Wednesday, 08 June 2016
Limitations of LCAs can be addressed with FSC certification
© FSC GD/Milan ReškaRecent research conducted by FSC International and WWF US confirms FSC certification is the best tool to ensure prevention and minimization of environmental and social impacts of paper and wood-based products, as it goes beyond the limitations offered by Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs).
The research shows that LCAs are poor in describing pressing environmental and social challenges such as biodiversity loss, land use change, threats to ecosystem services, the erosion of Indigenous Peoples rights, and poor working conditions.
“LCAs are geographically blind and overlook impacts that happen in the early stages of the
product cyle. This is particularly problematic for forest-based products, where the majority of long-term environmental impacts happen during the forest management phase of the product cycle. FSC certification can act as a proxy for the gaps found in these methods,” noted Chief Advocacy Officer of FSC International, John Hontelez.
For LCA practitioners, and those who rely on LCAs as a policy tool, you can download the full paper here.
Contact: John Hontelez, j.hontelez at fsc point org