Jakarta. As the push for sustainable timber continues, the Forest Stewardship Council says its certification is not too far off for industry players who have obtained Timber Legality Verification System, or SVLK, certification.

"The companies would not need to start from zero, and are considered to have fulfilled the standards of responsible forest management," FSC director general Kim Cartensen told Antara news agency on Monday (06/02).

Cartensen said the road to attaining SVLK certification is more uphill due to its stringent requirements, which would make it less challenging for companies to obtain FSC certification.

As the international nongovernmental organization's certification is recognized worldwide, the director general believes that it would allow companies to widen their market access.

"It would be easier for them to sell their products in Asia, Europe and North America," Cartensen said.

SVLK-certified companies enjoy "no frills" access to the European Union, thanks to the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement (Flegt-VPA) attained by Indonesia.

The certification has also been attributed to the jump in certified timber exports, which increased by almost 10 percent between 2015 and 2016.

"The European Union has the highest requirements," said Ida Bagus Putera, director general for sustainable forest management at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. "Therefore, it should not be difficult for SVLK-certified companies to attain other certifications, such as FSC."

China is Indonesia’s largest export market for timber products, followed by Japan, the United States and the European Union. Paper makes up most of Indonesia's timber product exports, with plywood and pulp following not far behind.

So far, the national sustainable forest management certification, launched by the government in 2010, recorded an 89 percent increase in the number of natural forest participants, and a 65 percent increase in the number of industrial forest participants since 2012.