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8.5 Certification
Authors: H Bigsby, L OzannePublication: NZIF Forestry Handbook, Volume Section 8 – Forest products markets, pp 5, Dec 2023
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry
Abstract: Several trends emerged in the 1990s, an important one being the development of the global business economy, with more companies operating globally, both for sourcing products and for markets. This trend was paralleled by globalisation of social and business communications, creating in turn a greater awareness of global environmental problems. At the same time more people in developed nations were searching for a better quality of life, an important component of which was the environment. All of these factors led to a growing influence of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and consumer associations in lobbying businesses and governments to make changes to environmental management (Fletcher et al. 2002). In effect, NGOs and consumers had created ‘environmental market standards’ to overcome the perceived failure of government environmental regulatory standards. The environmental market standards included product specifications, ecolabels, and performance and management standards. NGOs are currently providing the initial ‘face’ of final consumer demand for environmentally friendly products (Nilsson 2001). These groups are working with both retailers and producers, and retailers responding directly to consumers pass pressures onto producers (Raunetsalo 2002).