The PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is launching a campaign to support local forest owners in Southeast Asia in their push for sustainability with a global event on 7 July.
The inclusive campaign “PEFC Is Here” is said to be dedicated to millions of smallholders enable the creation of more than 40,000 kinds of essential goods such as tyres, shoes, and the billions of syringes vital to delivering Covid-19 vaccines worldwide.
Since 1999, PEFC has helped smallholders and the manufacturers they wo
rk with to ensure that the value they create does not come at a cost to the climate, biodiversity, watersheds, forests, and ultimately their own livelihoods. PEFC said that its “PEFC Is Here” continues this commitment and will give everyone from consumers to manufacturers the tools and information they need to help in that effort.
For the past decade, PEFC has played a leading role supporting the entire natural rubber value chain. This includes rubber wood, of which 63 million tonnes is produced every year, making it the world’s most widely traded tropical hardwood. With this campaign, and the 7 July event, PEFC continues its leadership on pushing for more sustainable natural rubber production.
In Vietnam and Thailand, PEFC will travel to rubber plantations to hear first-hand the stories of smallholders and the challenges they face, and throughout the coming months, the campaign will feature a series of videos elevating their voices. At the same time, PEFC is providing a sustainability toolkit to manufacturers, particularly in the tyre industry, to help them spur certification downstream through the supply chain.
At the 7 July launch, a panel of sustainability experts will highlight ways to join in the effort, whether from individuals, governments, CEOs, or farmers.
The free webinar takes place 7 July at 15:00-16:00 ICT (10:00-11:00 CEST). To register, go here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h1ahhdRmS0mUfDnH-U7ecg