APP gets behind national wood legality laws

Jakarta-based Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) joins Indonesia’s trade associations and companies involved in exporting wood-based products to pledge its support to Indonesia’s national timber legality and traceability standards. 

The unified industry group also called on countries worldwide to adopt national procurement policies recognising and endorsing Indonesian standards.

“We are here today representing the Indonesia Pulp and Paper Association and its membership across Indonesia with a simple message and call to action,” said Aida Greenbury, APP managing director.

“APKI members are jointly committed to 100 percent adherence to Indonesia’s national standard for wood legality.  We want to send a message to the world that we will not tolerate, nor will we accept illegal wood entering the Indonesian pulp and paper supply chain.”

Indonesia’s chain of custody (CoC) certification program, enacted in 2009, establishes strict wood legality and verification systems (Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas Kayu/SVLK) to ensure wood products exported from the country are legal and traceable to verified points of origin.

According to Greenbury, foreign countries importing wood-based products from Indonesia should have complete confidence that Indonesian products certified under SVLK guidelines adhere to the highest standards for wood legality and support SFM principles.

“We need a level playing field, with fair trade granted on a reciprocal basis and where governments refrain from passing legislation that effectively restricts Indonesia’s right and opportunity to compete,” she said.