CHEP has reached a significant point in its pursuit of sustainability excellence: 100 per cent Chain of Custody certification for timber sourcing in Australia.
CHEP collaborated with suppliers to help them meet the requirements for the certification, which provides assurance to CHEP Australia customers that the supply base used to make and repair the timber pallet pool is sourced from sustainably managed forests.
The Chain of Custody certification is part of the Australian Forest Certification Scheme: Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) and is internationally recognised by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
“Certification is one of the most powerful tools companies can use to assure the public that they’re committed to environmental responsibility and sustainable forest management, and so I’m proud that all of our suppliers are now Chain of Custody certified,’ says Global Lumber Lead, Denis O’Hara.
This latest achievement builds on international recognition earlier this year of the sustainability efforts of CHEP’s parent company, Brambles. In its forests annual report, CDP named Brambles a global leader in sustainability for the Industrial and Auto sector.
Other sector leaders in the CDP report included: J Sainsbury – UK (Food & Staples Retailing), Kimberly-Clark Corporation – USA (Household & Personal Products,), Unilever – UK (Packaged Foods & Meats / Brewers and Soft Drinks), and Marks and Spencer Group – UK (Retailing).
CHEP’s global framework for the sustainable sourcing of lumber across more than 20 countries enabled the company to participate constructively in the CDP survey.
CDP’s forests program asks companies to disclose their exposure to deforestation risks through their use of five agricultural commodities that are responsible for most deforestation (palm oil, soy, biofuels, timber and cattle products).
Institutional investors and major purchasing organisations use the insights from CDP’s forests program to understand and mitigate their exposure to deforestation risks across supply chains worldwide. This was the first year that Brambles had joined the CDP’s forests program by making a submission.
To read the CDP report go to https://www.cdproject.net/CDPResults/CDP-global-forests-report-2013.pdf.
CHEP achieved certification of timber for its European pallets in 2012, and is planning to achieve 100 percent timber certification in the USA by 2015.
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