The United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Standard or ‘UKWAS’ is a voluntary forest certification standard launched in the U.K. in 1999. It forms the basis of the standard under which woods and forests in the U.K obtain their FSC status. It was created in response to growing consumer concern over the environmental impact of forest operations and an increase in the desire to obtain wood from sustainably managed forests.

The UKWAS takes the international principles of sustainable forestry (like FSC’s Principles and Criteria) and applies them to a British context. It was developed in conjunction with government orgainisations like the Forestry Commission, international forest certification schemes including FSC and a selection of conservation and forestry groups, and was designed to create a workable model that would set the benchmark for the highest environmental and social standards of forest management. Key members of UKWAS include important conservation organisations such as the National Trust, RSPB and the Woodland Trust. The U.K. Woodland Assurance Standard complies fully with all FSC’s Principles and Criteria on responsible forestry. Because of the UKWAS system, the vast majority of forests producing commercial timber in the UK are now FSC certified.