![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FCharcoal-bags-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=0b9f537a6ea21a150558b76ac4c798fa 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FCharcoal-bags-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=c71b3a9b2bea155f0458280f2855fdeb 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FCharcoal-bags-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=343509cd2061ca30c1032c95ba0b1897 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FCharcoal-bags-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=d75c8453cffc8f2c9b331044225aaff1 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FCharcoal-bags-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=934&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=12ad71ae8526c993cb3ee678b59e7691 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FCharcoal-bags-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=7ef4dd33d574b86899371e5f16061a37 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FCharcoal-bags-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=129f0adca7c004bcf4df5a712ae60a07 1920w)
Today, Interpol puts the value of illegal logging in the tens of billions, and the UN claims the estimated value of the illegal charcoal export trade from East Africa is over $360 million a year. Elsewhere, the story is similar. From Brazil to Haiti to Madagascar, forests are turned to dust for profit. Whether for charcoal, cattle ranching or rare tropical hardwood, the outcome is eventually the same. Bans don’t work when people are trapped financially.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FSite-of-Pine-Tree-Tavern.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=163&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=2cfbc8cd7b35ef14847a10ae9bc1dc28 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FSite-of-Pine-Tree-Tavern.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=326&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=147b4db562aaade7c8b11623027b2610 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FSite-of-Pine-Tree-Tavern.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=595&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=2c045bec9a7ceec11534e4673461d298 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FSite-of-Pine-Tree-Tavern.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=794&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=a5cc09d50b01202ab5b896bb4f948631 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FSite-of-Pine-Tree-Tavern.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1085&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=206f38efb0ad0294fa3f62e5aa7f1135 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FSite-of-Pine-Tree-Tavern.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1240&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=a48872699e28bf44c1ed5063f419e0f7 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FSite-of-Pine-Tree-Tavern.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1488&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=9c9810c4b9bd734e3b60af09cbb0de5a 1920w)
Deforestation is big business and has been for a long time. Supposedly, the Romans cut down swathes of British forests to flush out the Celts and build settlements. In the 1700s British forests were so depleted that King George III sent teams of specialist surveyors to the unspoilt pine forests of the North American colonies, where trees were then plundered to source wood for ship masts.
Fortunately, we can fix an old problem with an old solution. Sustainable forestry is one of the most effective ways to combat deforestation, including illegal logging. Despite being highly destructive and indiscriminate, illegal logging is still driven by demand. Choosing sustainable forestry products and limiting the use of certain species (such as tropical hardwoods) reduces that demand. Increasing the demand for sustainable timber and other healthy rainforest products, such as rattan, allows communities to generate income without destroying their forests. If it becomes more profitable to be a sustainable forest operator than an illegal one, then the tide can turn.
This work has already begun. There is an established definition of sustainable forestry, and two main international non-profit organisations are currently at the forefront of sustainable forestry accreditation: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). These groups work in slightly different ways but ultimately share the goal of promoting sustainable forestry.
The FSC sets out clear standards for sustainable forestry, which you can read more about here. It assesses, reforms and accredits logging companies, endorsing certified products with its FSC logo. However, the process is costly, which critics say penalises smaller companies and developing economies (about 83% of the FSC’s certified forest area is in Europe and North America), but the assessments are very thorough. This is well suited to large and multinational forestry companies in more developed economies.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FRattan-palm-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=3ea68196fec7f68d44593f2fd41fde8d 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FRattan-palm-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=3e979301a8559100468ec885f7275f05 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FRattan-palm-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=513&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=af1c4a7fe489f5080779c08fd14de937 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FRattan-palm-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=684&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=c736b4d855c55337a98b778f2a35f618 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FRattan-palm-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=935&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=15df35fee79008593624df923ec4e89a 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FRattan-palm-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1068&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=15751ca98f2cca6a43d1f21c76bd6ba9 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FRattan-palm-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1282&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=77bbcba482d9855166e48ff7128ad099 1920w)
The PEFC works more with governments to assess and reform national forestry standards and endorse sustainability schemes within domestic logging industries, allowing sustainably sourced products to bear the PEFC logo. This is better suited to smaller community and family forests, as well as developing economies. The standards can also be tailored to local environmental factors. Critics say this risks the standards becoming diluted; however, the overall benefit from registering and establishing a system at all is still vast.
As designers, supporting either the FSC or the PEFC by specifying products bearing their certification is worthwhile. Engineered timber, such as the CLT and Glulam used for construction, is almost always FSC or PEFC certified, and any good supplier has the capability to offer certified products. At present, the FSC certifies 200 million hectares of forests, and the PEFC certifies 330 million hectares. With some crossover between the two, the total global certified area amounts to 430 million hectares, which is just over 10% of global forested area (4 billion hectares), so there’s still a huge amount of work to be done.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FForest-Deforestation-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=965964c459b5222fbf1d6ea27ddeb910 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FForest-Deforestation-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=0bb455b2f9fc0787f5d2ec9b69758b36 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FForest-Deforestation-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=669727eb05f1a46153d00d987036754f 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FForest-Deforestation-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=682&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=8429006c45cdc73f4a3eede3b3f744e9 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FForest-Deforestation-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=932&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=26717272df4a49af9683341d91fbe89a 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FForest-Deforestation-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1066&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=df3412ee2e345fb07756896af6e0f278 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2FForest-Deforestation-scaled.jpeg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1279&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=d82e7e459e34fe1b7a83c5e2f4369e7b 1920w)
At this point it feels fair to say that it’s not only green to chop down trees, but it’s essential for a sustainable future – when done responsibly and sustainably. People will continue to cut down trees, so it’s vitally important that they’re empowered to do so in a sustainable way. The role of forests in balancing our climate and sustaining life on earth cannot be understated, and the only way to protect them is to cut them down – nicely.