PEC BOOSTS ITS GREEN CREDENTIALS
A Bradford company which carries out refurbishment and re-fit projects for retail, commercial and public sector clients has taken steps towards improving its sustainability credentials to give it a competitive advantage.
Legislative and consumer demand for companies to present their sustainability credentials means supply chains are being asked to do the same in order to win contracts in both the public and private sectors. Contracting, manufacturing and shopfitting company, PEC has successfully achieved both the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) Chain of Custody certification, which means clients can be assured that the forest products used in their projects are from sustainably managed sources.
PEC managing director Sohan Panesar (pictured) said: "We take quality systems very seriously here at PEC. As a responsible manufacturer and building company, we do all we can to ensure the materials we use are from sustainable sources and contribute to global conservation. We want our clients to be reassured that we are using the very best materials, which is why we're delighted to have received this accreditation."
PEC's bespoke joinery manufacture division, based in Bradford, designs, makes and installs products ranging from medical furniture and shelving to retail display cabinets, office partitions and custom-designed board room tables.
FSC (ic.fsc.org) is an international, non-government organisation dedicated to promoting responsible forest management. They have developed a system of forest certification and product labelling that allows timber merchants and domestic customers alike to identify wood from well-managed forests. The tree-tick logo is the best guarantee that timber has been produced in an environmentally sound and socially responsible manner. Several major retailers, including B&Q and Marks and Spencer, are committed to stocking FSC-certified products.
The PEFC creditation scheme covers the purchase, processing, storage, distribution and sale of timber, panel and joinery products.
Welcoming PEC certification, Alun Watkins who heads up PEFC in the UK said: "PEFC is the world's largest international forest certification scheme, endorsing national forest certification schemes in over 30 countries on four continents. With 247 million hectares under certification, the PEFC endorsement scheme had greatly increased availability of certified forest products available to companies such as PEC who are firmly committed to the responsible sourcing of raw materials."
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Notes for Editors
From its beginnings in 1977, PEC has grown from a sole operation specialising in electrical contracts into one of Yorkshire's leading companies offering commercial fit-out, refurbishment, bespoke joinery manufacture and project management to UK and European clients in the public and private sectors. PEC's team is based at purpose-built headquarters in Bradford, with a fully equipped 35,000 sq ft bespoke joinery manufacturing facility. Long-standing clients include Magnet, Homebase, Kwik-Fit, Morrisons, Bupa, Q Park, Saint-Gobain, Momentum Worldwide, Principles, Majestic Wine, Crown Paints, Jewsons, Aagrah Restaurants and NHS Trusts. For further information, visit www.p-e-c.co.uk.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world's forests. Established in 1993 as a response to concerns over global deforestation, FSC is a pioneer forum where the global consensus on responsible forest management convenes and through democratic process effects solutions to the pressures facing the world's forests and forest-dependent communities. Within this forum, voices from the Global North and South, from organisations big and small, assemble to define environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable forest management and identify the tools and resources that will effect positive, lasting change. As a multi-stakeholder organisation, FSC applies the directive of its membership to develop forest management and chain of custody standards, deliver trademark assurance and provide accreditation services to a global network of committed businesses, organisations and communities. FSC certification provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products, enabling consumers and businesses to make purchasing decisions that benefit people and the environment as well as providing ongoing business value. FSC is nationally represented in more than 50 countries around the world. For more information, visit ic.fsc.org.
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) is an international non-profit organisation promoting sustainable forest management. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification is a mutual recognition programme for independent national forest certification schemes. PEFC strictly assesses national schemes against PEFC's sustainability benchmarks. PEFC's goal is to create a world in which people manage forests sustainably ensuring an equitable balance between their social, ecological and economic functions. Today over half a million forest owners manage more than 247 million hectares of forest according to PEFC's benchmark. The PEFC label guarantees products are from sustainably managed forests. For further information, visit www.pefc.co.uk.