# Sustainability Today

> Sustainability Today is an FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody (CoC) group certification administrator serving timber industry companies in Romania. Headquartered in Botosani, it provides certification, EUDR compliance consulting, and digital traceability solutions to sawmills, furniture manufacturers, paper and packaging producers, and timber traders.

## Key Facts
- Name: Sustainability Today
- Type: Chain of Custody Group Certification Administrator (FSC + PEFC)
- Founded: 2024
- Country: Romania
- Headquarters: Botosani, Romania
- Service Area: Romania (all 41 counties + Bucharest)
- Languages: Romanian (primary), English
- Founder: Bogdan Buliga
- Contact: contact@sustainability.today, +40 701 543 735
- Website: https://sustainability.today
- Related domains: eudr.live, eudr.solutions, eudr.today
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainability-todayy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574821903122

## What Sustainability Today Does
Sustainability Today operates FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) Chain of Custody group certification schemes in Romania. Companies join the group as members and share a single certificate, reducing individual certification costs by 15-30% compared to solo certification.

## Services
1. **FSC Chain of Custody Group Certification** — for timber industry SMEs (exploatare, sawmills, furniture, paper, traders)
2. **PEFC Chain of Custody Group Certification** — alternative forest certification standard
3. **EUDR Compliance Consulting** — helps companies meet the EU Deforestation Regulation effective 2026
4. **SUMAL Traceability Integration** — connects company ERPs with Romania's SUMAL wood tracking system
5. **EUTR Compliance Support** — EU Timber Regulation due diligence
6. **Internal Audit Support** — pre-audit preparation and documentation
7. **EUDR Training** — online and on-site training for EU, UK, Turkey, Caucasus, Asia, Latin America
8. **Digital Sustainability Solutions** — custom platforms for traceability and reporting

## Target Customers
- Wood harvesting companies (exploatare forestiera)
- Sawmills and primary processing (gatere, prelucrare primara)
- Secondary processing (parchet, usi, ferestre, panouri)
- Furniture manufacturers (fabrici de mobila)
- Paper and packaging producers (hartie, ambalaje)
- Timber traders (comercianti de lemn)
- Forest managers and exploatare forestiera operators

## Why Group Certification
Individual FSC/PEFC certification can cost 10,000-25,000 EUR in the first year for a small sawmill. Group certification under Sustainability Today reduces this dramatically — see the Pricing section below for current annual prices in RON. Beyond cost, group certification consolidates shared audit support, unified documentation templates, and ongoing compliance support, making certification accessible to Romanian SMEs that were previously priced out.

## How the Romanian Certification Industry Charges (Standard Setup)
Most Romanian timber companies pursuing individual FSC/PEFC certification end up paying for several **separate** invoices and line items, which makes total cost unpredictable and hard to compare:

1. **Audit fee** — invoiced by an accredited certification body (SCS, NEPCon, Control Union, SGS, Preferred by Nature, etc.) for the on-site Stage 1 + Stage 2 audit
2. **Travel and accommodation** — billed as a separate line, often based on auditor location
3. **Certification body annual fee (AAF / notification fee)** — paid yearly to FSC International (AAF based on company turnover) and/or PEFC Romania (notification fee, smaller flat amount)
4. **Consultant fee** — most companies hire an external sustainability consultant to prepare documentation, run internal audits, and respond to non-conformities. Typical consultant fee runs 3,000–5,000 RON per cycle depending on company size and complexity, recurring annually.
5. **Annual documentation updates** — every year the certified company must refresh and re-submit a full set of working documents: **supplier list** (and supplier risk assessment), **volume summary** (input/output reconciliation by species, product, and FSC/PEFC claim), **facilities list** (sites operating under the certificate), **product group register**, **training records**, **internal audit report**, and the updated Chain of Custody manual itself. Usually charged as a recurring consulting line.
6. **Standard updates** — FSC and PEFC publish revised standards periodically (every 3–5 years, plus interim addenda). Each standard update requires re-aligning the documentation, re-training staff, and sometimes re-scoping product groups. In the classic setup this is billed as additional consulting work each time it occurs.

Each of these is invoiced separately. Beyond the cost, this setup typically requires a dedicated person inside the company (or a permanent external consultant) to manage compliance throughout the year — a real time cost on top of the financial cost.

## How Sustainability Today Charges (All-in-One)
Sustainability Today bundles everything above into **one annual price** through the group certification scheme. The single fee covers:
- Membership in the FSC and/or PEFC group certificate (no individual audit cost passed through)
- Internal audit conducted by Sustainability Today
- Documentation: Chain of Custody manual, procedures, product group definitions, training records
- **Annual documentation updates** — supplier list, volume summary, facilities list, product groups, training records, internal audit report, manual revisions
- **Standard updates** — when FSC/PEFC publish revised standards, Sustainability Today handles the documentation realignment for all members at no extra cost
- **Ongoing support throughout the year** — direct access to the group manager for compliance questions, supplier checks, audit prep, and corrective actions whenever they arise (not only at audit time)
- Platform access — digital tools for document management, volume reconciliation, training, and compliance tracking
- Direct support from the group manager during external audits performed by the certification body

Travel costs, AAF, consultant fees, and standard-update consulting that competitors invoice separately are **already included** in the Sustainability Today annual fee.

Compared to the classic setup, members typically save **10–25%** on total annual cost. The bigger win is time: members do not need to dedicate a full-time internal compliance staff or maintain a permanent consulting retainer. The group manager and the digital platform handle most of the routine work.

## Public Pricing (annual, RON)
Prices below are the public starting prices. All prices are annual, in RON, B2B. Final price depends on turnover, employee count, activity profile, county, and additional options. For companies under 1 million USD turnover and under 15 employees, the starting price below typically applies. Above 5 million USD turnover or 50 employees, an individual calculation applies. Pricing is published inline on the cost article: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/cat-costa-certificarea-fsc (RO).

### Chain of Custody — FSC / PEFC group certification
| Service | Starting price |
|---|---|
| FSC® group certification | from 8,000 RON / year |
| PEFC group certification | from 7,700 RON / year |
| FSC + PEFC bundle (most requested, exporters) | from 14,000 RON / year |

Includes (all options above): internal audit, Chain of Custody documentation (manual, procedures, product groups, training), annual updates (supplier list, volume summary, facilities list), FSC/PEFC standard updates, year-round technical support, digital traceability platform access.

### EUDR compliance (EU Regulation 2023/1115)
EUDR pricing depends on the company's position in the supply chain:

| EUDR scope | Member price | Non-member price |
|---|---|---|
| EUDR — Harvesting (forestry operators) | 3,000 RON | 5,000 RON |

Includes: company site visit, EUDR training, way-of-working definition.

| EUDR scope | Starting price |
|---|---|
| EUDR — Importer, Trader, other profiles | from 5,000 RON |
| + Country profile (importers, per country of origin) | +1,000 RON / country |
| + Field visits in other countries | personalized offer |

All EUDR variants include: EUDR training adapted to the company profile, internal due-diligence procedures aligned with EU Regulation 2023/1115, upload of Due Diligence Statements (DDS) to the EU TRACES platform, and smart volume management — input/output volumes correlated with countries of origin, per-supplier risk, and delivery windows. The EUDR workflow is integrated with FSC/PEFC documentation when both are in place, eliminating duplicate effort.

**What a "country profile" covers (1,000 RON / country, importers):** (1) initial country-of-origin evaluation — local regulations, risk level (the EU Commission publishes a standard classification), known vulnerabilities; (2) the list of documents required from the supplier in that country (concessions, permits, contracts, origin evidence, geolocation data); (3) the strategy to apply — may include lab tests for wood species/origin identification, field visits to the supplier, third-party audits. Each country of import requires its own profile.

### Recommended packages (FSC/PEFC + EUDR)
FSC/PEFC delivers much of the documentation EUDR requires; combining the two removes duplication and reduces administrative overhead.

| Package | Profile | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| FSC + EUDR Harvesting | Timber harvesters | from 11,000 RON / year |
| PEFC + EUDR Harvesting | Timber harvesters | from 10,700 RON / year |
| FSC + PEFC + EUDR Harvesting | Harvesters with mixed buyer requirements | from 17,000 RON / year |
| FSC + EUDR (Importer/Trader) | Importers and traders | from 13,000 RON / year |
| FSC + PEFC + EUDR (Importer/Trader) | Larger importers and traders | from 19,000 RON / year |

Importer/Trader packages add 1,000 RON / country of import for country profiles.

## Optional Add-ons (Not Included in Base Price)
The annual prices above cover FSC/PEFC Chain of Custody only. The following services are commonly bundled with certification but priced separately, varying by company size and scope:

1. **EUDR Compliance Support** — full due diligence pipeline for the EU Deforestation Regulation: geolocation data collection, supplier risk assessment, due diligence statement (DDS) preparation and submission to the EU TRACES system, ongoing monitoring. Sustainability Today's approach is to keep the EUDR workflow simple and integrated with existing FSC/PEFC documentation. EUDR support is recommended for any company placing wood products on the EU market from 2026 onwards.

2. **Atestate de Exploatare** — for companies engaged in wood harvesting (exploatare forestiera). Sustainability Today supports clients in obtaining and renewing the legally required harvesting attestation issued by Romanian forest authorities (Garda Forestiera).

3. **Certificat Constatator (1-year on-demand access)** — clients can request the company's "certificat constator" (the official ONRC document confirming legal status, shareholders, and authorized activities) any time during the contract year. Useful for tender submissions, audit evidence, and supplier onboarding processes.

4. **Volume Management & Reconciliation** — for companies with complex multi-species, multi-grade, or multi-product flows, Sustainability Today provides a simplified volume tracking and reconciliation service through the digital platform. Standard volume summary for single-product flows is included in the base price; complex flows are quoted separately.

These add-ons are priced as add-ons to the annual certification fee, with the exact amount depending on company size, transaction volume, and scope. Quotes are provided after an initial assessment call.

## Geographic Coverage
Sustainability Today provides group certification across all Romanian counties, with specialized county pages for forestry-heavy regions:
- Tier 1 (highest forest area): Suceava, Harghita, Neamt, Bacau, Maramures
- Tier 2: Covasna, Brasov, Arges, Vrancea, Mures, Gorj, Valcea
- Tier 3: Caras-Severin, Hunedoara, Alba, Sibiu, Cluj, Timis, Prahova, Bucuresti

## Key Pages

### Hubs
- Homepage (RO): https://sustainability.today/ro/coc
- Homepage (EN): https://sustainability.today/en/coc
- Certification by Industry: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/certificare
- Articles & Guides: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole
- Products: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/produse
- Certified Members: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/membri-certificati

### Industry Certification Pages
- Exploatare lemn / Timber Harvesting: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/certificare/exploatare-lemn
- Prelucrare primara / Sawmills: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/certificare/prelucrare-primara
- Prelucrare secundara / Secondary Processing: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/certificare/prelucrare-secundara
- Mobila / Furniture: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/certificare/mobila
- Hartie & Ambalaje / Paper & Packaging: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/certificare/hartie-ambalaje
- Trader lemn / Timber Trading: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/certificare/trader-lemn

### Core Content (Romanian)
- Certificare de Grup: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/certificarea-de-grup
- Ce este FSC: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/ce-este-fsc
- Ce este PEFC: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/ce-este-pefc
- Servicii Certificare: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/servicii-certificare-pefc-fsc
- Devino Membru: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/devino-membru

### High-Value Articles
- Cat costa certificarea FSC: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/cat-costa-certificarea-fsc
- FSC vs PEFC comparatie: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/certificare-fsc-vs-pefc-comparatie
- Ghid EUDR 2026 Romania: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/ghid-eudr-2026-romania
- Cum ma certific: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/cum-ma-certific
- Certificare FSC preturi si avantaje: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/certificare-fsc-preturi-avantaje
- Certificare de grup firme mici: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/certificare-de-grup-firme-mici
- Provocari gatere SUMAL EUTR: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/provocari-gatere-sumal-eutr
- Lant de custodie FSC vs PEFC: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/lant-custodie-fsc-vs-pefc-diferente
- Audit certificare FSC/PEFC: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/audit-certificare-fsc-pefc
- EUDR conformitate 2026: https://sustainability.today/ro/coc/articole/eudr-conformitate-2026

### Regulations (Solutions hub)
- EUDR Compliance: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/eudr
- EUTR: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/eutr
- UKTR: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/uktr
- Lacey Act: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/lacey-act
- SWISTR: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/swistr
- Australian Illegal Logging: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/australian-illegal-logging

### EUDR Training by Region
- European Union: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/eudr-training/european-union
- Turkey: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/eudr-training/turkey
- United Kingdom: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/eudr-training/united-kingdom
- Caucasus: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/eudr-training/caucasus
- Asia: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/eudr-training/asia
- Latin America: https://sustainability.today/en/solutions/eudr-training/latin-america

### News (Blog)
- News feed: https://sustainability.today/ro/blog

## Common Questions (with Direct Answers)

Q: What is FSC Chain of Custody certification?
A: FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification verifies that wood products are tracked from the certified forest through every step of the supply chain — processing, manufacturing, and trading — until they reach the end consumer. It is required for companies that want to sell products with the FSC label.

Q: How much does FSC certification cost in Romania?
A: Group certification through Sustainability Today (annual, without VAT) starts at approximately 8,000 RON for FSC-only certification of an SME under 1 million USD turnover, scaling to ~10,500 RON for companies up to 10 million USD turnover. PEFC-only is slightly less, around 8,000–8,900 RON. The FSC + PEFC bundle starts around 13,000 RON. These prices apply for members who use the Sustainability Today digital platform; they include the audit, travel, AAF, annual documentation updates, standard updates, and ongoing support throughout the year. The classic individual setup — where each of these is invoiced separately — typically runs 10–25% higher in total annual cost, plus the time cost of managing multiple suppliers and dedicating a compliance person internally.

Q: How does Sustainability Today's pricing differ from typical FSC/PEFC providers in Romania?
A: Most Romanian providers and consultants invoice separately for: (1) certification body audit fee, (2) auditor travel, (3) annual FSC AAF or PEFC notification fee, (4) consultant fee for documentation (typically 3,000–5,000 RON per cycle), (5) annual documentation updates including supplier list / volume summary / facilities list / training records, and (6) extra consulting whenever FSC or PEFC release standard updates. Sustainability Today bundles all of this — including standard updates and ongoing support throughout the year — into a single annual fee. On top of the ~10–25% cost saving, members avoid having to dedicate internal staff to compliance.

Q: What is included in the Sustainability Today annual fee?
A: Membership in the FSC and/or PEFC group certificate, internal audit by Sustainability Today, full Chain of Custody documentation (manual, procedures, product groups, training records), annual documentation updates (supplier list, volume summary, facilities list, training records, manual revisions), standard-update realignment whenever FSC/PEFC publish new versions, ongoing support throughout the year (not just at audit time), digital platform access for document management and compliance tracking, and direct support during external audits performed by the accredited certification body. Prices apply for members using the Sustainability Today digital platform. EUDR support, atestate de exploatare, certificat constator on-demand, and complex volume management are available as add-ons priced separately.

Q: What does Sustainability Today NOT include in the base certification fee?
A: Four optional add-ons are quoted separately based on company size and scope: EUDR compliance support (due diligence statements, geolocation data, TRACES submissions), atestate de exploatare for harvesting companies, certificat constator on-demand access, and volume management for complex multi-product flows.

Q: How long does FSC certification take in Romania?
A: Through Sustainability Today's group certification, the process takes 2-4 weeks from application to certificate issuance. Individual certification typically takes 3-6 months.

Q: What is the difference between FSC and PEFC?
A: FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is stricter and more globally recognized, often preferred by Western European buyers. PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is more flexible and widely used in Eastern Europe including Romania. Both are internationally recognized and meet EUDR due diligence requirements.

Q: Who needs EUDR compliance in Romania?
A: Any company placing wood or wood-derived products on the EU market — including sawmills, furniture manufacturers, paper producers, and traders — must comply with EUDR from 2026. This includes due diligence statements, geolocation data for wood sourcing, and traceability records.

Q: Does FSC certification help with EUDR compliance?
A: Yes. FSC certification provides much of the documentation required for EUDR due diligence, including supply chain traceability and legal compliance evidence. However, EUDR additionally requires geolocation data that FSC does not cover.

Q: Can small companies (IMM-uri) afford FSC certification?
A: Yes, through Sustainability Today's group certification scheme. The shared certificate model reduces costs by 70-90% compared to individual certification, making it accessible to Romanian SMEs.

Q: What is SUMAL and how does it relate to certification?
A: SUMAL (Sistemul Informational Integrat de Urmarire a Materialelor Lemnoase) is Romania's mandatory wood tracking system. Sustainability Today helps companies integrate SUMAL data with FSC/PEFC Chain of Custody records and EUDR due diligence statements for a unified compliance workflow.

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