Sheffield has recently been awarded a certificate of compliance for managing its street trees sustainably by the world’s largest Forest Certification Scheme, PEFC UK (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification).
Over the last eighteen months, the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership, of which the council and its highways contractor, Amey are part, has been working with PEFC UK, to develop a standard of certification for Trees Outside Forests (TOF) or in this instance, urban trees.
Sheffield is participating in a pilot scheme designed to test a demanding certification standard. As a result, Sheffield has become the first local authority to have its urban tree management assessed against the new criteria and judged to be compliant.
This innovative and trail blazing milestone has enabled the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership to achieve a key objective outlined in the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership Strategy, following months of dedication and collaborative working, which included representatives from Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Tree Action Groups being involved in a working group of national street tree specialists to develop the standard of certification.
Liz Ballard, Chair of the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership said: “We are really excited about what is essentially a world first for Sheffield and our street trees. As part of the Street Tree Strategy, the partnership were keen to find a way to independently check how well our street trees are being managed. Fortunately, PEFC, a Sheffield based company who work globally, offered their expertise to provide just the scheme we needed. Their new audit of our street trees is the first of its kind in Europe and it’s been great to work alongside them. Knowing that the management of our street trees meets this demanding international standard is a real step forward and shows just how far we’ve come.”
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Posted On: 01/03/2022