Resource Certification

There are a number of Timber Certification Schemes used globally today.  Below I will explain the key points of the Schemes that Timspec are associated with, along with any pros and cons.


AFS
Australian Forestry Standard
Australian Forestry Standard Limited is a not-for-profit Australian company who developed, own and manage the Australian Forest Certification Scheme.  This scheme essentially has two parts:
1) The Australian Forestry Standard (AS4708): A standard by which forestry organisations should abide by in order to sell timber they have harvested as AFS Certified.
2) The Chain of Custody Standard (AS4707): A standard for timber traders to abide by in order to sell timber as AFS Certified.  It details how requirements on ensuring that product is not mixed with non-certified timber, administrative procedures and how to ensure that all timber is traceable.
The Australian Forestry Standard is recognised and approved by PEFC.
For more info; visit their website at http://www.forestrystandard.org.au

CSA
Canadian Standards Association
The Canadian Standards Association has created CAN/CSA-Z809, a set of standards governing timber forest and chain of custody.  Similar to Australian Forestry Standards, the CSA has one standard on Forestry Management, and one on Chain of Custody.
The Canadian Standards Association's Forestry Standard is recognised and approved by PEFC.
For more info; visit their website at http://www.csa-international.org/product_areas/forest_products_marking/

Eco Timber
This is a lesser known scheme, currently operating in the Solomon Islands.  It requirements are similar, but not as strict, as FSC with the intention to slowly become closer and closer to FSC.  It has been done like this to allow villages who previousily had no certification to slowly progress to FSC over a period of many years.  Some of the main benefits fo this scheme is more profit is returned to the local community, and a lot less damage is done to forests.
Greenpeace endorse this scheme and the only other information I know of is on their website: http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/campaigns/ancient-forests/protecting-paradise-forests/eco-forestry

FSC
Forest Sterwardship Council
This is probably the most well-known Certification Scheme.  It is a very large international organisation established to promote responsible management of the world's forests.  They have a high level of environmental, legal and traceability requirements and certificate holders are subject to annual audits.  They have strict Chain-of-Custody requirements, so that only someone who has an FSC Chain-of-Custody certificate and has bought timber from an FSC Certified supplier/forest may sell that timber as FSC Certified.  Timspec have received FSC Chain-of-Custody Certification, and as such, any timber we buy as FSC Certified can be sold as FSC Certified and used in situations like Greenstar buildings which require FSC timber for certain criteria points.
For more info; visit their website at www.fsc.org

PEFC
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes
This is an umbrella scheme, in that it endorses other Forestry Certification Schemes.  It maintains a list of standards and any Forestry Scheme that meets these, will then also meet PEFC requirements and can be sold/traded as PEFC Certified.
For more info; visit their website at www.pefc.org