Since 2020, we have been running regular workshops to train PEFC UK members on PEFC’s revised chain of custody and trademark standards. The transition date for PEFC’s Chain of Custody and Sustainable Forest Management standards has been extended to 14th November 2023 by PEFC International.
All certificates issued against the 2013 version chain of custody standard will therefore become invalid on 14/11/2023 and will be shown as such on the PEFC Database. All Chain of Custody certificate holders will need to have been audited to the 2020 version standard before this deadline to maintain their certification. PEFC International has confirmed that there will be no exemptions in relation to this transition date.
Certificate holders will gain access to the new label generator after they have been audited to the new standard and once they have signed an updated PEFC trademark license agreement contract, which PEFC UK will issue to them once we have been notified by the certification body that the audit to the new standard has been completed.
For companies using the credit method, if the company has credits under the 2013 certificate, from the moment they transition to the 2020 version, the credits can last longer than 12 months, up to 24 months (or longer).
PEFC International has prepared documents detailing the changes to both the Chain of Custody and Trademark standards which can be found here
To help companies prepare, we have decided to run one final transition workshop. This two-hour webinar on the 2020 standards revision process will take place on the morning of Thursday 14th September 2023. If you would like to join this session, please e-mail Sarah Gascoigne at sgascoigne@pefc.co.uk