Chain of Custody Certification

1. Determine applicability: Confirm that your organization handles forest-derived materials (wood, paper, packaging, furniture, etc.) and that your suppliers hold valid PEFC forest management or CoC certificates.

1. Review the PEFC CoC standard: Download and study the PEFC Chain of Custody standard (PEFC ST 2002) from the PEFC website to understand the requirements for material control, labeling, and record-keeping.

1. Select an accredited certification body: Choose a PEFC-accredited certification body in your country or region. A list is available in PEFC's online database. Request a quote — costs vary by organization size and complexity.

1. Conduct an internal gap analysis: Map your current supply chain processes against PEFC CoC requirements. Identify gaps in documentation, material segregation, labeling controls, and staff training.

1. Implement a CoC management system: Establish documented procedures for purchasing certified materials, segregating or mixing certified and non-certified inputs, labeling outputs, and maintaining records. Train relevant staff.

1. Submit your application: Apply to your chosen certification body, providing documentation of your CoC procedures and material flows for their pre-audit review.

1. Undergo the initial audit: The certification body conducts an on-site audit to verify your documented procedures and physical controls. Address any non-conformities identified.

1. Receive your certificate and use the PEFC label: Once certified, you may apply the PEFC label to qualifying products and list your certificate in the PEFC public database. Prepare for annual surveillance audits and a full recertification audit every three years.

PEFC Chain of Custody certification evaluates whether an organization can reliably track and control the flow of certified forest-derived materials through its operations. The audit focuses on several core areas.

Material control system: Auditors verify that the organization has a documented and implemented system for identifying certified inputs, controlling material flows, and ensuring that only eligible certified materials are used when making PEFC-labeled products. Organizations may use either a physical separation model (certified and non-certified materials kept strictly separate) or a percentage-based model (certified content tracked as a proportion of total inputs).

Purchasing and supplier verification: The organization must demonstrate that it verifies the validity of supplier certificates before purchasing certified materials. This includes checking the PEFC online database and retaining purchase records that reference certified status.

Labeling and sales records: Auditors review how the PEFC label is applied to outgoing products, ensuring that only products meeting the certified content threshold carry the mark. Sales invoices and delivery records must accurately reflect certified status.

Record-keeping and traceability: Comprehensive records of certified material inputs, production volumes, and labeled outputs must be maintained and available for audit. Records must allow auditors to trace certified material from purchase through to sale.

Staff training and competence: The organization must demonstrate that staff responsible for CoC procedures are trained and understand their roles. Training records are reviewed during the audit.

Complaints and corrective actions: The organization must have a process for handling complaints related to its CoC system and for implementing corrective actions when non-conformities are identified.

PEFC Chain of Custody certification is one of the two dominant forest certification systems globally, alongside FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) CoC. Together, these two programs cover the vast majority of the certified forest products market. PEFC is particularly strong in Europe, where it was founded, and has significant adoption in Oceania, Asia, and parts of Latin America. As of recent data, PEFC has certified over 50,000 CoC certificate holders across more than 50 countries, making it one of the most widely held supply chain certifications in the forest products sector.

In terms of market positioning, PEFC tends to be favored by European timber producers and companies operating under national certification schemes (such as FFCS in Finland, PEFC Germany, or SFI in North America, which is PEFC-endorsed). FSC, by contrast, has historically been preferred by NGOs and some retail buyers in the UK and North America. In practice, many large companies — including IKEA, major paper manufacturers, and global retailers — hold both PEFC and FSC CoC certifications to satisfy the broadest range of customer requirements.

Demand for PEFC CoC certification has been growing steadily, driven by tightening regulatory requirements such as the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), and similar legislation in the UK and US. These regulations require companies to demonstrate due diligence on the legality and sustainability of timber imports, and PEFC certification provides a recognized mechanism for meeting these obligations. The emergence of mandatory sustainability reporting frameworks (CSRD in Europe, SEC climate rules in the US) is further increasing demand for credible supply chain certifications. PEFC has also expanded into new areas such as Project Sourcing certification for construction and RED (Renewable Energy Directive) certification for biomass, broadening its relevance beyond traditional forest products.

PEFC was founded in 1999 by a group of European national forest certification schemes — initially from Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden — who sought a mutual recognition framework for existing national programs that were not eligible for FSC recognition. The founding organizations were primarily small and family forest owners who found FSC's requirements difficult to implement at scale. PEFC's model of endorsing existing national schemes rather than imposing a single global standard was designed to respect regional differences in forest management practices and legal frameworks.

In its early years, PEFC was primarily a European initiative, but it expanded rapidly in the 2000s as national schemes from Australia, Canada (through SFI and CSFA), Chile, Malaysia, and other countries sought endorsement. The organization rebranded from the "Pan European Forest Certification" scheme to the "Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification" in 2003 to reflect its global ambitions. Key milestones include the endorsement of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) in 2005, which brought North American forest certification into the PEFC family, and the launch of the PEFC Chain of Custody standard (PEFC ST 2002) as a globally harmonized requirement for supply chain certification. By the 2010s, PEFC had grown to become the world's largest forest certification system by area of certified forest, and continued to expand its standards portfolio to address emerging regulatory and market demands including biomass sustainability and, most recently, the EU Deforestation Regulation.