The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and TIMBERWeb, the leading global B2B eMarket for timber and forest products, today launched a groundbreaking initiative to promote timber certification on the Internet.

As part of the initiative, TIMBERWeb will highlight companies trading in certified timber products in a special section, designed to help companies looking to buy or sell wood from ‘sustainable’ sources.

This new Certified Timber section will:

- increase awareness of FSC to TIMBERWeb’s global business web community;

- highlight TIMBERWeb Members trading in certified wood products;

- provide details of different timber certification systems;

- explain how companies can become ‘certified’ by recognised bodies; and

- publish daily news reports about certification and ‘certified’ companies to keep users informed of progress globally.

Anna Jenkins, Director of the FSC UK Working Group, said: “We are delighted to be working with TIMBERWeb on their site. Certification is a rapidly expanding area, there are currently more than 22 million hectares of FSC certified forest worldwide, and the majority of this has become certified in the last 3 years. This means that more and more FSC certified timber is now available.

“Our ongoing success relies on up-to-date, accurate and easily accessible information on timber supplies. We believe TIMBERWeb is playing a crucial role in providing that information and will bring timber from responsibly managed forests to bigger and wider audiences.”

Keith Richmond, Chairman and CEO of TIMBERWeb PLC, said: “As the need for certified timber products continues to grow, companies seeking to purchase wood from a sustainable source require access to verified sellers who can provide it. This new section provides access to these companies and the reassurance they are recognised by certification systems such as FSC.

“Many, many companies are committed to selling timber from sustainable sources and we are delighted to assist in promoting them to our global network of Members and visitors. TIMBERWeb operates in a global market and recognises the importance of working together with many organisations to promote sustainable timber.”

The new Certified Timber section is available online by clicking here