The PEFC today disclosed that it has officially endorsed the China Forest Certification Scheme (CFCS). According to the organisation, the CFCS has demonstrated compliance with PEFC’s globally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks regarding forest management and Chain-of-Custody certification. Following PEFC endorsement, CFCS certified wood can also be sold as PEFC certified wood in the future. China already has 2 million hectares of CFCS certified forest, meaning that the availability of PEFC certified wood is likely to increase significantly within a short period of time. China is the second Asian country after Malaysia to achieve PEFC endorsement for a national certification system. Indonesia applied for endorsement in November 2013. According to the PEFC China is not only the world’s largest manufacturer of forest products, but also among the five countries with the largest forest area in the world. Moreover, China currently has the highest afforestation rate of any country in the world, increasing its forest cover from 12% thirty years ago to more than 21% in 2013.