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Sourcing materials with environmental credentials should become a measure to help reduce a business's bottom line rather than a matter of image, a Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) official has claimed.

PEFC UK director Ross Bradshaw told delegates at a press conference in London yesterday (4 February) that in difficult financial times companies must weigh up "economic and ecological" issues and make decisions in favour of their bottom line.

However, chain of custody certification has shown no sign of slowing down in the UK, said Bradshaw as the PEFC announced the award of its 1,000th certificate in the UK.

The accolade was awarded to Woodmansterne, a Watford-based fine arts and stationery publisher that predominantly manufactures greetings cards.

"It is heartening to see that even in these challenging economic times, demand for chain of custody certification shows no sign of slowing," said Bradshaw.

Since 2007 the amount of printers with chain of custody certification in the UK has risen more than 300% and the print sector now accounts for more than a third of such certificates issued in the UK.

Delegates were told that only 9% of the world's forests are certified.

Ben Gunneberg, PEFC Council secretary general added that the organisation would now focus on increasing chain of custody certification and national forest certification schemes.

The next "big wave" of forest certification will be in Russia and Asia, added Bradshaw, to facilitate access to markets such as the UK which increasingly demand materials from certified forests.

The PEFC Council, founded in 1999, is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation, which promotes sustainably managed forests through independent third-party certification.