"A rapid shift towards sustainable timber could have wide-ranging consequences for the world’s tropical forests – if the EU28 sourced 100% verified sustainable, it could positively impact an additional 11.7 to 13.4 million hectares of tropical forest"
(White et al., 2019)
- Based on the assumption that certification will prevent premature re-entry logging in the areas it covers, the EU trade in certified tropical timber has the potential to mitigate 55 to 88 million metric tons CO2 a year (White et al., 2019).
- A credible label of certification makes the positive externalities of proper forest management visible to the public (Roberts 2012). (Romero et al., 2013).
- Certification systems allow consumers to directly influence forest management by purchasing certified products. As demand for certified products increases, so does the pressure on forest companies to become certified to maintain their market share (Auld et al. 2008). Citizens assume that certified forest products come from sustainably managed forests, making certification a de facto “quality assurance” mechanism for the sustainability performance of a forest product (Clark & Kozar, 2011).
