The Australian Forestry Standard Australias Forest Certification Scheme

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The Australian Forestry StandardAustralias
Forest Certification Scheme
Dr Hans Drielsma Chair, AFS Steering
Committee October 2003
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Is this sustainable.?
1989
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Well maybe it is.
1994
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.if it successfully regenerates as part of a
well managed cycle of growth and harvest.
1999
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Why have a Standard?

• Independent verification of performance
  against an independent, credible
  and publicly available standard
• Market pressures

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EMS Certification

• Many forestry companies around Australia have
  already achieved ISO 14001 certification
• Generic vs specific forestry standard
• Process standard vs performance standard

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International Context
ISO 14001 - 120 mill ha (Canada) -
Technical Guide for Forestry (TC 207/N197)
Forest Stewardship Council - 39 mill ha Pan
European Forest Certification - 48 mill ha
National Standards - Finnish
- Canadian - 18 mill ha - UK
- Swedish etc - US - SFI 39
mill ha - ATFS 10 mill ha Emerging
framework of MR principles
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Certified Forests
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Certified Forests in the World
Hectares (Millions)
2003
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Market Indicators

• Certification is becoming normal business
  expectation
• Markets are increasingly requiring some form
  of certification
• Certification is driven more by corporate
  retailers/wholesalers and forest managers, than
  by final consumer demand

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Development of the Australian Forestry Standard
Standards Australia approve development process
Ministerial Council approve standard
Refer approved standard for implementation
JAS - ANZ - recognise standard - offers
accreditation program for auditors
Standards Steering Committee - project
management - appoint Tech Ref Committee -
Standards Development Organisation
Sponsors - Forestry Mins - NAFI - PTAA - AFG
Technical Reference Committee - provide
stakeholder views - balloted on final standard
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Development of the Australian Forestry Standard

• Technical Reference Committee
• - provide stakeholders views
• - develop and approve standard
• Chair
• public forest agencies ( State Cwlth)
• environment agency
• forest industry (NAFI)
• plantation industry (PTAA)
• private forest grower (AFG)
• union (ACTU)
• forest scientist environmental scientist
• environment groups (WWF (NFN))
• retailer and furniture industry
• design professional
• consumer
• forest contractor
• professional forester (IFA)
• indigenous (ATSIC)

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Development Milestones
Standards Australia accreditation
Multi-stakeholder technical reference committee
Draft Standard released for public comment
(2001) Final Standard released as Australian
Standard Feb 2003 - endorsed by Ministerial
Councils Certifier accreditation procedures
released by JAS-ANZ Development of
chain-of-custody standard Participation in
international discussions on mutual recognition
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How will AFS work?
Performance standard for SFM Voluntary
application Forest Management
Unit/Ownership level
Independent 3rd Party Verification/Certification
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What does AFS cover?
Fibre wood products from forests
Forest Management (to forest gate) All
forest types - Hardwood and softwood
- Native forest and Plantations
All land tenures - Public and
private - Corporate and small private

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What does AFS require?

• Basic management system ( policy, planning,
  monitoring and review)
• ISO 14001 consistent
• Public participation and consultation
• Protection and management of environmental
  and social values
• Biodiversity
• Forest Productivity
• Forest Health
• Soil and Water
• Cultural and heritage values
• Social and economic benefits

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How does it Stack up?

• Independent benchmarking against international
  standards
• Indufor Oy
• Substantive equivalence
• process and content
• All relevant issues addressed

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Future Developments

• Promote widespread support for the standard
  within the forest industry and encourage
  early adoption
• Develop labelling system
• Establish recognition of the standard with
  Australian and overseas markets
• Establish links and mutual recognition
  arrangements with other international
  systems
• PEFC
• Future review cycles

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Conclusion
Independence and Industry Stakeholder based
structures Certification vs labelling
Credibility in marketplace Contribution to
sustainability Sustainability reporting
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Sustainable Forest Management Managing forests
for many benefits
wood products
Nature conservation
Non-wood products
water and recreational activities
end of presentation