Sappi has become an International Stakeholder in the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFCT). This membership is in line with the attention which the Group is paying to sustainable forestry management and responsible purchasing in all its supply and value chains. «forestry certification systems which are reliable, acknowledged at international level and robust like PEFC» says Steve Binnie, Chief Executive Officer at Sappi«are fundamental for Sappi’s commitment in favour of sustainability. These systems guarantee our value chain and responsible forestry management practices».
PEFC is becoming an increasingly important forestry certification option in South Africa, meeting customers’ requirements for products with a PEFC label. Over the past few years, Sappi has been working with stakeholders at domestic level to develop a national forestry certification system. These efforts have finally led to completing the forestry assurance programme in South Africa (SAFAS), which has been recently assessed and approved by PEFC.