The Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) recently firmed up its credibility in meeting global standards of sustainable forest management following the announcement by PEFC International on the maintenance of endorsement of MTCS on 1 June 2021.
The endorsement has demonstrated the robustness of the MTCS in passing the strict international sustainability benchmarks set by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Most importantly, the achievement was a testimony that the forests certified under the MTCS were being managed sustainably in line with the world’s best practice, reflecting the commitment and efforts of the stakeholders.
The maintenance of endorsement of the MTCS was the result of an assessment process conducted by independent assessor, Form International which started with a sixty-day global public consultation on 8 September 2020. The assessment covered all aspects related to standard setting procedures and process, certification and accreditation procedures, and the requirements of the standards for sustainable forest management, group certification and chain of custody certification, as well as other aspects regarding the functions and efficiency of the scheme.
“The assessment process of the MTCS has met the Endorsement Milestones, which is a precondition for maintaining the endorsement,” said PEFC International CEO and Secretary General, Ben Gunneberg.
MTCC CEO, Yong Teng Koon said that maintaining endorsement by PEFC is important as it enabled the MTCS to continue to be mutually recognised by 47 other PEFC endorsed schemes and accepted under the national timber procurement policies of many developed countries notably in Europe.
“With the maintenance of endorsement, local companies which are certified under the MTCS can continue to enjoy access to green markets and gain the competitive edge to compete at the global level. Apart from providing assurance to customers that their products come from sustainably managed forests and responsible supply chain, certification can help them in keeping abreast with technology advancement and the growing trend of green products where the demand for ethically sourced timber is high,” he said.
He said the endorsement was a boost to the efforts in promoting certification as a tool for sustainable forest management in the country as it demonstrated the robustness of the scheme through the concerted efforts of stakeholders and MTCC staff in ensuring MTCS’ continued compliance with stringent international standards. “Despite these challenging times where the usual process and workflow have been disrupted due the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confident that the minor non-conformities raised in the assessment report can be addressed in due time,” he said.
The endorsement was also an icing on the cake as the MTCS has been given a special mention in the new Malaysian Forestry Policy as the preferred scheme in promoting sustainable forest management in Malaysia through certification, said Yong.
The MTCS is the first tropical forest scheme in Asia Pacific to be endorsed by PEFC, the world’s largest forest certification system. The voluntary scheme was first endorsed by PEFC in 2009 and re-endorsed in 2014. As a PEFC endorsed scheme, MTCC (the National Governing Body of MTCS) is required to revise its certification standards and other relevant technical documents once every five years to meet international sustainability benchmarks. The revision ensures that latest development in PEFC requirements, new scientific information, practical experience gained in the field, as well as the society’s expectations and aspirations towards sustainable forest management are considered by the MTCS and implemented as part of PEFC’s commitment to continuous improvement.
QUICK FACTS
As of 31 December 2020:
- 5.27 million hectares of Malaysia’s forests have been certified under the MTCS which include 22 Forest Management Units and 8 Forest Plantation Management Units.
- 381 Malaysian companies are the MTCS Chain of Custody (CoC) certificate holders.
- The annual export of certified timber and timber products have notably increased over the years, with a cumulative total of 2.47 million cubic metres exported to 72 destinations across the globe.