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New Straits Times
3 days ago
- General
- New Straits Times
Malaysia among world's top countries for certified tropical rainforest areas
KANGAR: More than 83 per cent of the Permanent Forest Reserves (PRF) in this country have been certified under the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification or PEFC scheme to date, making Malaysia among the countries with the largest area of certified tropical rainforest in the world. Peninsular Malaysia Forestry director-general Datuk Zahari Ibrahim said the achievement also places Malaysia as the only tropical rainforest country in the top 10 globally in terms of certified forest area, surpassing major tropical countries such as Brazil and Indonesia. "This achievement not only proves the effectiveness of state policies but also reflects the commitment to enforcement at the local level as well as the continued determination of the Peninsula Malaysia Forestry Department in practising the principles of sustainable, responsible and competitive forest management on the global stage," he said. He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Nakawan Rainforest Festival, held in conjunction with this year's state-level International Forest Day celebration, at the South Perlis District Forest Office Square, Sungai Batu Pahat Ecotourism Complex, near here, today. The closing ceremony was officiated by the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail. Also present was the Raja Perempuan of Perlis Tuanku Tengku Fauziah Almarhum Tengku Abdul Rashid. Meanwhile, Zahari said that four new areas had been gazetted as PFR, making the total PFR area in the state of Perlis 11,140 hectares last year, compared to 10,870 hectares in 2023. "Congratulations and well done to the state government for this commitment, which should be used as an example to other states in increasing efforts to preserve and conserve priceless natural treasures," he said. He added that 114.72 million trees, comprising 1,972 tree species, had been successfully planted nationwide since the launch of the 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign. Zahari also expressed his appreciation to the Perlis state government for the success of the campaign, which had recorded 1,039,759 trees planted as of May 22, exceeding the initial target of one million trees. – BERNAMA
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Over 83% of Malaysia's PFR under PEFC, places nation in world's top 10
KANGAR: More than 83 per cent of the Permanent Forest Reserves (PRF) in this country have been certified under the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification or PEFC scheme to date, making Malaysia among the countries with the largest area of certified tropical rainforest in the world. Peninsular Malaysia Forestry director-general Datuk Zahari Ibrahim said the achievement also places Malaysia as the only tropical rainforest country in the top 10 globally in terms of certified forest area, surpassing major tropical countries such as Brazil and Indonesia. 'This achievement not only proves the effectiveness of state policies but also reflects the commitment to enforcement at the local level as well as the continued determination of JPSM (Peninsula Malaysia Forestry Department) in practising the principles of sustainable, responsible and competitive forest management on the global stage,' he said. He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Nakawan Rainforest Festival, held in conjunction with this year's state-level International Forest Day celebration, at the South Perlis District Forest Office Square, Sungai Batu Pahat Ecotourism Complex, near here, today. The closing ceremony was officiated by the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail. Also present was the Raja Perempuan of Perlis Tuanku Tengku Fauziah Almarhum Tengku Abdul Rashid. Meanwhile, Zahari said that four new areas had been gazetted as PFR, making the total PFR area in the state of Perlis to 11,140 hectares last year compared to 10,870 hectares in 2023. 'Congratulations and well done to the state government for this commitment which should be used as an example to other states in increasing efforts to preserve and conserve priceless natural treasures,' he said. He added that 114.72 million trees, comprising 1,972 tree species, had been successfully planted nationwide since the launch of the 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign. Zahari also expressed his appreciation to the Perlis state government for the success of the campaign, which had recorded 1,039,759 trees planted as of May 22, exceeding the initial target of one million trees.
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Over 83% of Malaysia's forests PEFC-certified, in top 10 globally
KANGAR: More than 83 per cent of the Permanent Forest Reserves (PRF) in this country have been certified under the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification or PEFC scheme to date, making Malaysia among the countries with the largest area of certified tropical rainforest in the world. Peninsular Malaysia Forestry director-general Datuk Zahari Ibrahim said the achievement also places Malaysia as the only tropical rainforest country in the top 10 globally in terms of certified forest area, surpassing major tropical countries such as Brazil and Indonesia. 'This achievement not only proves the effectiveness of state policies but also reflects the commitment to enforcement at the local level as well as the continued determination of JPSM (Peninsula Malaysia Forestry Department) in practising the principles of sustainable, responsible and competitive forest management on the global stage,' he said. He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Nakawan Rainforest Festival, held in conjunction with this year's state-level International Forest Day celebration, at the South Perlis District Forest Office Square, Sungai Batu Pahat Ecotourism Complex, near here, today. The closing ceremony was officiated by the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail. Also present was the Raja Perempuan of Perlis Tuanku Tengku Fauziah Almarhum Tengku Abdul Rashid. Meanwhile, Zahari said that four new areas had been gazetted as PFR, making the total PFR area in the state of Perlis to 11,140 hectares last year compared to 10,870 hectares in 2023. 'Congratulations and well done to the state government for this commitment which should be used as an example to other states in increasing efforts to preserve and conserve priceless natural treasures,' he said. He added that 114.72 million trees, comprising 1,972 tree species, had been successfully planted nationwide since the launch of the 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign. Zahari also expressed his appreciation to the Perlis state government for the success of the campaign, which had recorded 1,039,759 trees planted as of May 22, exceeding the initial target of one million trees.
Borneo Post
28-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sarawak maintains 7.65 mln ha of forest cover, says Deputy Premier
Awang Tengah stated that of this total, about 1.83 million ha have been certified under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), which is recognised by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). — Photo by Mazidi Abd Gani KUCHING (May 28): Sarawak has successfully maintained forested areas covering 7.65 million hectares (ha), accounting for approximately 62 per cent of the state's total land area, said Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan. The Deputy Premier stated that of this total, about 1.83 million ha have been certified under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), which is recognised by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). 'Sarawak is currently undergoing a transformation towards a green development model, focusing on sustainable forest management through certification, biodiversity conservation, and the digitalisation of operations. 'This is essential to ensure that the state's forest resources are utilised through sustainable natural capital management,' he said during his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today. As part of its digitalisation efforts, Awang Tengah said the Sarawak Forest Department has developed and adopted satellite and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies through the Enterprise Forest Information Management System (EFIMS). 'Additionally, the Forest Licence Portal which includes the Electronic Removal Pass (ePASS) module, has been introduced to replace the use of Pre-Printed Removal Passes. 'Meanwhile, the Sarawak Logs Tracking and Forest Revenue System (Revlog) is used for transparent and efficient monitoring of forest revenue and timber traceability,' he added. Awang Tengah said these initiatives position Sarawak as a leader in sustainable tropical forest management, in line with the core principles of the Timber Legality Assurance System (TLAS), including compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The Guardian
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Sanctioned Russia and Belarusian wood being smuggled into UK, study suggests
Nearly half of birch wood certified by leading sustainability schemes is misidentified and does not come from the labelled country of origin, according to new testing. The analysis raises fears that large quantities of sanctioned wood from Russia and Belarus are still illegally entering Britain. New research by World Forest ID, a consortium of research organisations that includes Kew Gardens and the World Resources Institute, scrutinised the accuracy of dozens of harvesting-origin claims on birch products, which had almost entirely been approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) sustainability schemes. The samples of birch – a popular hardwood used in furniture, kitchens panels and musical instruments – were labelled as originating in Ukraine, Poland, Estonia and Latvia. But tests using the wood's 'chemical fingerprint' showed that 46% of certified samples did not come from the origin on the label. The birch tree is commercially grown and processed across much of northern Europe, including large parts of Russia and Belarus. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it became illegal to import Russian and Belarusian plywood and timber products into Britain and other European countries due to sanctions. While the tests did not specify the country where the wood was grown, experts said Russia and Belarus were the only plausible origins. 'Where else could it be from?' said David Hopkins, chief executive of Timber Development UK, the industry's trade association, reacting to the analysis. 'There's a small number of companies that produce this stuff legally,' he said. 'The birch trees that are in Finland are being taken up by a small number of sawmills producing birch plywood. 'There's pockets of it elsewhere in the Baltics and Scandinavia. But the bulk of it is going to be from Russia, putting money through the Russian economy and breaching sanctions while you are doing it,' Hopkins said. The FSC and the PEFC are the world's most commonly used timber certification schemes, intended to promote the sustainable management of woodland and prevent deforestation. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the FSC suspended its certification for timber from Russian and Belarus, and blocked all controlled wood from the two countries. PEFC decided to classify timber from both countries as 'conflict timber', meaning they could no longer use its certification. But the new World Forest ID analysis – which was partly funded by the FSC – found that of 52 samples with a FSC or PEFC certification, 24 had an incorrect harvest claim. While tests were conducted on a relatively small number of samples, the report authors said their findings indicated that existing oversight was not sufficient to guarantee accurate claims. To test the wood, researchers used stable isotope ratio analysis, comparing the chemical makeup of the birch samples with a reference database from across northern and eastern Europe. Scientists used markers caused by differences in light, soil and water conditions to estimate the geographic origin. Jade Saunders, executive director of World Forest ID, said: 'The UK has been a leader in sanctions and trade laws and certification schemes but they are only as good as the tools with which they are implemented. 'Chemical traceability is a whole new way of thinking about what is really in our supply chains. We know we can only solve problems if we can see them, and in this study we saw them very clearly, so it is time for the government and guardians of supply-chain integrity to step up and start solving.' The FSC said it took any indication of potential fraud seriously and welcomed the World Forest ID research, adding that it was actively investing in new techniques to ensure reliability in supply chains. It said it had no access to the names of the companies that had provided samples confidentially. The PEFC said the findings needed to be placed in context and that only 14% of the samples were associated with their certification. It said generalisations about the overall effectiveness of their sustainability schemes should not be made from the analysis. Sign up to Global Dispatch Get a different world view with a roundup of the best news, features and pictures, curated by our global development team after newsletter promotion The certification schemes are the primary way that companies source sustainable wood, avoiding contributing to the destruction of rainforests and other biodiverse environments. The report raises questions about whether current certification systems are reliable. After Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022, recorded exports of Russian birch to European countries including the UK decreased dramatically. But in the months that followed, trade data shows that exports from other countries including Kazakhstan and Turkey rose significantly. In the case of Kazakhstan, exports of plywood leapt from 600 tonnes in 2021, to 25,600 tonnes in 2022, according to UN trade statistics. In January, the environmental organisation Earthsight published an investigation into birch-wood laundering, finding that a network of organisations had found a way to avoid European sanctions, with 20 container-loads of wood continuing to arrive every day. The Russian military and oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin profit directly from the sale of the timber, according to the report. Sam Lawson, founding director of Earthsight and one of the report's authors, said: 'Timber is a big export for Russia; it was a big revenue earner prior to the conflict that is less well known than gas and oil. 'The EU and UK have banned all imports of Russian and Belarusian wood, including products made with them. Our investigation found that those sanctions are being flouted on a massive scale. 'We concluded that over €1.5bn [£1.3bn] worth of illegal sanctions – blood timber, basically – has entered Europe since the sanctions took effect in 2022. A lot of the birch plywood that people were using in their kitchens, and for trendy furniture and stuff, prior to the conflict was being imported from Russia or Belarus. That wood is still managing to get to Europe,' he said. The British government has been approached for comment.
