14/02/2005 - A new study
launched by WWF shows that credible certification
brings added value to society, the environment,
and the economy.
A systematic analysis of all changes forest
managers have had to make to obtain FSC
certification of 18 Million hectares of
forests in Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Russia,
Sweden, and the UK, shows that certification
led to significant improvements to biodiversity
conservation, management planning, health
and safety, and the employment rights of
forest workers.
The study analyzed 2,817 Corrective Action
Requests which were raised by independent
certifiers as forest managers sought to
achieve and maintain FSC certification in
Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Russia, Sweden,
and the UK. These Corrective Action Requests
detailed shortcomings on environmental,
social and economic issues and were the
basis for WWF's systematic analysis of the
nature of the improvements achieved on the
ground through FSC.
“Our analysis provides conclusive evidence
of the value of credible certification for
a wide range of stakeholders across Europe,”
said Duncan Pollard, Head of the WWF European
Forest Programme.
“We simply looked at what actual changes
FSC certification has brought in forest
management, and the results speak for themselves.
The study also brings out clearly the social
and economic benefits which FSC brings for
policy makers, governments, forest owners,
forest industry, those employed in the forest
industry and recreational forest users.”
In Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Russia, Sweden,
and the UK biodiversity values were improved
through measures such as: lower impact silviculture;
improved protection of key habitats; increased
deadwood levels; measures favouring species
diversity; reduced soil compaction; improved
water management and improved pollution
control.
In all six countries FSC certification
led to safer working conditions and enhanced
worker skills, improved long term planning
and strategies for minimising economic damage.
The FSC system provides a robust framework
to guarantee compliance to a plethora of
legislation, guidelines and best practice
that sometimes were not enforced in practice.
It was particularly effective in assisting
the forest industry in new EU member states
to implement the wide range of EU legislation
and guidelines.
Through the need to implement wood-tracing
systems FSC has improved the ability to
prevent illegal logging.
FSC certification has also made forests
in the surveyed countries a more interesting
and safer place to visit through the conservation
of sites of historical and cultural significance,
complemented by better and safer public
access.
“We hope that our study makes the added
value of credible forest certification clearer
to all and also demonstrates that FSC certification
is not just good for the environment, but
for business and society as well. It has
the ability to deliver on a variety of policy
priorities that the European Commission
and EU Governments have committed to,” said
Pollard.
“The conclusions from this study positions
FSC certification as an invaluable investment
for the present and the future management
of Europe's forests.”
“This study confirms FSC as the international
standard to promote responsible management
of the world’s forests,” said Heiko Liedeker,
FSC Executive Director.
“It shows tangible benefits from the FSC
system in the social, environmental and
economic areas in Europe. We know that the
FSC system is delivering the same benefits
in other continents and, without doubt,
FSC has proved that it is a powerful and
comprehensive driven system to promote responsible
forest management worldwide."
NOTES:
• The findings for the UK which were incorporated
into the summary report relied an earlier
report released by the UK Forestry Commission
based upon a study carried out by Simon
Jeffreys, An Analysis of all Forest Management
Certification Corrective Action Requests
in the United Kingdom. Tilhill Forestry
Ltd. January 2002 – an excerpt is available
on www.panda.org/europe/forests
• This study is based on public summary
reports describing the assessment of forest
managers and companies certified according
to FSC by a team of independent experts.
It analyzed systematically the Corrective
Action Requests (CARs) which needed to be
addressed by forest managers and companies.
• Major Corrective Action Requests are
fundamental failings that must be addressed
prior to certification. Minor Corrective
Action Requests are partial failings that
do not prevent certification, but must be
addressed within an agreed timescale. There
is ongoing monitoring of the certified party
with an annual surveillance audit over the
term (5 years) of the certification, which
allows to track progress. Each of the certifying
bodies is obliged to publish a public summary
of the main assessment and the annual surveillance
audits of all certifications. These public
summaries are freely accessible via the
Internet.
• The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
is an international non-profit organization
founded in 1993 to promote environmentally
appropriate, socially beneficial and economically
viable management of the world‘s forests.
FSC itself does not certify forest operations
or manufacturers, but accredits certification
bodies to carry out Forest Management (FM)
or Chain of Custody (CoC) certifications.
