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Forest Stewardship
Council Chain of Custody
Background: What is Forest
Certification & Chain
of Custody?
Within forests which are being harvested, forestry operations
can be managed to minimise overall environmental damage.
The demand to differentiate between poorly and well managed
forests has in the last fifteen years seen the growth of
certification programs. Certification is a process by which
forests are audited by an accredited Certification Body according
to a strict set of environmental and social criteria.
Chain of Custody certification is verification that the
timber was sourced from a certified forest. A system of Chain
of Custody certification traces forest products through the
supply chain to the end-consumer.
Hampton and Larsson – Leading Australia in
the use of certified timbers
In August 2005 Hampton and Larsson became the first joinery
in Australia to obtain international certification from the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) for joinery manufacture.
Our new FSC Chain of Custody certification
means that timber used in the production of so-labelled commercial
and residential doors, windows and stairs, is guaranteed
to have been sourced in forests which are managed according
to a strict set of environmental, social and economic standards,
recognised worldwide and or from non controversial sources.
Until now, no joinery company in Australia could offer the
sustainable building industry a source of timber guaranteed
not to contribute to the destruction of the world’s
forests. The company’s new qualification identifies
timber it uses to be sourced from FSC-certified forests,
so the finished products can be labelled as FSC-certified.
“In the long-term, the only way we see we will be able to continue making
timber joinery is if we take an environmentally responsible approach to our
business,” says Director Chari Larsson. “With FSC certification,
we can now offer customers the secure knowledge that our joinery is sourced
from sustainable, well-managed sources, to the highest international standards”.
To ensure ongoing compliancy, Hampton and Larsson is audited
annually by SmartWood,
the certification arm of the Rainforest
Alliance.
FSC Frequently Asked Questions
• What is FSC?
• What is Chain of Custody?
• Why buy FSC-certified wood?
• How does the FSC system work?
• How can I be sure that the product really
does come from an FSC well-managed forest?
• What does the FSC label mean?
• How is FSC funded?
• Why is the FSC trademark different from
other labels?
What is FSC?
The Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) is
an independent, non-government organisation promoting the responsible
management of the world’s forests. Headquartered in Bonn,
Germany, the FSC was founded in 1993 in response to public
concern regarding deforestation and the demand for a trustworthy
method of wood-labelling. It is the only system endorsed by
such major environmental groups as WWF (Worldwide Fund for
Nature), Wilderness Society, Greenpeace and Friends of the
Earth.
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What is Chain of Custody?
Chain of Custody refers to the entire path
taken by the raw materials from the forest to the consumer.
Successively, it includes the stages of processing, transformation,
manufacturing, and distribution.
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Why buy FSC-certified wood?
The FSC logo on timber and joinery is a guarantee that the wood
you are purchasing comes from forests that are managed in a
manner which is environmentally and socially responsible.
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How does the FSC system work?
Forests are inspected and certified against strict standards
based on FSC's 10 Principles of Forest Stewardship.
These inspections are undertaken by independent audit organisations,
such as the Rainforest Alliance program SmartWood,
which are accredited by the FSC.
In order to be given the unique FSC certification, a forest
must be managed in a way that is environmentally appropriate,
socially beneficial and economically viable - from the protection
of indigenous people's rights, through to the methods of felling
trees.
Forests which meet these strict standards are given FSC certification,
and the timber is permitted to carry the FSC label.
Hampton and Larsson will be audited annually by SmartWood to
ensure Chain of Custody procedures are being followed.
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How can I be sure that the product really does come from an
FSC well-managed forest?
As well as forest certification, the FSC system includes a certified
chain of custody. This tracks the timber through every
stage in the supply chain, from the forest to the final user.
This is monitored through the invoicing process. A code on the
final product label confirms that the item is genuinely FSC-OK.
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What does the FSC label mean?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo on a wood or wood-based
product is your assurance that it is made with, or contains,
wood that comes from FSC certified forests.
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How is FSC funded?
FSC is funded through the support of charitable donations, government
donors, membership subscriptions and accreditation fees.
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Why is the FSC trademark different from other labels?
There are a number of other ‘eco’ labels. None
of the others has the same strict environmental, social and
economic standards, or such a rigorous chain of custody, tracking
timber from the forest to the final user. The FSC trademark
is the only one endorsed by the major environment charities
including WWF, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the Woodland
Trust.
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Ecoforestry – Supporting Fair Trade & Responsible
Forestry Practices in the South Pacific
Hampton and Larsson supports community based ecoforestry
operations projects in the Solomon Islands and Papua New
Guinea. These are Greenpeace initiatives
designed to assist the local communities avoid industrialised
logging and receive fair prices for their timber. For more
information please refer to Greenpeace’s
website.
In addition we support FORCERT,
a Papua New Guinean based not for profit company that promotes
sustainable forest management. FORCERT is a Fair Trade Support
Organisation certified by IFAT,
the International Network of Fair Trade. This means that
the timber pricing and sales arrangements of the FORCERT
Group Certification Service Network have been recognised
as meeting Fair Trade standards.
Hampton and Larsson currently have Rosewood and Merbeau in
stock.
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Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Whether building or renovating, as individuals we can make choices which do make
a difference to limiting greenhouse gas emissions. A principal goal for environmentally
friendly building is to minimise energy consumption.
Embodied Energy is the energy used to extract
and process raw materials into finished building components.
This calculation includes transportation and energy used
in the manufacturing process. The greater the energy needed
to make a useable product, the more fossil fuels consumed,
burnt and the greater the emission of ‘greenhouse gasses’ into
the environment, contributing to global warming.
Timber is a superior material compared with other manufactured
materials such as aluminium, steel and concrete as it uses
a comparatively small amount of non-renewable energy in its
extraction and manufacture.
The table below gives an indication of the embodied energy
of common building materials. It is useful in highlighting
the carbon emission relativity that exists between the various
materials.
Table 1: Products and their effects on
CO2 in the atmosphere.
| Material |
Fossil
Fuel Energy (MJ/m3) |
Carbon
Released (kg/m3) |
Carbon
Stored (kg/m3) |
| Rough Sawn timber |
750 |
15 |
250 |
| Steel |
266,000 |
5,320 |
0 |
| Concrete |
4,800 |
120 |
0 |
| Aluminium |
1,100,000 |
22,000 |
0 |
Source: Environmental Properties of
Timber; I. Ferguson, B. La Fontaine, P.Vinden,
L. Bren, R. Hateley, and B. Hermesec
School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, University
of Melbourne
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WERS – Window Energy Ratings Scheme
Timber is a natural insulator. Due to the excellent thermal
properties of timber, timber windows rate better than aluminium
in reducing winter heat loss.
 WERS (Window
Energy Rating System) rates the energy impact of windows
in housing. With up to 40% of a home’s energy for cooling
or heating being lost or gained through the windows, improving
their thermal performance reduces energy costs and helps
reduce household greenhouse gas emissions.
Hampton and Larsson
is a member of WERS and
have an approved energy rating which provides up to 42% improvement
in cooling and up to 17% improvement in heating. Click
here for ratings results.
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Additional Information
FORCERT http://www.forcert.org.pg/
FSC Australia http://www.fscaustralia.org/
FSC International http://www.fsc.org/en/
Greenpeace Good Wood Guide http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/take-action/live-greener/shopping/goodwood-guide
IFAT International Network of Fair Trade http://www.ifat.org/
Rainforest Alliance http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/
WERS Windows Energy Rating Scheme http://www.wers.net/
WWF
Australia http://wwf.org.au/ourwork/industry/timber/
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