The Guyana National Forest Certification System (GNFCS) has received recognition from the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), reaffirming Guyana’s commitment to global standards of sustainable forest management.

All forest management and chain of custody certificates issued by the GNFCS are now considered equivalent to those from the PEFC International certification system. The GNFCS, guided by three standards – Forest MaNagement (Guyana Standard for Sustainable Forest Management), Chain of Custody, and Group Certification – was developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources in 2020.

An independent multi-stakeholder working group, chaired by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), was responsible for the formal development process.

Guyana’s timber and timber products certified under the GNFCS will now carry PEFC International labels and trademarks, providing assurance to buyers that the certified forest operator’s practices meet global environmental, social, and economic standards.

The endorsement of the GNFCS by PEFC also confirms compliance with national and international legal forest requirements, including worker rights and the prohibition of child labor.

The Guyana National Forest Certification System aligns with the European Union Timber Regulation, the US Lacey Act, and the Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill, ensuring environmental, social, economic and legal requirement are met throughout the forest supply chain, the Department of Public Information (DPI) has reported.

The GNFCS aims to be cost-effective for operators in the large, medium, small, and community forest sectors, with group certification allowing for shared costs and resources.

The endorsement of the GNFCS not only recognizes the credibility of Guyana’s systems but also provides assurance that Guyanese timber is legally sourced and sustainably managed.

The GNFCS aligns with other national initiatives, including the European Union’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement and the Sustainable Forestry priority under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

The Ministry of Natural Resources expressed gratitude to all forestry stakeholders, the local PEFC working group, and the GFC team for achieving this milestone. (DPI)…[+]