The first Sustainable Forest Management certification from Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) for an Indonesian forestry company was awarded to APRIL Group on 8 June 2015. APRIL Group’s manufacturing operations are already PEFC Chain-of-Custody certified, meaning it is now PEFC certified end-to-end throughout its supply chain.

PEFC CEO and Secretary General Ben Gunneberg said: “The achievement of PEFC certification by APRIL Group acknowledges the progress the company and the country have made towards a sustainable future for Indonesian forestry - a future that recognizes the interdependence of environmental, social and economic objectives.”

As a globally recognized and accepted independent certification, the PEFC certification ensures international consumers that the wood-related products they buy are sourced from plantations that have been independently verified as sustainably managed. PEFC accounts for two thirds of the forests worldwide that are certified under global forest products certification systems

Dradjad Wibowo, Chairman IFCC said: “Certification brings widespread benefits for the Indonesian forestry sector and the Indonesian export economy, it provides customers around the world with a trusted indicator that the Indonesia-sourced products they have purchased are grown and managed in a sustainable, responsible way.”

IFCC refers to the Indonesian Forest Certification Co-Operation, a local partner of PEFC, whose objective is to promote PEFC’s sustainable forest management scheme in Indonesia.

APRIL Group, under the direction of its founder, Sukanto Tanoto, operates on the basis that good business is about what’s good for the community, country and company - only then will it be sustainable. This PEFC certification strengthens APRIL Group’s existing national and international certifications and other measures under the company’s Sustainable Forest Management Policy (SFMP 2.0), which was updated on 3 June 2015 and ensures the elimination of deforestation from the company’s supply chain.

APRIL Group now has 45% of its long-term wood supply PEFC-certified, with more than 300,000 hectares of its concession area certified. It is working towards certification of its remaining forestry areas, and expects that work to be completed and additional certification achieved in the coming months.

Read the media release here.