The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international non-profit, multi-stakeholder organisation established in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world's forests. Its main tools for achieving this are standard setting, independent certification and labelling of forest products. This offers customers around the world the ability to choose products from socially and environmentally responsible forestry.
The World Land Trust (formerly the World Wide Land Conservation Trust) is a UK-based non-profit environmental organisation established in 1989. Its primary aims are to ensure conservation of plants, animals and natural communities in areas at risk. For this purpose, it privately funds the purchase of large tracts of land by local NGO's for the purposes of protecting it, in a fashion similar to the Nature Conservancy by making use of land trusts. The organisation also seeks to help in-situ conservation measures by providing training, capital and equipment for environmental stewardship in economically backward areas. The World Land Trust also offers to offset the carbon emissions of individuals and businesses.
PEFC UK Ltd was established in 2000 and is the member of PEFC International, an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) through independent third-party certification. PEFC International is an umbrella organisation that endorses national forest certification systems developed through multi-stakeholder processes and tailored to local priorities and conditions.
PEFC works throughout the entire forest supply chain to promote good practice in the forest and to ensure that timber and non-timber forest products are produced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards. Thanks to its eco-label, customers and consumers are able to identify products from sustainably managed forests.
Defra's overarching aim is sustainable development, which is defined as "development which enables all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations". Under this overarching aim, Defra has five strategic priorities: