Forestry certification and potential links with climate change mitigation

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The Forest Stewardship CouncilSetting the
Standard for Responsible Forestry
Forestry certification and potential links with
climate change mitigation Liviu Amariei Senior
Accreditation Advisor Accreditation Business
Unit 6 December 2003
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• International Forest Management
• Standards-Setting Accreditation Body
• Founded in 1993
• Non-Profit Membership Organization
• 600 Members from more than 60 Countries

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The mission statement

• The Forest Stewardship Council A.C. (FSC)
  shall promote environmentally appropriate,
  socially beneficial, and economically viable
  management of the world's forests.

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• Forest Certification is
• Assessment of on-the- ground forest practices
  against a negotiated set of standards

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ACCREDITATION BODY
CERTIFICATION BODY (independent, third party)
Accreditation standards
Forest stewardship standards
FORESTRY OPERATION
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Main activities

• Standardization
• (PC, other International, National and Regional
  Standards)
• Accreditation
• (12 accredited certification bodies, 3
  applicants)
• Policy guidance and assistance
• Educational activities

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• Balanced, Multi-Stakeholder Participation
• Representation of environmental, economic, and
  social interests
• Participation of industry, environmental
  groups, community groups, governments

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• Certification to FSC standards is expanding
• 40,000.000 ha
• 560 forests and
• 2600 manufacturing companies in 66 countries
• 8000 products labeled with FSC checkmark
  tree logo

Australia Mexico
Austria Namibia
Belgium Netherlands
Belize New Zealand
Bolivia Panama
Brazil Papua New Guinea
Canada Philippines
China Poland
Costa Rica Russia
Croatia Singapore
Czech Republic Solomon Islands
Denmark South Africa
Estonia Spain
Finland Sri Lanka
France Swaziland
Germany Sweden
Guatemala Switzerland
Honduras Thailand
Indonesia United Kingdom
Ireland United States
Italy Vietnam
Japan Zambia
Latvia Zimbabwe
Malaysia
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Supported by Responsible Companies Institutions
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Endorsed by Recognized Environmental
Organizations

• WWF
• Greenpeace
• Friends of the Earth
• The Wilderness Society
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• Sierra Club
• World Resources Institute

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• Forest Certification to FSC standards is the
  global gold standard for forest management.
• The most important asset
• the CREDIBILITY
• Values
• participation
• multi-stakeholder
• balance
• transparency
• accountability
• truth in labeling

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• Forests as carbon sinks important issues to
  consider
• Political implications
• how individual countries honor international
  commitments

• Social aspects
• plantations, access for local communities, labor
  issues

• Environmental impacts
• biodiversity, conversion, pesticide use

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Forestry certification and climate change The 1st
link
Forestry Carbon projects should

• Ensure not only carbon sequestration, but also
  measurable social, environmental and economic
  benefits

• Operate according to an internationally
  recognized
• forestry standard such as the
• FSC Principles and Criteria for forest management

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The FSC forestry standard 10 Principles and 56
Criteria for responsible forest management
representing an international frame standard for
the development of national or regional
performance-based standards.

1. Environmental impact
2. Management plans
3. Monitoring and Assessment
4. Maintenance of High Conservation Value forests
5. Plantations

1. Compliance with laws
2. Tenure and use rights
3. Indigenous peoples rights
4. Community relations and workers rights
5. Benefits from the forests

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Forestry certification and climate change The 2nd
link
Measurement of carbon sinks
In addition to the management standard for
forestry carbon projects, certification could be
applied as an effective mechanism for the
verification of claims and commitments related to
carbon sequestration in forests.
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An international standard for forestry carbon
projects?

• Some pre-requisites
• a widely accepted methodology for measuring
• carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems

• forestry accepted by a wide range of stakeholder
• groups as a valid means for the mitigation of
  climate
• change

• availability of funds for standards development
  work

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Subject to the availability of a widely accepted
methodology for measuring carbon sequestration
in forest ecosystems, as an international
standardization body FSC could participate in
the development of a comprehensive standard for
forestry carbon projects, considering not only
management aspects, but also criteria and norms
for verifying claims and commitments related to
carbon sequestration in forests.
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