Consumer
As a consumer, one of the simplest ways you can contribute to responsible forestry, thereby take care of the world's forests and all lives who depend on them is by choosing FSC-certified products.
The FSC® label on forest-based products means that materials used in making the products are responsibly sourced from responsibly managed forests, from reclaimed materials, and/or controlled sources, that meet FSC’s robust standards.
Here are some key takeaways from the 2021 Global Consumer Survey:
A Simple Stand. A Wild Difference.
Stand for #Forests and all lives who depend on them.
A stand against illegal logging and deforestation. A stand for protecting rare and endangered animals. For addressing the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, For workers’ rights, For sustainable practices, For the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Choose paper, wood and other forest-based products with the FSC label. Choose FSC.
(Video credit: FSC Canada)
Brands and Retailers
Brands and retailers have incredible power to influence consumer decisions and drive sustainability trends forward.
With 8 in 10 global consumers expecting companies to ensure that their wood, paper and other forest-based products do not contribute to deforestation or damage wildlife habitats (2021 Global Consumer Survey), the role of brands and retailers is increasingly important.
To meet these consumer expectations, companies that are not FSC-certified but buy finished and FSC-labelled products, can use the FSC trademarks for promotion. The FSC label can act as a powerful tool to help communicate and demonstrate your commitment to sustainable forestry. Find out how you can promote with FSC here.
Company Along the Supply Chain
As a company along the supply chain: you can demonstrate your contribution towards a sustainable supply chain, and commitment towards sourcing responsibly and legally sourced materials in your products, and at the same time tap on the opportunities of meeting the increasing demands for FSC-certified products all over the world, and staying ahead of compliance, policy and requirements in meeting global climate and nature goals.
FSC Chain of Custody (COC) certification ensures that products that are sold with an FSC claim originate from well-managed forests, controlled sources, or reclaimed materials.
Being FSC COC certified means materials used in a product are tracked - from forest to shelf, through an unbroken chain – to maintain its system credibility. The labelling of products as FSC-certified is allowed only when all companies along the entire chain are FSC-certified. At each stage in the chain of processing and transformation, FSC CoC certification is needed to confirm that FSC certified materials used are kept separate from uncertified materials, or mixed in approved ways, where the flow of certified materials must be controlled – from procurement, to storage and production and to the final sale of the products that carry the FSC labels.
FSC labels: FSC has three main labels: FSC 100%, FSC Mix and FSC Recycled. More about FSC labels here.
Only organisations in possession of a valid FSC COC certificate are permitted to manufacture, package, or label products with the FSC on-product label and sell FSC-certified products with FSC claims on sales documents.
More about FSC COC certification here.
Forest Manager/Owner
As a forest manager or owner, you can demonstrate your commitment towards ensuring the well-being of forests and the lives that depend on them. FSC Forest Management (FM) certification enables forest managers/owners to improvement their management activities, and reap the benefits of forests that are managed responsibly in conformance with FSC standards.
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).
More about FSC FM certification here.