We work hard every day for a better world.

The term forest sustainability was first used in 1713 by Hans Carl von Carlowitz. Originally, it referred to "sustainable" forest management, in which no more wood is harvested than can be regrown. Today, the definition goes beyond the early descriptions of natural, (timber) quantity, or (forest) area sustainability. The modern principle of sustainability now includes diverse economic, ecological, and social components.
Approximately one-third of the entire federal territory is forested. Germany thus has a total forest area of ​​approximately 11.4 million hectares (Source: BWI3, 2014). While forest areas are declining rapidly internationally, Germany has experienced a small but steady increase in forest cover for decades, which can be attributed to controlled and highly responsible forest management.
Forest area has increased by well over one million hectares over the past five decades. Since the 1990s, forest area in Germany has grown by an average of 176 square kilometers per year. This roughly corresponds to the area of ​​the city of Karlsruhe each year.

Sustainable forestry

It is always important that the wood used comes from sustainable forestry wherever possible. This is the only way to prevent uncontrolled deforestation of primary forests in the South American tropics, but also in Eastern European countries, Asia, and Africa. It should be noted that the consumption of tropical timber is not inherently bad: The commercial use of tropical timber from sustainable forestry enables careful management of forest resources locally. If the forest loses value to the local population because of a loss of sales in Europe, large sections of the forest are cleared, sometimes by slash-and-burn, to create short-term, lucrative soy or palm oil plantations.

FSC® certification

The FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) forestry certification system was established to ensure sustainable forest management. This includes maintaining and improving the economic, ecological, and social functions of forestry operations. To this end, the FSC® developed a general, uniform standard across national borders. Gunreben has been FSC®-certified for some of its products since August 2013.

PEFC certification

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) is based on the agreements established by the European Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of Forests in Europe. It was founded in the late 1990s, primarily through the initiative of representatives of the forestry and timber industry, such as the German Forestry Council. Various environmental organizations, social associations, the timber industry, and other associations participate in PEFC. Gunreben has had some of its products PEFC-certified since June 2011.

The European Timber Regulation (EUTR)

The EUTR and its national implementations stipulate that the legal origin of the wood must be proven in the forest. This is usually done through transparent tracing of the supply chain by the importer, so that all wood imports into Germany can be verified for their legal origin. Certification systems such as PEFC and FSC® offer additional security (even for domestic wood). Compliance with the EUTR is monitored in Germany by the BLE (Federal Office for Agriculture and Food). They conduct regular inspections. Furthermore, Gunreben is registered as an importer with GD-Holz (German Forestry and Forest Products Association). GD-Holz is an EU-accredited monitoring organization. This organization conducts regular audits and subsequently reports the results to the BLE. Furthermore, Gunreben is a member of Unifloresta, an independent third-party organization that checks all export documents, such as logging licenses, transport documents, etc., for completeness and legality. All "non-FSC®-certified" raw materials that we purchase directly from Brazil are subject to Unifloresta inspection.

Responsible wood purchasing

Gunreben is aware of its responsibility to ensure the provenance of its wood and wood products and acts accordingly. By strictly adhering to the EUTR regulations, we ensure that we fulfill this obligation. Furthermore, Gunreben has obtained both FSC® and PEFC certification. This means that all raw wood we purchase as certified wood can also be offered as a certified product after production. This also applies to already certified products that we sell as merchandise. Through this measure, we are making our contribution to sustainable forestry in Germany and worldwide.
But there are also other advantages that distinguish wood from other materials

Climate protection

Sustainability isn't just about maximum yields. The near-complete utilization of the raw material wood, ideally at a single location, is the highest form of value creation. We only dispose of the ash at the end. We burn the bark in our own biomass cogeneration plant.

The drying chambers – 7,431.50m³ volume

The use of wood ensures sustainability and contributes to climate protection, as wood binds carbon from the air. Thus, every wood product is a so-called CO2 sink. By using the wood product for as long as possible, whether as solid wood or as a wood-based material, this positive effect is prolonged. Wood and wood residues can be recycled multiple times and processed into new, high-quality products. The goal is always to keep the wood in the resource chain for as long as possible. The end result of this so-called cascade use is thermal recycling.
Several studies demonstrate the value of consistent cascade use for climate protection, including a 2017 study by the Chair of Wood Science at the Technical University of Munich. Another advantage of using wood is that it replaces (substitutes) other building materials whose production consumes many times more energy. Timber consumes only a fraction of the energy required for extraction and production of materials such as aluminum, plastic, or steel.
The processing and trading of wood as a raw material is very important to us. We see it as our natural duty to preserve the existence of this valuable, renewable resource for future generations.
If you have any questions about sustainability or legally harvested timber, please do not hesitate to contact us.