Forests and trees are a cornerstone of addressing climate change, as are products made of wood - if they originate from sustainably managed forests. Consumers can easily identify such products through the PEFC label, which is exclusively available for products coming from certified, healthy forests.

The role of consumers in helping us protect forests through the straightforward act of opting for a PEFC-certified product cannot be underestimated. I am excited about the fact that more than half of all consumers already do so.

“Sustainable, PEFC-certified timber provides architects and the construction industry with great opportunities.”

“With PEFC-certified timber offering the widest choice of sustainable timber available to architects, specifiers and designers, we are poised to see an increase of wood used in construction.”

We need a global agreement at COP 21 with clear actions and firm commitments, outlining effective pathways to address climate change.

Climate commitments must recognize the multiple benefits of forests and encourage policies that promote sustainable forest management and the use of certified forest products. This will enable PEFC as the world's leading forest certification system to further enhance its contribution to tackling climate change, safeguarding forest ecosystems and sustainable livelihoods

Companies, governments and consumers around the world already value the contribution that certification and PEFC provide to protect forests and fight climate change.

The recent PEFC/GfK Global Consumer Survey demonstrated that consumers want companies to label their products, and companies are increasingly adopting procurement policies that specify PEFC. Governments around the world recognize the credibility that the PEFC label provides, with most recently the UK government highlighting that PEFC has the highest level of compliance with its respective sustainability criteria.

In Paris, we now need firm commitments that clearly recognize the multiple benefits that sustainably managed forests provide.