AkzoNobel has underlined the im­portance of wood stewardship to its sustainability agenda by signing a landmark agreement with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The agreement makes AkzoNobel the FSC’s first global partner outside of products that are FSC certified. Both parties will now cooperate to increase understanding of the organization’s work in promoting responsible forest management, and to boost awareness of FSC certification being a label for wood and paper from well-managed forests. Under the terms of the agreement, the company and most notably its woodcare brands—Cuprinol, Pinotex, Xyladecor, CetaBever, Sparlack, Flood and Sadolin—will now work closely with the FSC to promote forest stewardship and drive demand for responsible products. The agreement includes setting up a global partnership fund with the FSC to support agreed social policy projects; educating customers about the FSC and its objectives; and helping to drive demand for FSC certified products. A new partnership logo has also been developed which will be used extensively on all branded material, including packaging.