The Forest Stewardship Council are not only celebrating FSC Friday, the celebrations are continuing as they mark the 25th anniversary of FSC UK! There are many highlights they would like to recognise, which are detailed below.

FSC UK was founded in 1995, and in the 25 years since, FSC UK and our supporters have worked tirelessly to promote responsible forest management across the UK. During this time, 1,593,482 hectares of UK forest have been certified, and 2,225 UK chain of custody certificates and 117 UK promotional licences have been issued*. Consumer awareness of FSC has also increased dramatically over the years. In 2007, 19% of consumers surveyed recognised the FSC logo, however, this figure reached 67% in our 2020 survey.

Our 25th year gave us numerous reasons to celebrate, including exciting launches, events, and milestones:

• Our October 2019 Annual Members Meeting took place at Kew Gardens, which was a fitting location, providing an opportunity to celebrate their collaboration with FSC and US Forest Services on a Global Timber Referencing Project, which aims to support the fight against illegal logging and strengthen the integrity of the FSC system.
• November 2019 saw the launch of Together for Forests at the British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) Education Conference, which aims to support BIAZA members to source sustainably and encourage their visitors to do the same.
• In February 2020, FSC UK exhibited at Packaging Innovations, where we launched our Is Your Packaging Forest Friendly? video, and distributed our FSC Packaging brochures.
• Through 2019, we celebrated some significant forestry milestones, including the centenary of the Forestry Act of 1919 that established the Forestry Commission, and two decades of FSC forest management certification by DGA Forestry LLPand Scottish Woodlands.

*Figures correct as of 1 September 2020.