The UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) has announced the appointment of Ben Gunneberg MICFor as its new Chair.
The appointment was approved at the organisation’s recent Annual General Meeting, and Ben brings extensive experience to the role, having served as CEO and Secretary General of PEFC International in Geneva from 1999 to 2022, and as Technical Director at the Timber Growers Association in Edinburgh prior to that. Currently an international sustainability consultant, Ben has also been an elected Council Member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters since 2022 and a Mentor for the Emerging Leader Programme.
Ben said:
“UKWAS is a consensus-driven partnership that integrates economic, environmental, and social perspectives to set and manage a voluntary certification standard for woodland management. The standard provides a framework for continuous improvement and independent audit, and is unique globally as it is used by both the FSC and PEFC schemes. The UKWAS helps demonstrate that UK forest products, whether wood or non-wood, are responsibly sourced.”
I am delighted to take on this position at a time when forestry’s critical role in addressing global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss is increasingly recognised. The vital role of the forestry sector in contributing to sustainable jobs and livelihoods and the circular bio-economy is also increasingly being appreciated.”
One of Ben’s first priorities as Chair will be to oversee the implementation of UKWAS 5.0 which has been endorsed by PEFC International and came into effect on 1 December 2024.
Ben said:
“Until the FSC revision process is concluded, PEFC certificate holders will be audited to UKWAS 5 while FSC certificate holders will continue to be audited to UKWAS 4. This is far from ideal for certificate holders and our priority is securing FSC International’s approval as soon as possible.”
Ben succeeds Richard Howe who stepped down after serving as Chair since 2017 and as a Director of UKWAS for nearly 20 years. At the organisation’s AGM, Elaine Dick MICFor, an UKWAS Director, led the tributes to Richard and thanked him on behalf of the UKWAS Steering Group and Board for his dedication and leadership during several revisions of the standard.
