Partners & projects

ACE UK has developed mutually supportive relationships with a number of stakeholders.

These range from trade associations, such as the British Retail Consortium (BRC), British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA), Dairy UK and Food and Drink Federation (FDF), to environmental NGOs and other organisations sharing similar objectives and values. ACE UK’s current partnerships and projects include:

Earthwatch

ACE UK has partnered with Earthwatch for the UN International Year of Forests 2011 and beyond.

ACE members and their suppliers are committed to ensuring responsible forestry management practices and rigorous traceability throughout the supply chain. By partnering with Earthwatch, ACE aims to better understand the services that sustainable forest management practices can bring, particularly with regard to combating climate change and other ecological issues.

Through working with Earthwatch in a long-term partnership, ACE also aims to demonstrate to suppliers and customers the environmental benefit of using wood fibre as a renewable resource.

Recent activities:

• In January 2011, Barry Gardiner MP hosted an ACE UK policy roundtable on the UN International Year of Forests. Chaired by Earthwatch, the roundtable heard from DEFRA and the Forestry Commission on their plans for the Year, which led to a discussion on how companies and NGOs can support the Year and promote better understanding of the importance of well-managed forests.
• Leading on from the round table, in August 2011, ACE UK and Earthwatch, in partnership with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) UK, hosted a practical workshop, bringing together retailers, their suppliers and stakeholders, to explore how FSC certification can be better communicated, not just to consumers but within supply chains.
• One of the key discussions and outcomes agreed by all delegates was that FSC needs a clear, simple message behind the label that can be communicated to the majority of stakeholders with greater resonance. So, in December 2011, we held a second workshop to help FSC UK distil what message(s) it can convey and to whom.

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

ACE UK and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have joined forces to evaluate the wider environmental benefits of sustainable forest management.

Well-managed forests provide not only renewable raw materials but also a wide range of other benefits, known as “eco-system services”. These include improving biodiversity, preventing soil erosion and protecting against flooding.

This UK-based study, conducted by RSPB, will provide an objective insight into whether additional measures could further improve benefits for biodiversity in a cost-efficient and competitive wood supply system.

ACE UK looks forward to sharing the findings of the study in Autumn 2011.

To find out more about this project, click here.