SDG 12

Interholco drives ESG transparency

16.08.2023. Climate and biodiversity are closely intertwined. Climate change is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss, while ecosystem destruction contrasts nature’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, precipitating climate change. Just as supply chains must become deforestation-free by 2025 if the Paris Agreement climate goals are to be met, ZSL’s SPOTT (Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit) found that there is much the private sector can do.

Biodiversity in the Congo Basin awards Interholco

22.04.2023. According toWWF’s Living Planet Report 2022, wildlife populations have plunged an average 69% over the past 48 years. Just as tropical regions are facing a devastating drop, ‘IFO management actions allow the maintenance of populations of priority species Gorilla, Chimpanzee and Forest Elephant and the ecological integrity of the forest.’

Wood you be my friend? Celebrating International Day of Forests 2023 with Kosipo and Tali

21.03.2023. Rest is an important time to recharge one’s batteries and have a healthy approach to daily work. Sitting by the pool, facing the river Sangha, an ingeniously built hut entices our colleagues in the Republic of Congo to kick back and enjoy their spare time. With long-lasting friends: Kosipo, a magnificent 8 meter long slab of wood hosting lunches and barbecues; and beautifully durable Tali, alternating with Padouk and Wenge, which artfully results in a superb decking.

Interholco’s wood products all set to shine at the Dubai Wood Show (7-9 March 2023)

14.02.2023. This year, do yourself a favour: visit Interholco’sStand C 05bin Hall 6 at the Dubai Wood Show. The reason is a no brainer: this well-established fair is the Middle East’s unique gateway to wood wonders. Wood eases the mind, its warmth soothes the heart. Plus, the sky’s the limit when it comes to wood demand.

Sustainable Hardwood Made in Africa, our natural ally in the fight against deforestation

13.12.2022. Last 6 December, the European Union agreed a new law that would ban the import of products linked to deforestation. INTERHOLCO's top priority is to ensure that the harvesting and transport of timber has minimal impact, with no permanent or irreversible change to the services provided by the forest.

INTERHOLCO’s transparent durability ‘Best in the World’ for Timber and Forest Management

01.09.2022. We are honoured to announce that INTERHOLCO's 60 Years Shaping The Future a report which transparently monitors the company’s sustainability monitoring, has been awarded 'Best in the World' by the Hallbars Awards 2022 jury in the category of 'Timber and Forest Management'.

SPOTT ESG transparency assessment and INTERHOLCO

08.08.2022. This year, INTERHOLCO ranks first in SPOTT’s ESG transparency assessment of 100 timber companies in the tropics. Let’s take a closer look. When it comes to tropical forests, the shortest distance from A to B is, ESG.

The best kept secret in INTERHOLCO's Sustainability report 2022

08.07.2022. Just as 2022 marks INTERHOLCO’s 60^th anniversary, the company launches its latest Sustainability Report. ‘Our wood products are the fruit of a people alliance,’ says Ulrich Grauert, INTERHOLCO CEO. ‘With this publication, we want even people sitting miles away from where we harvest and process our wood to see what our ‘Made in Africa’ stands for.’

‘Sustainable Hardwood – Made in Africa’ co-creating a sustainable future for people and planet

29.06.2022. Wood can be used for diverse purposes, with lower environmental impacts than many alternative materials. Wood used once can be reused and recycled, thereby extending its life and further reducing its material footprint.

‘Sustainable Hardwood - Made in Africa’ breaks all records at Europe’s leading timber show

14.06.2022. INTERHOLCO’s ‘Made in Africa’ breaks all records at Carrefour du Bois, Europe's number one trade fair for the wood sector. INTERHOLCO has noted an unprecedented attendance rate and a strong increase in the number of foreign visitors, including several from the United States, Africa and Asia.

The future awaits at Europe’s leading timber show, Carrefour du bois (1-3 June 2022, Nantes)

24.05.2022.You are a trader, manufacturer, carpenter, architect, developer, designer, forester? Your business relations here at INTERHOLCO are sure to be attending the Carrefour du Bois from 1 to 3 June 2022 in Nantes (France), come and join us on Stand A3, Hall 2!

All you need is LOBI, to write a story 1300 children in Congo love

31.03.2022. Easter is fast approaching and INTERHOLCO is launching its new campaign: What does it take to write a story that 1300 children in Congo love?Only one crayon: Lobi! For each Lobi purchased, the equivalent of 15 EUR will be donated to the primary school in the village of Ngombé in the Republic of Congo.

Let’s choose sustainable hardwood for people and planet

21.03.2022. On International Forest Day, INTERHOLCO is delighted to share photos of this magnificent Kosipo staircase, made by INTERHOLCO customer KORA. Everything here is redolent with spring. As if a blessing had fallen on Kosipo, an African wood that breathes the life of Northern Congo’s forests.

Carpets unroll for the finest hardwood at Dubai Wood Show 2022

25.02.2022. 8,000 wood professionals know best: from Tuesday 15 to Thursday 17 March, the go-to venue for B2B business is back in Dubai! Carpets unroll, as the popular Dubai Wood Show flies back exhibitors from more than 70 countries. INTERHOLCO and Abalon will once again showcase some of the finest, high-quality hardwood from Africa’s rainforests and temperate forests, respectively.

For the love of tropical forests: INTERHOLCO at Gembloux JobDAY

14.02.2022. INTERHOLCO brought tropical forests to Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (University of Liège) on the occasion of Gembloux JobDAY. Last 18 November, the not-to-be-missed event brought together more than 200 forest management students, some of whom freshly graduated in forestry, agronomy and environment, returning for the first time after the 2020 pause.

Lobi, the art of writing the future

03.12.2021. INTERHOLCO is proud to present Lobi, the spearhead of its first collection made from FSC®* certified Sustainable Hardwood, Made in Africa according to the most demanding socio-environmental criteria. Lobi means 'tomorrow' and 'future' in the broadest sense; the name is derived from Lingala, the most widely used language in Congo Basin countries.

Central African Forests Forever, the book that grows like a tree, downloadable for free in English, French and Chinese

29.11.2021. Dutch writer Meindert Brouwer has reviewed and expanded his 'Central African Forests Forever', an all-round must-read on Congo Basin natural tropical forests. The book comprises 17 new chapters about opportunities and solutions for their conservation and sustainable use.

Forests for all, forever our way forward

09.11.2021. The Republic of the Congo has a plan: co-creating solutions together with investors and natural tropical forests, not just for COP26 but well beyond. The way forward at bird’s eye view: (1.) Carbon positive forestry is possible in the Congo Basin. (2.) Together, we should compensate Africa’s forests. (3.) Forest and climate finance should share benefits with host countries and local communities.

INTERHOLCO’s Alliance Culture ‘Best in the World’ for Timber

07.10.2021. We are honoured that Interholco's ALLIANCE CULTURE Sustainability Report has been selected as Best in the World for Timber and Forest Management in the framework of the Hallbars Awards 2021, the most prestigious international recognition for sustainability awards.

My human-kind choice: wood!

05.10.2021. FSC^®-certified (Forest Stewardship Council^® C022952) hardwood from Africa delivers so many benefits that it is quite hard to think of a comparably ‘generous’ construction or building material. In several Central African countries, forestry is already the first or second largest employment sector.

My choice for wind design: wood

15.09.2021. A building represents an obstacle to the wind flow. The wind exerts pressures on the building that generate forces perpendicular to the building surface. Therefore, a building must be designed and dimensioned to withstand the strongest winds that are likely to occur during its lifetime at its location.

My choice for organic shapes: wood!

31.08.2021. Boat and furniture builders have been bending wood for many years, to meet hydrodynamic and ergonomic requirements. In buildings, however, these techniques are relatively uncommon.

Certified wood, my sustainable design ally

27.08.2021. Wood is the only building material that ensures it comes from responsibly managed sources, in this case forests.

Bosse, a new form for sculpture

24.08.2021. Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) is a major representative of 20th century sculpture who developed modernism into a personal universe of her own, close to abstract art and strongly inspired by nature.

My choice for fire protection: wood!

30.07.2021. Wood is a flammable material, granted. But it also has innate flame-retardant properties. Wooden structures remain highly stable in the event of fire.

Bosse: frame your best moments

16.07.2021. What we remember in life, is the people we love, the places we’ve been and the memories we made along the way. The others are windows open onto ourselves. At INTERHOLCO, we take care of the frame. You decide who to invite on the journey.

Spotlight on: Bosse (Guarea cedrata, Guarea laurentii De Wild. and Guarea thompsonii Sprague & Hutch)

13.07.2021. Guarea cedrata, Guarea laurentii De Wild. and Guarea thompsonii Sprague & Hutch is all traded as Bosse. Evergreen, large tree up to 45(–55) m tall; bole branchless for up to 26 (–41) m, usually straight and cylindrical, sometimes fluted, up to 150(–200) cm in diameter, sometimes with spreading, blunt buttresses up to 3 m high.

My cost-effective choice: wood!

30.06.2021. Wood saves more or less one third of the time used in conventional building construction. Prefabrication frees the construction process from the uncertainty of weather events.

INTERHOLCO first in SPOTT-on assessment of forest solutions for people and planet

24.06.2021. Deforestation and forest degradation are non-negotiables: millions of us depend on how far we are ready to go, to protect our forests i.e. our climate, our health, our food, our water, not to mention some of the world’s most extraordinary plants and animals.

Talking wood: "Our wood can tell where it’s from"

18.06.2021. When our wood products reach the port of delivery, their marking allows for identification of the supply, all the way to the forest of origin. This is known as, traceability.

Supporting customers with trust

26.05.2021. In December 2020, INTERHOLCO passed the FSC® audit, which took place in the field. 'At INTERHOLCO, we strive for honesty, integrity,'says Tom van Loon, Head of Sustainability, INTERHOLCO. 'We place utmost importance on successful long-term partnerships with our suppliers and customers.'

My energy-efficient choice: wood!

02.06.2021. Buildings have extensive direct and indirect impacts on the environment. During their construction, occupancy, renovation, repurposing, and demolition, buildings use energy, water, and raw materials, generate waste, and emit potentially harmful atmospheric emissions.

Friends of the forest 2/2

21.05.2021. As agreed with the Congolese state, owner of the parks as well as of the Ngombé forest, INTERHOLCO is required to secure the area against unauthorised settlement, illegal harvesting, poaching, bushmeat trade and irreversible change.

Kosipo: contemporary chic organic

11.05.2021. And now, for an unusual use of wood! The choice of Kosipo, a superior hardwood that INTERHOLCO offers with FSC^® certification, draws the attention to the washbasin which acquires an aesthetically dominant role.

My healthy choice: wood!

26.04.2021. With more days per week and more hours each day spent at home, many of us struggle to calm their minds and find their balance. Even when working from home, we are bombarded by a constant hype, 24/7 distraction and endless barrage of pings from our phones. The solution? Wood can make us feel better, turning our home into a happier place.

Talking wood: ‘Conservation is only possible if we have a good relationship with the communities’

22.04.2021. INTERHOLCO works in synergy with the state eco-guards. Close cooperation between the state and the private sector for sustainable wildlife management is an arrangement which is unique to the Republic of Congo, as researchers from the University of Liège have recently illustrated.

The Surveillance and Anti-Poaching Unit that Mr. BOKANDZA coordinates (USLAB, in French) comprises 40 law-enforcing eco-guards

Friends of the Forest 1/2

19.04.2021. “Conservation is only possible if we have a good relationship with the communities.”José Blanchard BOKANDZA could not have made his approach clearer: “The communities are the first custodians of the forest. Because they are the ones who depend on it in their daily life.”

Kosipo, quality in art

12.04.2021. Wood for carving must be dry, cannot be brittle and should not release its internal stresses when carved. The Kosipo (Entandrophragma candollei Harms) that INTERHOLCO offers with FSC^® certification meets all these criteria, exceeding them.

Spotlight on: Kosipo (Entandrophragma candollei Harms)

07.04.2021. Kosipo (Entandrophragma candollei Harms) or West African Cedar is a large tree growing in West Africa and the Congo Basin, reaching about 50 m in height. It grows a straight and cylindrical bole of more than 2 m in diameter.

Taking the ecological transition onboard

29.03.2021. In the North of the Republic of Congo, the ecological transition is successful. As soon as the season allows and the water level is suitable, INTERHOLCO's flagship product, "Sustainable Hardwood - Made in Africa", is transported down the Sangha, a tributary of the Congo River.

Talking wood: "The forest means everything to my home and family"

21.03.2021.On the occasion of International Day of Forests (21 March), "Sustainable Hardwood – Made in Africa” delivers a message of crucial importance: the forest is more than just trees. She is the mother and source of traditional healing for the local communities and indigenous peoples who have interacted with her over the course of thousands of years.

Slow Quality, a subtle rebellion

17.03.2021. With its exceptional properties, Africa’s Wengé wood which INTERHOLCO is proud to offer with FSC^® certification deserves first class manufacturing. As Japan’s leading manufacturer of wooden furniture, Karimoku proudly upholds a steady focus on quality.

The future has a beautiful energy, says Congolese entrepreneur Vouala Obambi

08.03.2021. Congolese entrepreneur Vouala Obambi, Managing Director of ENERGAZ (a SAPRO group company) has a vision for the future: leading change. As the only woman manager of an electricity production company in the Republic of Congo and the youngest in Africa, Ms. Obambi is participating in a call for tenders for the operation of the Liouesso hydroelectric power plant.

duo Inoda + Sveje may just have created the perfect seating collection in Wenge, produced by Japanese furniture manufacturer Karimoku

HIGH TECH and HIGH TOUCH

04.03.2021. With long hours now spent sitting at home, relax and comfort are vital for balance. Especially as many of us seek to blend work and personal life together. The warm tones of Wenge(Millettia laurentii), a dark, marbled wood that INTERHOLCO harvests sustainably in the Republic of Congo, bring the forest home – rescuing our connection with nature.

Objects of art on a mission: a closer look at Africa’s ‘Forest dwellers’

23.02.2021.According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), between 2000 and 2010, large-scale commercial agriculture (generally related to cattle ranching and the cultivation of soya bean and oil palm) accounted for 40% of tropical deforestation, and local subsistence agriculture another 33%.

Africa’s forest dwellers win Conversations about Climate Change competition

15.02.2021. Gorillas, Bongos, Forest elephants and Chimpanzees team up with British architect Tom Wilson in ‘Forest dwellers’, one of the winners of the Conversations about Climate Change competition. Is it possible to sustainably harvest timber and natural products, contributing to ethical and sustainable economies, as well as safeguarding habitats, biodiversity and the health of the Earth? The four Forest Dwellers have been conceived to ask this very question.

Drumming up inspiration for positive change

08.02.2021. With New Year just weeks away, many are drumming up inspiration to let what matters come to the forefront. What are we most proud of? INTERHOLCO's performance in 2020, ranked number 1 in the world by SPOTT in the field of tropical forestry. However, the task remains still very big.

Such is the essence of home, such is the essence of Wengé (Millettia laurentii), a dark, marbled wood that walks you like no other in your stories

Form and function: Wenge (Millettia laurentii)

28.01.2021. Such is the essence of home: a place in which the well-being of bodies is encouraged, food and sleep are taken care of; caresses and laughter instigated; a place in which affection grows deeper. Such is the essence of Wengé (Millettia laurentii), a dark, marbled wood that walks you like no other in your stories of laughter and joy, stillness and meditation, sharing and giving.

Shining a light on wood for all seasons

02.12.2020. During the long, dark, off-season winter months, the lighting of this iconic open-air swimming amenity, designed by White Arkitekter, turns African wood into a dramatic experience. Offered by INTERHOLCO with FSC^® 100% certification, Azobé (Lophira alata) and Tali (Erythrophleum spp.) are as durable as they are water resistant, the ideal choice for projects in direct contact with sea water.

Diverse, interdependent, together: an ALLIANCE to safeguard the future of African natural forests

15.10.2020. To relate to a forest, is to relate to a country and its inhabitants. To the people, with their culture. Their dreams and aspirations, as much as their shortcomings and concerns. Relationships never stop being a work in progress. Dealing with a forest is no exception. We can become more intelligent and wiser, and over time, more fertile, if we work with others to reinvent the way of our future.