Indigenous Baram communities celebrate timber company’s withdrawal from their lands

a group of community members gathers around the MTCC and PEFC delegation

Indigenous communities in Sarawak win a landmark victory as the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) and international timber certifier visit Sarawak to inspect timber operations. [SARAWAK / MALAYSIA] – In a major victory for Indigenous communities defending their customary lands, Samling has withdrawn several of its timber concessions from the...

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Dutch government calls for investigation into Malaysian timber

After various complaints from civil society, the Dutch government asks PEFC International to demonstrate accountability and prove that the Malaysian timber certification scheme is compliant (THE HAGUE / NETHERLANDS) The Dutch government expects PEFC International to conduct an investigation into the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) following growing concerns about...

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How does dirty timber from Sarawak get to the USA?

Many consumers want to make responsible choices when it comes to their purchases, but sometimes it’s hard to know what the safer, more ethical choice is. Certification schemes are a tool that many people (understandably) use to help them make those choices. Unfortunately, the credibility of these schemes is not...

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6 things you need to know about our latest report

Our new report is titled “Lost in Certification: How forest certification greenwashes Samling’s dirty timber and fools the international market”. It is a comprehensive analysis of the most recent land conflicts in the Baram region of Sarawak. It looks at the most shocking community claims against logging company Samling and...

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NGOs demand MTCC acknowledge certification scheme’s shortcomings and take action

In conjunction with MTCC’s participation at PEFC International’s upcoming members meeting in Dublin, civil society organisations argue MTCC is unable to uphold timber certification standards. May 10, 2022(MIRI / SARAWAK / MALAYSIA) As the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) attends the members’ meeting for the Programme for the Endorsement of...

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Baram Communities Lodge Complaint about MTCC Failures with International Certification Body PEFC

Civil society organisations argue MTCC dispute resolution process is faulty, standards not met for Gerenai Forest Management Unit under timber giant Samling(MIRI / SARAWAK / MALAYSIA) A group of organisations lodged an official complaint with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the international body based in Switzerland...

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