We say no to tropicals

Sustainable and responsible forestry is the basis of our operations. We want to be able to guarantee that the wood species used in our flooring production originate from genuinely legal sources.

As a result, we have stopped marketing rainforest wood products – until there are processes and documentation that offer guarantees that the rainforest timber is derived from controlled sources. To replace these, we have a range of stained floors that create the same impression as a tropical wood floor.

Deforestation threatens the planet

Rainforests around the world are seriously threatened by large-scale felling, most of which is illegal. There are also great difficulties involved in trying to guarantee the origin of the wood and to determine whether it has been legally felled, because of forged documents and certificates, as well as wide spread bribery and corruption.

We realise, however, that countries in the tropical zone must be given the opportunity to carry out sustainable forestry of rainforest wood species, in order to develop their countries and economies. We will, therefore, reassess our decision when, and if, full guarantees of origin can be presented. We will also continue to pursue this issue in co-operation with forestry and environmental organisations.

Kährs demands reliable certificates and guarantees

Kährs only works with suppliers who hold a FCS (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certificate – or suppliers who are able to prove that they operate environmentally-aware timber procurement. We obtained our first FSC-certificate in 2005. We only purchase from countries that are members of the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO), where all members are dedicated to working for sustainable forestry.

We continuously visit our suppliers, in order to ensure that they comply with our ethical standards.

Download Kährs FSC-certificate (pdf)