What Is FSC? | Forest Stewardship Council

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1. What is FSC?

What is FSC?

FSC runs the world’s leading forest certification system and works to mitigate the climate and biodiversity crises by advancing responsible forest management worldwide. Our mission is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests.

FSC's pioneering certification system, covering more than 160 million hectares of forest, enables businesses and consumers to choose wood, paper and other forest products made with materials that support responsible forestry. Our “tick-tree” logo is found on millions of products worldwide, verifying responsible sourcing from the forest to shelf.

WWF / Brent Stirton Getty Images

• How does the FSC certification system work?
• What is FSC forest management certification?
• What is FSC chain of custody certification?
• FSC trademarks and labels
• FSC for business

How does the FSC certification system work?

What is FSC forest management certification?

FSC forest management certification confirms that the forest is being managed in a way that preserves biological diversity and benefits the lives of local people and workers, while ensuring it sustains economic viability. FSC-certified forests are managed to strict environmental, social and economic standards. There are ten principles that any forest operation must adhere to before it can receive FSC forest management certification. These principles cover a broad range of issues, from maintaining high conservation values to community relations and workers’ rights, as well as monitoring the environmental and social impacts of the forest management.

What is FSC chain of custody certification?

FSC chain of custody certification verifies that FSC-certified material has been identified and separated from non-certified and uncontrolled material as it makes its way along the supply chain, from the forest to the market.

Any company involved in the processing or transformation of FSC-certified products (e.g. manufacturing, repackaging, pack-splitting, relabelling, cutting to size or adding other forest-based components to the product) must be FSC certified in order to apply an FSC label to their products and/or sell them with an FSC claim.

FSC trademarks and labels

FSC owns five registered trademarks: the name "Forest Stewardship Council", the abbreviation "FSC", the FSC'tick-tree' logo and the full and text-only 'Forests For All Forever' brandmarks. The FSC trademarks can be used by FSC certificate holders and FSC promotional licence holders. They can also be used for educational and research purposes and by the media.

FSC's tick-tree logo is a key part of the FSC labels, which can be found on millions of products and items of packaging around the world.

FSC for business

FSC UK/C. Miller

Forest management certification

As a forest manager or owner, FSC certification is a way of ensuring that your careful and long-term stewardship is recognised, and tested against nationally and internationally agreed standards of responsible forest management. FSC certification can improve market access, demonstrate to investors and stakeholders that management practices meet objectives for responsible forest management, and provide evidence to customers that products are sourced from well-managed forests. It allows you to apply FSC labels to your products and make FSC claims in your sales documents (thereby maintaining the chain of custody for FSC-certified products).

Read more Iggesund Paperboard

Chain of custody certification

When it comes to forest-based products, FSC certification is the sustainable choice you can trust to deliver better outcomes for forests, people and markets – today and for future generations.

FSC certification can help to meet legislative requirements, improve market access and help you to implement and evidence your sustainability policies. It allows you to apply FSC labels to your products and make FSC claims in your sales documents (thereby maintaining the chain of custody for FSC-certified products).

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Promotional licensing

If you buy FSC-labelled products from an FSC-certified supplier and either use them in your business (e.g. toilet rolls, office paper) or sell them on, unchanged, to the public, a promotional licence may offer an alternative to chain of custody certification.

Read more You also may be interested in Climate change FSC forests FSC labels What can be certified? Forests under threat Impact