FSC vs PEFC: What's the Difference, and Which Do You Need?

Almost every timber enquiry today arrives with a certification question attached. Buyers want FSC, PEFC, or both — but the two schemes are often treated as a single checkbox. They are not. Understanding what each one actually guarantees helps you specify the right material and avoid paying for a label you don't need.

Two schemes, one goal

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) are the two dominant forest-certification systems in the world. Both exist to prove that wood comes from responsibly managed forests, and both back that claim with independent third-party audits and a chain-of-custody system that follows the material from forest to finished product. The difference is in how they are built.

FSC in brief

• Founded in 1993, governed by a single international standard with strong NGO and environmental backing.
• Often specified by name in retail ranges, architectural specs, and public tenders.
• Three product labels: FSC 100%, FSC Mix, and FSC Recycled.

PEFC in brief

• Founded in 1999 as an umbrella that endorses national certification schemes rather than imposing one global standard.
• Particularly strong across European forests and among smallholders and family-owned woodlands, where it is often easier and cheaper to certify.
• Main labels: PEFC Certified and PEFC Recycled.

Chain of custody is what reaches you

Forest-management certification covers the forest. What matters to a buyer is chain of custody (CoC): the certificate every company in the supply chain — sawmill, trader, importer — needs in order to pass the claim on. If any link lacks valid CoC, the claim breaks, regardless of how the trees were grown. Always check that your direct supplier holds a current CoC certificate for the scheme printed on the invoice.

Percentage and credit systems

Both schemes allow 'mixed' claims, where certified and controlled material are combined under documented percentage or credit rules. This is normal and legitimate, but it is why an 'FSC Mix' label is not the same as 'FSC 100%'. If you need a specific claim, state it on the order.

So which should you ask for?

• Let the end market decide. If your customer, tender, or building certification (BREEAM, LEED, DGNB) names one scheme, specify that one.
• For broad European softwood, PEFC availability is usually wider; for globally recognised, retail-facing claims, FSC is often expected.
• Accepting 'FSC or PEFC' wherever possible widens your supplier pool and shortens lead times.

At Timberhub, 98% of our sawmill network is FSC or PEFC certified, and every order carries the chain-of-custody documentation to back the claim. If you are unsure which certification your project needs, our team can match the spec to the right mill.