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The Forest Stewardship Council Setting 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. International Forest Management
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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
International Forest Management Standards-Setting & Accreditation Body • Founded in 1993 • Non-Profit Membership Organization • 600 Members from more than 60 Countries
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.
Forest Certification is: • Assessment of on-the- ground forest practices against a negotiated set of standards
ACCREDITATION BODY CERTIFICATION BODY (independent, third party) Accreditation standards Forest stewardship standards FORESTRY OPERATION
Main activities • Standardization (P&C, other International, National and Regional Standards) • Accreditation (12 accredited certification bodies, 3 applicants) • Policy guidance and assistance • Educational activities
Balanced, Multi-Stakeholder Participation • Representation of environmental, economic, and social interests • Participation of industry, environmental groups, community groups, governments
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
Endorsed by Recognized Environmental Organizations • WWF • Greenpeace • Friends of the Earth • The Wilderness Society • Natural Resources Defense Council • Sierra Club • World Resources Institute
“In our opinion, FSC sets the highest standard.” Suzanne Apple Vice President Community Affairs & Environment The Home Depot 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
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
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
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. • Environmental impact • Management plans • Monitoring and Assessment • Maintenance of High Conservation Value forests • Plantations • Compliance with laws • Tenure and use rights • Indigenous people’s rights • Community relations and workers rights • Benefits from the forests
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.
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
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.