During the ‘Malaysia’s Forest for All Forever’ Dialogue organised by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), worker unions, environmental and indigenous community representatives openly deliberates on FSC’s forest certification scheme in Malaysia. The discussion also includes topics of the opportunities, challenges and future of Malaysia’s forest industry.
“There is no other certification scheme in the world that is performance-based, consistent in its application and has a governance system that lends credibility across the world,” says Anthony Sebastian, FSC International Board Director. “The industry really needs an independent assurance of legality, sustainability and verification. We can provide all this.”
Legal, credible and economic sustainability is key to the future of Malaysia’s forest industry and certification plays an important part in delivering these. The FSC scheme is the most recognised by global markets, most trusted and supported by environmental organisations and provides a much-used platform for conflict resolution.
Recently, FSC Malaysia concluded the final nationwide stakeholder consultation on the National Forest Stewardship Standard or the Malaysian standard for FSC certification. It brought together economic, social and environmental stakeholders from Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia received full endorsement for a final standard for Malaysia.
Musa Salleh, Sabah Forestry Department comments: “For us, we take this as an endorsement for our forest management practices by all citizens of Malaysia. We aim to add at least one new FSC-certified forest each year.”
