WHAT IS FOREST & CoC CERTIFICATION? An introduction and history
Vivian Peachey, consultant
Consumers want assurance that the products they purchase meet minimum environmental and social performance benchmarks.
Canadians are 92% more likely to buy products that support sustainability values. Canada Newswire, April 2005
Why has forest and CoC certification caught on? • Provides framework to implement sustainable • • • • •
forest management. Provides opportunities for involvement. Allows for responsible wood tracing of non-certified material. Manages risk by demonstrating accountability. Government mandate. Procurement policies and specifications - access to markets and potential increased revenues. • • • •
Sale of product across borders. LEED (Leadership and Energy and Environment Design). Procurement policies. Customers demand cerIfied products.
Certification systems in Canada Forest management certification systems • The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC), • Canadian Standards Association (CSA), • The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). (CoC) certification systems – • FSC, • SFI • PEFC (CSA and SFI can use PEFC)
Forest Cer)fica)on in Ontario Total -‐ 26,693,248 ha
2 forests: 2,444,875 ha
8 forests: 12,826,040 ha
CSA FSC 17 forests; 12,869,656 ha
SFI
Note: some forests are cerIfied to more than one cerIficaIon system.
Forest management certification is about ensuring excellence in forest management.
Third-Party Certification
Third-party independent and accredited certification bodies conduct the initial assessment and annual audit of certified companies.
Cer)fica)on Scheme / Accredita)on Body *Develops standards *Develops policies & procedures *Accredits & audits cerIficaIon bodies *Manages logo use
Accredited Cer)fica)on Body (CB) * Develops audit protocol * Reports to the cerIficaIon scheme * Reviews logo use * CerIfies & audits cerIfied clients
Cer)fied Company * Maintains systems & pracIces * Conforms with applicable standards * Reports to cerIficaIon body
Certificate Type: applicable to both FM and CoC certification Single certificate: a single organization seeks certification. Multi-site certificate: an organization with multiple sites can seek certification under one certificate. A central office is identified and has responsibility in ensuring that participating sites meet requirements. This system allows for efficiencies when developing and maintaining systems and procedures. Group certificate: Similar organizations can seek certification under one certificate. The group can share some management and monitoring functions that reduce cost and increase efficiencies.
Forest management (FM) certification • A voluntary process where a forest owner /manager hires an accredited, independent and third-party certification body to assess their forest against pre-determined standards. • If FM practices meet requirements of the standards, the forest is recognized as ‘certified’. • Process can be complex depending on the type of certification system • Forest may have conditions to meet prior to achieving certification status. • Annual surveillance audits follow an initial assessment.
“You start and end with the applicable standard!” CSA
FSC
SFI
6 SFM criteria, 17 elements and 35 mandatory core indictors
Principles, Criteria and Indicators Regional Standards
14 core principles
CSA CAN/CSA-‐Z809-‐08 Sustainable Forest Management FSC
FSC NaIonal Boreal Standard (2004) Great Lakes St. Lawrence (GLSL) Standard (March 2011 – pending approval; 2005)
SFI
SecIon 2: SFI 2010-‐2014 Standard, land management requirements set out in ObjecIves 1-‐7 and 14-‐20.
Forest Product Certification - AKA COC Certification
• Relates to the traceability of forest products that flows from the place of origin (the forest), through processing and eventually into the hands to the end user. • At every stage of production (e.g. forest gate, sawmill, primary and secondary manufacturing, distribution, printing etc.) the company is audited to ensure proper tracking and handling.
“You start and end with the applicable standard!” CSA
N/A -‐ CSA and SFI wood can use either PEFCS or SFI CoC systems at the primary manufacturing level.
FSC
FSC Standard for CoC CerIficaIon -‐ FSC-‐STD-‐40-‐004 V2-‐1 FSC Product ClassificaIon -‐ FSC-‐STD-‐40-‐004a v2-‐0 EN FSC Standard for Company EvaluaIon of FSC Controlled Wood -‐ FSC-‐STD-‐40-‐005 v2-‐1 EN * List not comprehensive
SFI
SecIon 2 – SFI 2010-‐2014 Standard; SecIon 3 – SFI Chain-‐of-‐Custody CerIficaIon; or SecIon 4 – Rules for the Use of SFI On-‐Product Labels, and have approval from the Office of Label Use and Licensing; SFI CerIfied Sourcing Label Use Requirements
PEFC
Chain of Custody of Forest-‐Based Products Requirements (PEFC ST 2002:2010) for Chain of Custody cerIficaIon; PEFC Logo Usage Rules (PEFC ST 2001:2008 v2) for logo use.
Forest Product Certification - AKA COC Certification
• CoC control system is developed to track and handle the product through the receipt, production and sale of the product. • Similarities between certification systems of the control systems used and all have options to use the transfer or physical separation system; the credit system; or the percentage system. • On-product trademark informs consumers that the product has met certification system requirements.
Control Systems – tracking and handling product Transfer / Physical Separa)on / 100%
Credit
Percentage
CerIfied inputs received are segregated and carry an idenIcal (or lower claim) as the input received.
CerIfied and uncerIfied product is mixed, but only an equivalent of the cerIfied input can be sold with a cerIfied claim. Eg. 90 bh of cerIfied inputs is purchased and 20 bh of non-‐cerIfied (controlled), the company can mix the two inputs but could only sell the equivalent of 90bh, with an associated cerIfied claim.
CerIfied and uncerIfied material is mixed as long as the cerIfied material is over a certain amount (e.g. 70%). The claim at the point of sale indicates the percentage. Non cerIfied material needs to be verified as not from controversial sources.
CSA
FSC
SFI
PEFC
Control systems used
N/A SEE PEFC
Transfer Credit Percentage
100% opIon; as well as percentage and credit approaches
Physical separaIon Percentage based methods
Controversial Sources and Controlled Wood
N/A SEE PEFC
Comprehensive Controlled Wood system with focus on 5 unacceptable categories
Avoidance of Controversial Sources and requirements around fiber souring
Due Diligence System for Controversial Sources
FSC 100% FSC Mix (using credit or percentage systems); FSC Recycled
100% opIon; as well as percentage and credit approaches
PEFC 100% PEFC 70% (using credit or percentage systems) PEFC Recycled
Pilot Credit 43
Limited -‐ Pilot Credit 43
Trademark use N/A SEE PEFC
LEED recognized
Limited -‐ Pilot Yes Credit 43
FSC Controlled Wood Verification Program 1. Determine district of origin 2. Conduct risk assessment • Illegally harvested forests; • Forests harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights; • Forests in which high conservation values are threatened; • Forests that are being converted to plantations or non-forest use; or • Forests in which genetically modified trees are planted.
Assess risk as low or unspecified.
PEFC and Controversial Sources 1. Supplier self-declaration 2. Risk assessment Do not comply with local, national or international legislation, in particular in the following areas: • forestry operations and harvesting, including conversion of forests to other uses • management of areas with designated high environmental and cultural values • protected and endangered species, including those included on the CITES lists • health and labour conditions of forest workers • indigenous peoples’ property, tenure and use rights • payment of taxes and royalties • Utilize genetically modified organisms • Convert forests to other vegetation type, including conversion of primary forests to forest plantations Assess risk as low or high.
SFI and non-certified material • Program participants must show that the raw material in their supply chain comes from legal and responsible sources, whether the forests are certified or not. To meet the certified sourcing requirements, primary producers must be third-party audited and certified to SFI Requirements: Section 2 – SFI 2010-2014 Standard (Objectives 8-20). • Secondary producers who want to use the “certified fiber sourcing” label must be certified to SFI Requirements: Section 4 – SFI Certified Sourcing Label Use Requirements. From http://www.sfiprogram.org
Thank you!
Dean Johnson, consultant Vivian Peachey, consultant