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      

•  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.      

Why has forest and CoC certification caught on?

Forest  Cer)fica)on  in  Ontario  Total  -­‐  26,693,248  ha  

CSA    

FSC  

SFI  17  forests;    12,869,656  ha    

2  forests:  2,444,875  ha  

Note:  some  forests  are  cerIfied  to  more  than  one  cerIficaIon  system.    

8  forests:    12,826,040  ha  

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 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     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.  

CSA     FSC   SFI    6  SFM    criteria,  17  elements  and  35  mandatory  core  indictors  

Principles,  Criteria  and  Indicators    Regional  Standards  

14  core  principles  

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  

Trademark  use   N/A    SEE  PEFC  

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  

LEED  recognized  

Limited      -­‐  Pilot  Credit  43  

Yes   Pilot  Credit  43   Limited      -­‐  Pilot  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