Forest certification & legality verification – policy implications The control of uncertified wood in certified supply chains

Presentation content Mixing of uncertified material in certified products – what are the requirements for control of the ‘uncertified portion’ by certification schemes Other potential mechanisms for illegal wood to enter certified supply chains?

Control of uncertified material by certification schemes What measures do the following schemes have in place? –FSC –PEFC –SFI –MTCC

Forest Stewardship Council “Controlled wood” approach aimed at allowing FSC certified companies to buy and supply non-FSC certified wood which had been controlled to avoid illegally harvested wood Definition of controlled wood also includes wood harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights; wood harvested in forest which high conservation values are threatened by management activities; wood harvested in forest being converted to plantations or non- forest use; wood from forest in which genetically modified trees are planted. FSC Standard for company evaluation of FSC Controlled Wood (FSC-STD ) requires companies buying non FSC-certified wood/ fibre materials to avoid uncontrolled wood, and includes supplier declarations, risk assessment and a programme of verification.

Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes The organisation shall establish adequate measures to ensure that the certified products do not include raw material from controversial sources (PEFC Technical Document Annex 4). This definition relates to legality rather than a wider definition. Requirements are based on a combination of signed self-declaration that the supplied raw material does not originate from a controversial source by all suppliers ; an evaluation of the potential risk of procuring raw material form controversial sources; and establishment of a programme of verification for high risk sources.’

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program Participants shall ensure their procurement programs support the principles of sustainable forestry, including efforts to thwart illegal logging and promote conservation of biological diversity. (SFIS Performance Measure 8.5) This requirement relates to legality and some indicators relating to biodiversity. Requirements are based on a risk assessment process and measures to address any significant risk identified.

Malaysian Timber Certification Council Non-certified material are required to be from non “controversial sources” (section of the RCOC). This requirement relates to legality rather than a wider definition. RCOC minimum requirement of a signed self-declaration is combined with obligation for auditors to check origin of uncertified wood materials (Assessment Procedures in using the RCOC).

Control of uncertified material by certification schemes All schemes evaluated by CPET in 2006 included documented systems designed to ensure that uncertified material is from legal sources Differences between schemes: –Scope of “controlled wood” compared to “legal” –Methodology may include programme of verification Is compliance with these requirements being robustly checked?

Other potential mechanisms for illegal wood to enter certified supply chains? Other COC standard requirements: some approaches developed specifically for verifying legality in high risk settings have been more prescriptive. E.g. ‘log tracking systems’ rather than ‘traceability’. Auditing and accreditation: is compliance with COC standard requirements being robustly checked? Additional safeguards: should additional measures be required for high risk settings, such as whole chain reconciliation of volumes?