Certifica­tions and Frameworks

Environmental label for particularly environmentally friendly products and services, introduced in Germany in 1978. In the case of chipboard, formaldehyde emission is an important criterion for the award of the Blue Angel. For boards which, due to so-called formaldehyde scavengers, have an approx. 50% lower emission than standard boards, the environmental label RAL UZ 76 – Blue Angel is awarded because they are low-emission. The panels are certified by the RAL Institute for the award of this eco-label.

Cradle to Cradle (C2C) is an approach to a continuous and consistent recycling management. The principle, which can also be perceived as a philosophy or system, was designed by the German chemist Michael Braungart and the US-American architect William McDonough in the late 1990s. The C2C certification (Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard) for recycling management systems has been awarded by the non-profit organisation Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute based in San Francisco since 2010. Products are evaluated in terms of material health, recyclability, use of renewable energies, responsible use of water and social justice.

The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC C011773) is a global, non-profit organisation with the purpose of promoting responsible forest management worldwide. FSC defines standards for responsible forest management according to established principles, which are developed and supported by stakeholders from the environmental, social and economic sectors. For more information, please visit www.fsc.org.

The Nordic Ecolabel, also known as the Nordic Swan or in Scandinavia “The Swan” for short, is an eco-label awarded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. It was launched in 1989 and now covers 63 product groups. It is the official eco-label of the Nordic countries. The Nordic Swan is a Type I eco-label (ISO 14024), as a statement about the environmental performance of products compared to competing products is made by independent third parties. Every three to five years, the respective criteria are reviewed and revised if necessary.

PEFC is the largest institution for ensuring sustainable forest management through an independent certification system. Wood and wood products with the PEFC label are proven to originate from ecologically, economically and socially sustainable forestry. PEFC is the most important forest certification system in Germany: With 7.7 million hectares of certified forest area, about two thirds of Germany’s forests are already PEFC certified. PEFC is a transparent and independent system for ensuring sustainable forest management and thus a kind of global “forest inspection”. The acronym PEFC stands for “Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes”. (PEFC/04-32-0828)

The Quality Association for Wood-based Materials (QG HWS) awards the “Wood-based Materials Quality Label” to products from manufacturers of chipboard and fibreboard, plywood and woodpolymer materials which meet the high standards of the Community. On behalf of a notified body accredited and notified according to the Building Products Ordinance (BauPVO), QG HWS carries out selected tests and inspections in the field of building inspection according to the procedure defined for this purpose (QM system), in particular the monitoring of the factory production control according to the harmonised standard DIN EN 13986 in the currently valid version. The quality and testing regulations laid down by QG HWS are binding for its members. They are continuously controlled by the manufacturers and by external test centres. This ensures that the products monitored by QG HWS are of good quality, durable and safe and do not endanger the health of people and the environment.

The International Stock Exchange (TISE) Sustainable market has been established to provide a reputable market segment which enables the flow of capital into investments that promote environmental, social or sustainable activities. Pfleiderer is the only operator in our sector to be listed in the TISE Sustainable market segment. Sustainable finance is gaining momentum globally. Market participants ranging from supranational organisations through to financial institutions, as well as individual investors, are increasingly recognising the importance of allocating capital in a manner which finances a sustainable future.

Pfleiderer is signatory to the principles of the United Nations Global Compact. The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is the best-known initiative at global level for promoting responsible corporate practices. The more than 17,000 members from over 170 countries (as of 2022) undertake to comply with ten principles in the areas of human rights, workers' rights, environmental protection and corruption prevention in all countries in which they operate.
https://www.unglobalcompact.org

This initiative aims to help make the wood industry climate-friendly and sustainable. Every company that joins the initiative recognises its guidelines, contributes to permanently reducing the CO2 footprint of our industry and, where possible, to sustainably compensating for unavoidable emissions. We are part of the Initiative’s Climate Protection Wood Industry programme.
www.klimaschutzholzindustrie.de/