PEFC Ireland is set to host PEFC’s first Members’ Meeting since 2019, with delegates from all over the world gathering for a long overdue catch up and to discuss timber’s role in meeting global net zero targets. The highlight of the week is the Stakeholder Dialogue Day taking place at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin on 12th May and is open to all to attend.

The theme – Climate Change Mitigation: Winning with Wood – will see a range of speakers highlighting the whole value chain from forest to consumer, to explore how forests and wood-based products play a crucial role in the fight to combat climate change.

“We are thrilled that PEFC’s first post-pandemic, international stakeholder meeting is taking place here in Ireland,” said William Merivale who heads up PEFC Ireland. “It will be great to host so many people from all over the world, see some faces we have not seen for some time, and hear from a panel with a huge level of knowledge and expertise. Sustainably managed forests are so important and it’s rare that so many people that play a day-to-day part in making the world a cleaner and healthier place, come together in one place.”

Speakers from a range of sectors, trading in or using wood-based products, will share their experience including, Senator Pippa Hackett, Minister of State for Forestry, Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, who will outline Ireland’s COP26 goals and forestry’s role in achieving them, Dr Pablo van der Lugt, Lecturer in bio-based building at Delft University of Technology and author of Tomorrow’s Timber, will highlight why timber and circular thinking provide a ‘futureproof’ building material choice, and the afternoon session will be moderated by Dr Dorothy Maxwell, Director of Sustainability at Davy Horizons, one of HRH The Prince of Wales’s Responsible Business Ambassadors and ex- Director of Sustainability at House of Fraser.

With an increasingly environmentally aware consumer base, influential market sectors such as construction, food to go, retailers and FMCG manufacturers are rapidly adopting circular habits and switching to renewable, recyclable and responsibly sourced materials such as timber and wood-based products.

The event will interest everyone using or trading in wood-based products including retailers, brand owners, built environment professionals, foresters, primary processors and manufacturers. Participants will learn about the benefits of using low carbon forest products and the assurances of responsible sourcing that PEFC certification offers.

“If we are to achieve the 2050 net zero carbon targets agreed at COP26,” adds William. “Using sustainable timber products such as those certified by PEFC is essential. We think all those attending our event will come away with a wider understanding of this approach and how it fits into their professional and their personal lives.”

The event takes place on Thursday 12 May 2022 at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. It is free to attend but the deadline for registration is Friday 29 April 2022. Numbers are strictly limited, so early registration is recommended as places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Further details can be found here.