About Precious Woods / Sustainability

Precious Woods – sustainability in the focus of entrepreneurial philosophy

Precious Woods is one of the leading companies in sustainable management of tropical rainforests globally and is regarded as a pioneer in many areas. Certification according to the standard of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has been part of the entrepreneurial philosophy of Precious Woods for many years. Since 2017, the entire Group has also been certified according to the PEFC/PAFC standard. These standards define all essential criteria for sustainability in forestry. The certification schemes cover forestry processes as well as operational timber production, trading, and the handling of social and environmental demands in the context of tropical forest management. Precious Woods thus guarantees 100 %-certified products from its PW Amazon, PW Gabon, and PW Holding operations. The core business is the production and sale of certified sawn and semi-finished tropical timber products. In Brazil, Precious Woods holds a 40 % share in a biomass power plant allowing the company to also sell certified emission reductions (CERs) by utilizing residual wood from production. The aim of all activities is a high level of customer value while preventing deforestation of tropical forests through sustainable forest management and the associated added value. Economic success ensures the social and environmental sustainability of activities and is essential for the long-term conservation of tropical forests. The Precious Woods Group is headquartered in Switzerland and employed around 1 500 people in Brazil, Gabon and Switzerland in 2019.