Forestry and timber

Proforest works with voluntary certification schemes for forest management and in the development of international policy in areas such as illegal logging and forest governance. We provide one-off short-term support as well as sustained long-term support in the form of technical assistance, generic and bespoke training, and guidance to promote policy implementation.

Active throughout the supply chain, from sustainable forest management, processing and manufacturing to timber purchasing, we also support responsible investment and the development of national and international policy initiatives such as REDD+ and FLEGT.

Services related to forestry and timber are delivered through various Proforest programmes:

• Our consultancy services for producers, purchasing and investment supports organisations such as Olam, John Lewis, Tetra Pak, IFC, Tesco and HSBC to develop and implement sustainability policies, meet voluntary certification requirements, follow sustainable supply-chain management procedures, and achieve compliance with international timber market requirements such as the EU Timber Regulation and FLEGT processes. We have assisted the governments of the Netherlands, Belgium and China, and ran the UK Government’s Central Point of Expertise on Timber Procurement (CPET) to analyse and establish the extent to which various certification and verification schemes deliver on forest policy requirements for legality and sustainability.

• Our sustainability initiatives support programme works with organisations such as FSC, WWF and the UN-REDD programme to define social and environmental standards and safeguards, support practical implementation, facilitate multi-stakeholder processes and scale up impacts.

• Our policy, science and research programme supports initiatives like REDD+ and FLEGT to ensure the development of robust, effective and practicable policies, and supports their efficient implementation.

• Our training and capacity building programme works with a number of companies, international organisations, NGOs, governments, and certification schemes, such as the European Commission, the UNDP and the UK Department for International Development to build capacity for practical on-the-ground implementation of sustainability requirements. This is delivered through our annual summer training, regional and national level training, and field-based customised training for specific clients.