CNV Vakmensen signs Green Deal

Timber from sustainably managed forest needs to be norm in the Netherlands. That's the ambition of the Green Deal 'Promoting Sustainable Forest Management' signed by 27 parties, including CNV Vakmensen President Arend van Wijngaarden. Sustainable forest management is important not only for the environment, but also protects workers in forestry. Sustainable forestry not only guarantees that forest is preserved, but also retains employment. In sustainably managed forests, there is no illegal logging and is no more wood is harvested than regrowth. Wood remains always available as a renewable resource and thus the economic position of people who depend on the forest is protected. The Green Deal was signed last 21 June in The Hague. Aside from the Dutch Ministries of Infrastructure and the Environment, Economic Affairs, Foreign Affairs and the timber sector, the Green Deal was also signed by a large number of players in the construction, furniture and retail chains, including the trade union federations for the wood and building sector CNV Vakmensen, and FNV Bouw the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and Tropenbos International.
 
The Green Deal documents describe how the parties will promote timber from Sustainably Managed Forests. This varies from creating awareness to knowledge transfer on practical issues such as certification and monitoring results. State Secretary Wilma Mansveld: “A substantial amount of imported timber comes from outside the Netherlands, this makes us responsible for these forests The Green Deal ensures that not only today, but also in the future we will be able to continue to use this beautiful, green, renewable resouce.” Paul van den Heuvel, Director of the Koninklijke Vereniging van Nederlandse Houtondernemingen added: “We take a very practical approach. Together, we will map any barriers that are preventing parties to choose for timber from sustainably managed forests and address them accordingly."
 
Read more about this (note this website is in Dutch): http://www.bewustmethout.nl/actueel/2013-06-20-green_deal_bevorderen_duurzaam_bosbeheer