spruceproducts is more limitedand requires separateagreements from caseto case.• SCA Timber UK offersBritish customers regulardeliveries of FSC-certifiedpine from the GroveWharf warehouse.So says Åsa Tham, Chairpersonof FSC International,Manager for the VästeråsDiocese forests, and the personresponsible for managing the FSCcertifiedforests owned by theSwedish church in Central Sweden.“The Forest Stewardship Councilis unique,” says Åsa Tham, whowas elected chairperson in Marchthis year. “It is a platform for dialoguebetween parties who mostoften have very different interests– environmental groups, forestowners, industrial players and soon. FSC builds on the concept ofthese parties reaching a commonopinion and taking responsibilityfor it.”FSC, which was founded in 1993,works for the development ofenvironmentally responsible, economicallyviable and socially beneficialforestry throughout the world.FSC has laid down a number ofprinciples and criteria for responsibleforestry. These are subsequentlydeveloped into nationally or regionallyadapted standards in aprocess that allows all stakeholdersto be heard. The first national FSCstandard was developed in Swedenin 1998. Today, approximately 30million hectares in 56 countries areFSC-certified.Åsa Tham has been Chairperson of FSC International for over six months. Åsa isaslo the Manager for the Västerås Diocese forests.Forest owners can receive FSCcertification by allowing an FSCcertified auditor to check that theforest is being managed in linewith FSC criteria. Timber fromFSC-certified forests can subsequentlybe used to manufactureFSC-certified products. In this case,the whole chain – from forest tofinished product – must be checkedby an independent auditor.“Many people see FSC Internationaland those of us on the Boardas some kind of court that passesjudgement on how forestry is to bePhoto: Peter Knutsoncarried out,” says Åsa Tham. “However,the whole point is to allowall the local stakeholders to cometo a mutually satisfying agreement.All we do is check that FSC’s fundamentalprinciples and criteria havebeen met. For example, these donot state that no chemical substancesmay be used in forestryprocesses. We have no objection ifthe parties, as in Germany, agreethat the national standard is toinclude chemical-free forestry, butsuch a move on the part of onecountry does not mean that fores-timbernews | 6