International Timber Certification Body Removes Sustainability Claims Following Greenwashing Complaint
An international timber certification body, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), has removed sustainability claims from its website. This action follows a greenwashing complaint filed with the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) by environmental campaigners, specifically Friends of the Earth. The complaint challenged whether claims made in PEFC's advertisements exaggerated the environmental and social benefits of its certification. Friends of the Earth, in collaboration with Malaysian think tank RimbaWatch, conducted research indicating that the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), endorsed by PEFC, was failing to prevent deforestation, habitat destruction, and indigenous rights violations in Peninsula Malaysia. The ASA confirmed it received the complaint regarding PEFC UK's website and two paid-for search ads. PEFC agreed to remove the contested claims without a formal ruling, stating that the changes were made to ensure greater clarity and precision in communi...
