Jakarta, Indonesia – The Dutch housing associations have committed to building 100,000 houses in the next five years using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber from Borneo.
These houses comprise 25 per cent of the total number of houses to be built in the Netherlands over the next five years. The commitment was announced at the Jakarta Conference: Linking Dutch Markets to Borneo’s Sustainable Forest held in Jakarta from 26 to 29 March.

“The use of timber from responsibly managed forests is widely regarded as a way to help solve the problem of deforestation and forest degradation,” said Ian Kosasih, WWF-Indonesia's Forest-Species Programme Director.
„Today’s commitment shows that a market for FSC certified timber is present and increasing significantly.”
So far, 38 corporations in the Dutch housing associations have signed on to the commitment.
The Jakarta Conference brings together companies and producers from Indonesia, as well as housing associations, members of the timber/processing and construction industry and retailers from the Netherlands, to forge business relationships that promote sustainable timber supply.
The conference is part of the Building and Borneo campaign, whose motto is "Renewal here must not lead to destruction elsewhere".
The campaign is a joint initiative of WWF-Netherlands, FSC Netherlands, Woonbron and several other large parties in the Dutch housing sector. The campaign aims to ensure that all housing associations will opt for the use of timber and timber products from well-managed forests, and that this commitment is spelt out in a mutual agreement with FSC Netherlands.
The Jakarta conference is also one of several events facilitated by WWF-Indonesia's Forest and Trade Network (IFTN) with partners. Also known as Nusa Hijau, IFTN is part of the WWF Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) initiative, which aims to eliminate illegal logging and improve the management of valuable and threatened forests. Launched in 2003, IFTN aims to support forest certification and responsible wood sourcing by facilitating trade links between companies committed to achieve certification and support responsible forestry.
“We are working with various partners to foster improvement in forest management in Borneo as well as other parts of Indonesia, through helping industry to achieve credible certification,” said Mubariq Ahmad, Executive Director of WWF-Indonesia.
"The Dutch housing association's commitment to source FSC-certified timber from Indonesia augurs well for the country's forests."

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 The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-profit organization that provides standard setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services to companies and organizations interested in responsible forestry. Founded in 1993 by a diverse group of stakeholders, including WWF, FSC’s mission is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. For more, visit www.fsc.org.
 More information on the WWF-Indonesia Forest Trade Network or Nusa Hujau can be found at: www.forestandtradeasia.org/indonesia
 Text of Declaration of Intent signed today by the Dutch housing associations is available upon request by contacting: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.