Following on from our successful 2011 seasonal photographic competition in honour of the UN International Year of Forests, FSC UK are once again running a UK forest photography competition for 2012.

The competition is kindly sponsored by Cuprinol.

This year we’re asking you to submit photos under one of 6 categories:

The FSC Forest, Woodland Wildlife, Forest Plants and Fungi, Places for People, The Changing Seasons, My FSC

There will also be an online vote for the overall People’s Choice award.

We’re delighted to have a prestigious panel of judges, including Steve Leonard, TV Vet and Wildlife Presenter, who are looking forward to viewing your entries.

The closing date for submissions is 31st August 2012.

For full details, including how to enter and terms and conditions, please click here.

On June 12-13, The Borneo Initiative is hosting “Jakarta FSC Business Encounter 2012” in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Borneo Initiative was established to promote responsible management of forests in Indonesia. To that end, the two-day event will help establish market linkages between Indonesian FSC markets and buyers from international business communities.

If you are interested in learning more, visit www.theborneoinitiative.org or email info@theborneoinitiative.org.

Wood for Good calls for public sector to lead by example in UK’s battle with climate change.

Wood for Good, the UK timber industry’s sustainability campaign has launched its 2012 campaign: “Wood First”.

The campaign calls for the introduction of a “Wood First” rule in local authority planning guidance. This would require sustainably sourced wood to be considered, where feasible, as the primary construction material in all new-build and refurbishment projects. The organisation states that this will help the UK meet local, national and sectoral targets for carbon reduction.

Such a rule is already in place in many other parts of the world, most notably France, as a key element of climate policy. Current proposals from the European Commission will enable the carbon stored in harvested wood products to be taken into account in national carbon budgets.

Wood for Good says that several local authorities are already considering versions of the Wood First rule, including a major London borough.

Timber’s low carbon properties have already been well documented in a range of scientific studies and academic reports, which outline how wood actively mitigates against the effects of carbon change by absorbing CO2 and emitting oxygen during the growth process, resulting in carbon being captured in timber products.

David Hopkins, Head of External Affairs for Wood for Good said: “Increasing forest cover is recognised as one of the most effective weapons we have in the battle against climate change, and the best way to achieve this is to stimulate demand for sustainable timber and wood products. The introduction of a Wood First rule will help to make this happen.

“Introducing the rule would bring multiple benefits to local authorities. It will help drive efficiencies by increasing the speed of construction, while timber’s exceptional thermal insulation properties will enable them to create homes and buildings that consume less energy.

“When you add in the wider positive economic, biodiversity and community impacts, it’s obvious that one of the most effective ways to build a low carbon future is to start with Wood First.”

The Wood First campaign has strong support from a wide range of stakeholders, including the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which was the first organisation to set global standards for responsible forest management, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification (PEFC UK) and Confederation of Forest Industries: promoting forestry and wood (CONFOR).

Charles Thwaites, the Executive Director of the Forest Stewardship Council’s UK National Office, said: “Deforestation is still a major issue in many parts of the world with devastating impacts on the environment and local communities.

“Nevertheless the Forest Stewardship Council is convinced that timber harvested in a responsible manner can be environmentally appropriate, beneficial to local peoples and make a fair economic return. This is why we believe that timber products, when sourced from forests managed and certified to our exacting standards, can be regarded as one of the world’s most sustainable materials.

“And this is why we support Wood First”

Alun Watkins, PEFC UK’s National Secretary said: “As the world’s largest forest certification organisation. PEFC is proud to support Wood First. It is such an important campaign which we hope will help drive demand for products from responsibly-managed forests.

“From our experience of working with local authorities, it is clear that a Wood First policy would help to complement their existing sustainable timber procurement strategies, as well as help them to meet their carbon reduction targets.”

Stuart Goodall, Chief Executive of Confor: promoting forestry and wood, said: “It is about time we put Wood First in this country. The forest based industries play a vital role in the rural and wider economy in the UK yet they receive little attention or support.

“We believe this campaign will help place our sector at the vanguard of the low-carbon economy, developing renewable, recyclable materials from a renewable supply chain.”

Wood for Good has long been promoting a Wood First approach for architects and engineers through the CPD courses and other promotional work it runs. It has now started engaging several local authorities to discuss ways in which a Wood First rule could help them meet their sustainability objectives.

If you would like to learn more or wish to support the Wood First campaign, please visit: www.woodforgood.com

Wood and carbon: The facts

For every cubic metre of timber or wood products used in construction, approximately one tonne of carbon dioxide is saved.

Wood products have some of the best thermal performance properties of any mainstream construction material. Wood insulates 15 times better than concrete, 400 times better than steel and 1,770 times better than aluminium.

Europe’s stock of wood products stores an estimated 220 million tonnes of carbon.

The timber industry employs nearly 200,000 people in the UK and is worth nearly £20 billion to the UK economy. As demand for wood grows, so will the industry, increasing the strength of the rural economy in the UK.

Currently, European forests provide a carbon sink for around 150-200 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, with an additional 500 million tonnes sequestered annually. These same forests also provide approximately 90% of European timber and wood products, which store an additional 220 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Climate change experts have claimed that simply by increasing the UK’s forest cover from 12 to 16 per cent, the country could, by 2050, abate up to 10% of our national carbon dioxide emissions.

At end-of-life, timber can either be recycled into panel boards and other products or used for renewable energy recovery.

Between 12-30 tonnes of carbon can be stored in the fabric and content of an average timber house

A ten per cent increase in the percentage of wooden houses in Europe would produce sufficient CO2 savings to account for about 25% of the reductions prescribed by the Kyoto Protocol.

For more info please visit: www.carbonstore.eu

ENDS

About Wood for Good: www.woodforgood.com
The Wood for Good campaign works on behalf of the whole timber industry in the UK. It aims to promote the suitability and sustainability of wood as a building material to the construction and logistics sectors and associated professionals such as architects and design engineers.

Funding comes from key commercial organisations, many of whom are members of our principal trade associations, the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and the Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor) and organisations such as the Swedish Forest Industry Association (Skogsindustrierna).

Please contact David Hopkins if you would like to receive regular updates on Wood for Good activities: dhopkins@woodforgood.com

[Source: Wood for Good]

A range of FSC factsheets, including ‘Forests, Climate Change and FSC’ and ‘Architects and Timber Specifiers’ are available here.

Over the past eight years the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has become a leading player in the paper sector. The 5th FSC Global Paper Forum is held during the trade fair the Drupa2012 in Düsseldorf, Germany, and aims to develop the market and create new opportunities for FSC pulp and paper.

This year’s forum was themed Writing the Future, both a recognition of the urgent pressures facing the world’s forests and a call to action. Over 90 participants—representing many countries, industry-leading companies, academia, and NGOs—attended the first day of the forum.

Opening the conference was Professor F. J. Radermacher (Head of the Research Institute for Application-Oriented Knowledge Processing (FAW/n) and Professor in Informatics at Ulm University) and Andre de Freitas (Director General of FSC International Centre), who both emphasised the importance of credible wood sourcing as well as the value of global forests for both the paper and pulp sector and the world’s population.

Anders Blom from the National Union of the Swedish Sami People gave delegates a fascinating insight into the threats which the Sami indigenous people face to their reindeer herding livelihoods and traditional rights, the opportunities that FSC certification brings, and the challenges for the future.

Closing the first day was a keynote speech by the ISEAL Alliance which emphasised the increasing role played by certification standards in the development of sustainable practices. That the FSC is a dynamic, living system was reinforced by the lively discussions which marked the day’s events and also by the special evening event, where artist Etelka-Kovacs-Koller created a painting on FSC-certified material in a live performance for delegates.

The second day of the forum focused on discussions about the market supply of FSC-certified material, which is is one of the most important challenges for further growth of the FSC market.

For more information, please visit: www.writingthefuture.org

The 5th Global Paper Forum is supported by:
Bracelpa, HP, Projekt: Agentur

[Source: FSC Germany]

Following the success of our 2011 forest photo competition we will be launching a new 2012 competition later this month. Look out for more information on our website and social media pages coming soon.

Winning Summer Photograph 2011 © Craig Denford

This year there will be 6 categories in which to enter your photos: The FSC Forest, Woodland Wildlife, Forest Plants & Fungi, Places for People, The Changing Seasons and My FSC (FSC certifed products). Winners will be announced on FSC Friday and will then be put forward for the People’s Choice award which will be selected by public online vote.

We were delighted by the excellent response to our 2011 competition, receiving hundreds of photographs, many of a very high standard.

Winning Winter Photograph 2011 © Steve Lovick

The diversity of the entries we received gave our judges a hard time deciding on a shortlist, and may also have lead to a split in the public vote once or twice, hence the introduction of a greater number of categories than the seasonal onces used in 2011.

A short brief for each category, details of our prestigious 2012 judging panel and full terms and conditions will be made available in due course.

The 2012 competition is kindly sponsored by Cuprinol.

There is still time to register for the FSC Global Paper Forum.

The FSC Global Paper Forum is an international meeting where FSC-certificate holders, purchasers of FSC-certified paper products, pulp producers and representatives of related sectors as well as NGOs get together to create a stronger market and new opportunities for FSC-labelled paper.

The 5th International FSC Global Paper Forum will take place during the tradefair drupa12 in Dusseldorf, Germany. With approximately 120 participants in 2008 this international conference was a big success. This time, on the 3rd and 4th of May 2012, FSC Germany and FSC International will offer more than 20 sessions (panel discussions, key notes, workshops), in which the latest updates and developments of the FSC market and FSC International Policies related to the paper sector will be presented and discussed.

The FSC Global Paper Forum is held under the Chatham House Rule: “When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.”

Click here for further details.

This event is supported by: Antalis GmbH, Berberich Papier, Bracelpa AB, GFA Consulting Group GmbH

Sign up as a supporter of FSC UK before 30th April 2012 and you will receive a set of FSC certified English oak plant labels, as well as the usual goody bag and other supporter benefits.

You can become a supporter of FSC UK for only £20 a year. Supporters receive:
- An FSC Goody bag including a selection of FSC products
- Our quarterly magazine Forest Matters
- Regular offers and discounts from FSC retailers
- Details of FSC competitions and events.
- Access to supporters’ webpages

As a small charity FSC UK relies on grants and donations for much of our work. The income from our supporters programme is used to support our educational and awareness raising projects.

Click here for more details.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has achieved a “world first” for securing FSC and PEFC project certification on the Olympic Park site, with 100% of wood products supplied certified as “legal and sustainable”.

The presentation of FSC and PEFC project certification by auditors Soil Association Woodmark is being hailed as a major achievement and a procurement model for other large-scale projects to follow.

Soil Association Woodmark said the project was a world first for certification of such a huge and complex site. FSC certified material made up 67% of the 12,500m³ timber products procured, while PEFC accounted for 33%.

“It is an outstanding outcome that really shows what can be achieved and it’s a strong platform for the industry to build on,” said Peter Bonfield, leader of construction products at the ODA.

Sustainability has been embedded into the ODA’s construction project from the very beginning as one of its six priority themes. Last month, with the announcement that the Olympic Park is now officially Forest Stewardship Council certified, London 2012 took a giant leap towards achieving its ambition of being the ‘most sustainable games ever’.

More than two-thirds of all wood used in the Olympic Park’s construction is FSC certified. Two excellent examples of how the ODA successfully used the FSC process include the development of the Olympics Village and Velodrome. Village developers used the certification process to ensure that they achieved the desired Code
for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM assessments, providing evidence that the timber comes from legally compliant, responsibly-managed forests.

The iconic Velodrome, the first Olympic Park venue to be completed, has a striking outer cladding which uses 5,000 square meters of western red cedar timber. At the heart of the Velodrome is the 250 metre long FSC certified Siberian pine track.

This represents a tremendous commitment by the ODA to ensuring that the wood that it uses comes from forests that are responsibly managed. One only has to gaze at the magnificently designed, wood-clad Velodrome to get a sense of the scale of the project.

ODA Principal Sustainability Manager Holly Knight said: “We started working with the FSC early in the design process to ensure we had the right systems in place to deliver homes and venues on the Olympic Park that are truly sustainable. On such a complicated site it took lots of dedicated people to make sure we received certification for 100% legal and sustainable timber. FSC’s contribution forms a major part of this achievement.”

FSC Director General Andre de Freitas sees natural synergies between the Olympics and FSC, “FSC certified forest operations are environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial. It’s fitting that an event which is committed to excellence like the Olympics choose FSC, which sets a high bar for forest management towards a
legacy of stewardship.”

Charles Thwaites, Executive Director of FSC UK added: “FSC UK is delighted that the Olympic Park has achieved FSC Project Certification for such extensive and complex site. A project of this scale proves that developers, given the sort of commitment seen here, can always find sufficient certified timber for their needs.”

Find out more about the range of sustainability measures employed by the ODA at http://www.london2012.com/sustainability

Images © Olympic Delivery Authority

The Olympic Park is certified under FSC project certificate SA-PRO-003095. The Athlete’s Village is certified under FSC project certificate TT-PRO-002826.

UKCG members have agreed a new statement on the procurement of materials which makes clear their intention to buy products from sustainable sources.

The policy commits UKCG members to, “support and give preference to procuring products which are able to demonstrate compliance with a recognised responsible sourcing scheme, certified by a third party”.

Construction accounts for a tenth of economic output, and UKCG members recognise the impact natural resource consumption by the industry can have on loss of rainforests, biodiversity, water shortages and social impacts. Procuring from responsible sources will help mitigate these negative impacts and promote better resource management.

Commenting on the new procurement statement, Rob Lambe Managing Director of Willmott Dixon Re-Thinking Limited and Chair of the UKCG Environmental group said:

“UKCG members are committed to reducing the environmental impact of their activities, and recognise the need to take a leadership role in driving best practice within construction. Today’s statement sends a strong signal to our supply chains and the building materials industry that sustainable procurement should become the norm”.

“Much investment is being made by construction product manufacturers to provide solutions that address the growing concerns over scarcity of natural resources. By choosing to procure sustainable products, UKCG members have made a responsible decision, that not only benefits the environment, but which is also good business sense”.

To support the implementation of this new policy, UKCG members will agree more detailed statements on specific materials. A statement on the procurement of timber is also being published today, under which all timber products purchased for either temporary or permanent use on UKCG member sites will be certified as legally and sustainably sourced, as defined by the UK Government’s Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET).

For more information, including a copy of the statement on the procurement of timber, click here.

[Source: UKCG]

Royal Mail is the first postal operator in the world to have their stamps fully FSC certified and labelled.

In recognition of this significant global first, FSC UK has presented an award for outstanding achievement to Royal Mail. Charles Thwaites, Executive Director of FSC UK presented the award to Andrew Hammond, Managing Director of Royal Mail Stamps, last month at Royal Mail’s hearquarters.

Martyn Fry, head of products, stamps and collectibles, says: ‘It is a significant move for Royal Mail in terms of how we are perceived by the environmental lobby and how we are judged on our response to environmental issues.’

Royal Mail’s stamps and philatelic products are now printed on FSC certified paper.

For Royal Mail, the move towards FSC certification began in 2009 amid preparations for the London 2012 Olympics.

The final changeover to FSC material was completed towards the end of 2010.

Given the specific requirements of stamp paper, it has always been sourced through a dedicated supply chain which operated in a similar way to the FSC “chain of custody” – supply chain – process.

Royal Mail has always responded to enquiries from customers that their stamp material was sourced from managed forests, but as a result of the certification they are able to demonstrate this in a tangible way.

It followed that if stamps were to be FSC certified, all philatelic products should follow suit. So these now carry the FSC Mix label.

Royal Mail’s suppliers achieved certification to enable them to achieve this goal. Royal Mail holds FSC trademark licence FSC-N001608 to cover their own promotions using the FSC trademarks.

Andrew Hammond, Managing Director of Royal Mail Stamps, said: ‘It’s fantastic to be at the leading edge of sustainable stamp production.’

Charles Thwaites, executive director of FSC UK, said: ‘We are delighted that Royal Mail has taken this momentous step to print all their stamps on FSC certified paper.

‘This is a very welcome commitment to sustainable forestry. The change will also give great exposure to the FSC label as it will appear on the stamp booklets.

‘There are many occasions when we all use paper without even thinking about it. Stamps are just one example and we hope that other companies will be encouraged to follow Royal Mail’s lead.’

Related Stories

Award for FSC Clarinets
WWF UK receive FSC award for Outstanding Contribution
FSC UK Award presented to Bristol Zoo Gardens
FSC UK award for ACE UK

With less than six months to go, plans are well underway for this year’s FSC Friday. If you want to join this international event then register online now.

FSC Friday is an annual celebration of responsible forestry. In 2012, it will be held on Friday 28th September. Every year, schools, businesses and organisations around the world get involved in spreading the word about FSC. From displaying a few posters to organising an activity in an FSC certified forests, holding a school assembly on FSC to internal staff awareness raising, there are many ways to take part in this international event.

Please make sure the date is in your diary. More information on FSC UK’s plans for FSC Friday will be available shortly.

On 20th December 2011 the European Commission published proposals for three Directives on Public Procurement1. They are to become the core of the EU legal framework, setting out both opportunities and limits for procurement policies for all public authorities in the EU, except for small tenders.

An important departure from existing legislation is that the drafts do not only focus on EU-wide open and transparent procedures to ensure the functioning of the internal market and best value for public money. They have a second objective: to promote “Europe 2020”, the overarching agenda for the EU to promote “smart, sustainable and inclusive economic growth”. This means that public authorities are allowed, within limits, to use their money to promote environmental and social innovation and sustainability.

In the coming months, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers will formulate their position on these proposals. FSC has suggested a number of amendments to the proposals to ensure that they achieve the greatest positive impact.

Click here for the FSC comments and proposals for
EU Directives on Public Procurement

FSC UK launched an updated factsheet on FSC Project Certification at Ecobuild last week. There is growing interest in project certification and the new factsheet includes examples of a range of completed projects, from a boat to commercial offices. We hope that the factsheet will encourage more companies to consider FSC certification for their construction projects, and to promote their use of responsibly sourced timber.

The factsheet can be downloaded and hard copies of the new factsheet are available on request from the FSC UK office.

FSC UK is sharing exhibition space with FSC certified timber supplier, Ecochoice (SW-COC-005535-DQ), at Ecobuild this week. Ecobuild is the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment and the UK’s largest construction event of any kind.

“FSC UK is delighted to be sharing an exhibition space with FSC certified timber supplier, Ecochoice, at Ecobuild 2012. We are confident that, as in previous years, the stand’s synergy between theory and practice will prove a popular attraction, with expert advice on the FSC system from FSC UK staff and FSC certified timber products from Ecochoice.” Charles Thwaites, FSC UK

The Trada Timber Tour will once again be swinging by to visit FSC UK and Ecochoice on stand S1500. FSC UK staff will be available to discuss responsible timber sourcing and construction, FSC chain of custody, project certification and how FSC is adapting to the forthcoming EU Timber Regulation.

“Ecochoice are extremely proud to share a stand with FSC UK at Ecobuild 2012. We’ve had great feedback from this experience over the last few years so we hope our joint space will once again attract a diverse audience from all corners of the construction industry. If they are eager for discussion or evidence on the merits of sustainable timber and robust chain of custody from forest to their construction sites, then stand S1500 is the place to be.” Mike Bekin, Brazilian MD, Ecochoice.

Clickhere to register for a ticket.

FSC is initiating a major review process of the FSC standard for Chain of Custody Certification (FSC-STD-40-004), the main standard for companies that manufacture, process or trade in timber and non-timber forest products.

The objective of this process is to review and streamline the FSC Chain of Custody (COC) standard to ensure continued relevance and effectiveness in demonstrating that materials and products purchased, labelled and sold as FSC-certified are authentic and associated claims are truthful and correct. The review process also aims to address approved motions of the 2011 General Assembly as pertaining to the COC standard. The process starts in April 2012, with a targeted completion date of March 2013.

FSC is currently seeking applicants for the technical working group that will be established to lead this review process. Stakeholders are invited to submit their applications, by using the application form provided by FSC, by 31st March 2012.

Further details, as well as the terms of reference of the technical working group and the application form are available on request from FSC UK.

Ecobuild is the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment and the UK’s largest construction event of any kind. FSC UK will once again be sharing an exhibition space with FSC certified timber supplier, Ecochoice (SW-COC-005535-DQ) between 20th and 22nd March 2012.

“FSC UK is delighted to be sharing an exhibition space with FSC certified timber supplier, Ecochoice, at Ecobuild 2012. We are confident that, as in previous years, the stand’s synergy between theory and practice will prove a popular attraction, with expert advice on the FSC system from FSC UK staff and FSC certified timber products from Ecochoice.” Charles Thwaites, FSC UK

The Trada Timber Tour will once again be swinging by to visit FSC UK and Ecochoice on stand S1500. FSC UK staff will be available to discuss responsible timber sourcing and construction, FSC chain of custody, project certification and how FSC is adapting to the forthcoming EU Timber Regulation.

“Ecochoice are extremely proud to share a stand with FSC UK at Ecobuild 2012. We’ve had great feedback from this experience over the last few years so we hope our joint space will once again attract a diverse audience from all corners of the construction industry. If they are eager for discussion or evidence on the merits of sustainable timber and robust chain of custody from forest to their construction sites, then stand S1500 is the place to be.” Mike Bekin, Brazilian MD, Ecochoice.

Get your free visitors ticket to Ecobuild here.

FSC is currently conducting a major review process of the group and multi-site requirement and invites comments on the first revised standards draft for Chain of Custody certification of multiple sites, FSC-STD-40-003 V2-0 D1-0. This draft standard merges the FSC policy for group certification and the FSC standard for multi-site certification of Chain of Custody operations. . The key objective of merging both documents is to contribute to the simplification and overall consistency of the FSC Normative Framework.

If you would like to receive further information please contact FSC UK. The deadline for comments on the draft is 13th April 2012.

The FSC Global Paper Forum is an international meeting where FSC-certificate holders, purchasers of FSC-certified paper products, pulp producers and representatives of related sectors as well as NGOs get together to create a stronger market and new opportunities for FSC-labelled paper.

The 5th International FSC Global Paper Forum will take place during the tradefair drupa12 in Dusseldorf, Germany. With approximately 120 participants in 2008 this international conference was a big success. This time, on the 3rd and 4th of May 2012, FSC Germany and FSC International will offer more than 20 sessions (panel discussions, key notes, workshops), in which the latest updates and developments of the FSC market and FSC International Policies related to the paper sector will be presented and discussed.

The FSC Global Paper Forum is held under the Chatham House Rule: “When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.”

Click here for further details.

This event is supported by: Antalis GmbH, Berberich Papier, Bracelpa AB, GFA Consulting Group GmbH

FSC is preparing an FAQ for the ‘Policy for the Association of Organizations with FSC’ (FSC-POL-01-004 V2-0).

You are invited to submit any questions you may have regarding this Policy to policy.standards@fsc.org by 29th February 2012.

FSC is pleased to announce that the revised Principles & Criteria (P&C) have been approved by the FSC Membership. Confirmed through strong voter turn-out – at around 70% in all chambers - the positive result reflects the engagement and commitment of stakeholders worldwide over a three year participatory process.

The FSC Principles and Criteria (P&C) describe how forests should be managed to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations. They include managerial aspects as well as environmental and social requirements.

As the first major revision in the history of the Principles and Criteria, the new P&C brings FSC practices current with the policies, clarifications, and lessons learned since its inception in 1993. The subsequent addition of the Explanatory Notes and future Generic Indicators will bring greater clarity to this key document and enable more effective implementation in the field.

The positive vote milestone marks the beginning of an important next phase in FSC’s work. With revisions agreed, FSC can now engage stakeholders in the development of baseline requirements (the “Generic Indicators”) for each of the Criteria. This work will begin immediately through outreach to members on the key issues to be considered in the drafting of the Generic Indicators.

However, FSC is mindful of the concerns raised by members during the review and revision of the P&C and committed to addressing them in this next phase, as well as in subsequent policy-level discussions. Additionally, we will reach out to our members to capture the lessons we’ve acquired from this unprecedented process.

As this next phase unfolds, FSC will work to align the development of regional and national FSC Forest Stewardship Standards with the new Principles and Criteria. Support and guidance will be provided to all stakeholders, including Certification Bodies and forest organizations, to ensure that the transition to the new P&C is as smooth as possible. We look forward to using this new framework as the central tool for collaboration with our members and stakeholders to fulfill FSC’s mission.

We are deeply grateful to the dedicated individuals that made this advancement possible, including the Principles & Criteria Working Group, the FSC Membership and the staff involved. Their high level of engagement in this important process has enabled FSC to move forward with renewed confidence in our practices and principles. We look forward to the measurable success that this landmark decision will now bring to the FSC system.

[Source: FSC IC]