In 2024, the PEFC forest certification continued to reaffirm its role as a benchmark in sustainable management and traceability. At the end of the year, the forest area certified under the PEFC system reached a total of 2.810.732 hectares, managed by 73.734 foresters and managers committed to caring for forests. This increase represents a 2% growth in certified area and 13% growth in foresters compared to 2023.
With these data, PEFC remains the leading forest certification system in Spain, accounting for more than 95% of the certified forest area in Spain.
Galicia, Cantabria and Navarra led the growth in certification in 2024, with increases of 43.023 ha, 15.287 ha and 12.698 ha, respectively. As for the number of foresters joining, Galicia led the figures with 6.346 new additions, followed by Asturias and the Basque Country with 688 and 611 new additions, in each case.
The PEFC system continues to demonstrate its accessibility to all types of areas, both large and small, with 40 active Sustainable Forest Management certificates: 9 regional, 23 group and 8 individual.
Pine and oak forests, among the most abundant species
As regards forest formations and according to statistics obtained by geolocating 90% of the PEFC certified wooded area, pine forests predominate with around 1.200.000 hectares, oak groves (250.000 ha), holm oak groves (190.000 ha) and beech groves (176.000 ha), followed by eucalyptus groves with 130.000 hectares, cork oak groves with 63.000 hectares and both poplar and chestnut groves with around 20.000 hectares. The remaining area corresponds to forests made up of various species.
Wood, construction, pulp/paper and graphics: the sectors most committed to the sustainability of forests and their products
55 new companies implemented PEFC Chain of Custody certification in 2024, reaching a total of 1.800 certified companiesThe Community of Madrid (17) and the Community of Valencia (15) have registered the highest net growth.
By sector, wood and construction led the growth with 29 new companies joining, followed by pulp and paper (15) and graphics (6). These sectors have been key to promoting sustainability in their value chains, guaranteeing the responsible origin of their products and responding to consumer demands and European regulations.
The progress made in 2024 reflects the joint efforts of foresters, managers and companies to preserve forest ecosystems, improve their resilience and promote responsible use of natural resources.
