Finland must not forget the economic issues related to forests, even though environmental issues are also important, says PEFC Secretary General and CEO Michael Berger in relation to his visit to Finland.
Michael Berger, Secretary General and CEO of PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), speaks favourably about Finland, which he visited in February.
“I have met some wonderful people, PEFC colleagues in Finland. They organised a great, packed programme,” admits Berger, who began his role as Secretary General in June 2022.
PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is a forest certification system that operates in 48 countries and promotes ecologically, socially and economically sustainable forestry.
Among the people Berger met in Finland were Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Antti Kurvinen (Centre Party) and Terhi Lehtonen, State Secretary to Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Maria Ohisalo (Green League).
“I was surprised by two things,” said Michael Berger. Both surprises were related to visits to ministries. Berger notes that he discussed the definition of sustainability with Minister Kurvinen. He was surprised by the extent to which the Minister's view coincided with the PEFC view on sustainable forest management.
“If he [Kurvinen] ever needs a job, he can work for PEFC. He described sustainability exactly as PEFC sees its role. It is not enough to just look at the economic dimension or environmental issues. In a country like Finland, which is heavily dependent on forestry, you cannot simply focus on environmental issues and forget about the economy. That was the main point of our discussion,” says M. Berger.
The meeting with State Secretary Terhi Lehtonen also seemed interesting to Berger, but from a different perspective. “There were some more critical questions about PEFC, for example, concerns about the credibility of sustainability. It was very intriguing,” admits Michael Berger.
“We took a different view of these things, but the discussion was very constructive. We really exchanged views, and they listened to our opinion, our colleagues from PEFC in Finland, who have just finished a standard revision,” continues M. Berger.
The latest version of the Finnish PEFC standard was adopted at the end of 2022. Requirements regarding key nature conservation measures in forestry are now stricter. More thickets must be preserved, and preference should be given to forests with a mixed tree species structure. The number of living and dead retention trees must be doubled. If the required amount of deadwood is not available on site, high stumps must be left. Requirements regarding water bodies are also stricter.
“We work for the benefit of forestry, the ecosystem, the local economy and the health of workers,” notes PEFC CEO Michael Berger.
According to Berger, the main concern of the Ministry of the Environment is that PEFC will fail to protect biodiversity and sustainable forestry. “They believe we should do more. This is typical of the discussions we have with stakeholders who are more oriented towards nature conservation. The main argument we use is that PEFC has extremely large strategic advantages compared to any political initiative. We have a link between setting rules and implementing them on the ground. When politicians introduce rules on forest use, difficulties often arise in implementing and enforcing them,” says Berger.
Forests are a hot topic of conversation
More than 90% of Finland's commercial forests are certified according to PEFC, and approximately 10% are certified according to FSC. This does not mean that Finnish forests are 100% certified, as a forest holding can be certified under both systems. Globally, including FSC-certified forests, only 13% of forests are certified.
Berger did not want to express an opinion on the state of Finland's forests: “I heard that there will be parliamentary elections soon and forests are a hot topic of debate. There are many things that different people would like to do in a way they think would be better. PEFC has invested a lot of effort in creating a standard that goes beyond legislation. I am convinced that dialogue between stakeholders can ensure a sustainable level of forestry in Finland,” claims M. Berger.
The European Union will have a huge impact
Regarding European Union legislation related to forests, Berger emphasises that it will have a “huge” impact on PEFC's work. There are three main aspects: the Renewable Energy Directive, the regulation on deforestation and “nature-oriented” certification.
“That is why we have a representative office in Brussels. We try to adapt our standards so that forest owners and certified companies can receive the best service. If you meet PEFC requirements, you can sell wood to the energy sector. That is a self-evident element of the PEFC strategy,” says Berger.
Since Russia's attack on Ukraine, the volume of certified timber in the world has decreased. Timber produced in Russia and Belarus, which are PEFC members, was defined as conflict timber. The situation will not change, at least not before the end of the war.
“Let us hope that the situation improves soon,” emphasises PEFC CEO M. Berger.