THE UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) has appointed a new chair - who admitted the wait for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) endorsement of its revised standard is "far from ideal". 

Chartered forester Ben Gunneberg takes on the key role, succeeding long-serving Richard Howie in the post. Previously CEO and secretary general of PEFC International in Geneva from 1999 to 2022, Ben is currently an international sustainability consultant and holds several significant positions within the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF). 

His appointment comes at a time of disconnect between PEFC and FSC approval of UKWAS's revised 5.0 standard. While this was approved by the former, coming into effect on December 1, FSC International indicated that it will require further amendments to conform fully with its requirement.

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This means that certificate holders currently need to be certified to two versions of the UKWAS standard - UKWAS 4.0 and UKWAS 5.0. 

Speaking in the wake of his appointment, Ben said: “Until the FSC revision process is concluded, PEFC certificate holders will be audited to UKWAS 5 while FSC certificate holders will continue to be audited to UKWAS 4. This is far from ideal for certificate holders and our priority is securing FSC International’s approval as soon as possible.”

Ben succeeds Richard Howe who stepped down after serving as chair since 2017 and as a director of UKWAS for nearly 20 years. At the organisation’s recent AGM, Elaine Dick MICFor, an UKWAS director, led the tributes to Richard and thanked him on behalf of the UKWAS Steering Group and Board for his dedication and leadership during several revisions of the standard.

Ben added: “UKWAS is a consensus-driven partnership that integrates economic, environmental, and social perspectives to set and manage a voluntary certification standard for woodland management.

Ben was previously CEO and secretary general of PEFC International in Geneva from 1999 to 2022Ben was previously CEO and secretary general of PEFC International in Geneva from 1999 to 2022 (Image: Stock)

"The standard provides a framework for continuous improvement and independent audit, and is unique globally as it is used by both the FSC and PEFC schemes. The UKWAS helps demonstrate that UK forest products, whether wood or non-wood, are responsibly sourced.

"I am delighted to take on this position at a time when forestry’s critical role in addressing global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss is increasingly recognised. The vital role of the forestry sector in contributing to sustainable jobs and livelihoods and the circular bio-economy is also increasingly being appreciated.”