This comes soon after the endorsement of this process by FSC International at the recent FSC General Assembly 2011 held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. FSC is a leading global model for environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable forest stewardship.
This milestone for Malaysia sees FSM leading the development of a locally-adapted FSC forest management certification scheme. Currently, in the absence of locally-adapted FSC Standards, an interested forest concession seeking FSC certification will be assessed through the certification body’s interpretation the global FSC International Standards. Interested Malaysian forest owners are thereby deprived of a locally-suitable FSC Standard. As at July 2011, a total of seven forest concessions amounting to almost 743,000 ha of forests in Malaysia are certified by FSC International Standards.
More of such accreditation is expected. With this in mind, FSM aims to set in place a robust and internationally recognised system that will allow interested parties seeking FSC certification to be assessed based on local conditions and regulations. “As more forest managers consider certification, they should have the option to be evaluated against a set of locally tailored FSC Standards, and that is exactly what FSM is setting out to do,” said Anthony Sebastian, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FSM.
Timber is the main contributor to the country’s export revenue, valued at some RM 19 billion in 2010. For Malaysia to continue using her natural resources for economic gains, safeguard systems must be in place that also considers social and environmental interests and needs. The FSC forest management certification is one such voluntary tool designed for that purpose, allowing transparency and creating market attraction and compliance.
With financial support from HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad (HSBC), FSM brings together a local team of skilled professionals that form the Standards Development Group to jointly address economic, social and environmental interests. Collaboratively with a panel of technical experts, the Group will lead the formation of Malaysia’s FSC Standards. HSBC demonstrates its commitment to the Malaysian forestry industry through this partnership with FSM towards equitable and responsible forestry.
As the world is scrutinizing tropical forestry practices and timber production; equally so in Malaysia, buyers are seeking responsible timber products. “This is about providing choices and opportunities. It is also about creating healthy competition amongst producers and buyers while maintaining the integrity of our natural resources,” said Sebastian. A locally-adapted FSC Standard will open more doors for the Malaysian timber sector in the international arena while raising the benchmark in achieving responsible forest management. The success of this tool is undeniably in its effective implementation. This initiative forms the stepping stone towards achieving that goal.