Resource Directory

Traceability

Accepts FSC and PEFC certificates although the systems can be excluded if the complete traceability of the product cannot be guaranteed.

Information Accuracy

Accepts FSC and PEFC as guarantee that wood and wood products certified under these systems come from verifiable legal origin and are produced under SFM.

Legality

Requires that wood come from verifiable legal forest management, initially as verified by FSC and PEFC.

SFM

Requires that wood-based products be harvested from verifiable legal and sustainably managed forest operations. Certificates issued from FSC and PEFC are recognized as guarantees of SFM, but the systems can be excluded if sustainable management cannot be guaranteed.

Traceability

Provides assistance to members to evaluate the supply chain of their products, the levels of risk of their suppliers and country of origin for their products.

Information Accuracy

Provides assistance and guidance to its members to verify compliance with the Federation’s purchasing policy, as well as with UK central government sustainability and legality procurement requirements. Members are expected to complete annual management reports, which are evaluated by an independent auditor to assess compliance with the Federation’s responsible purchasing policy.

SFM

Provides guidance and advice to its members to evaluate compliance with sustainability requirements of the UK central government procurement policy. Members must not trade wood from forests being converted to plantations or non-forest land uses.

Unique Forest Values

Members must not trade wood from forests where high conservation value is threatened by management activities.

Social Aspects

Provides guidance and assistance to members to evaluate compliance with legality requirements of the UK central government procurement policy, including compliance with social standards and laws. Members must not trade wood harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights.

SFM

Promotes forest certification (CSA, FSC, PEFC, and SFI).

Pollution

Measures wood against other construction materials (steel and concrete) through comparisons of environmental impacts in manufacturing processes.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Promotes recycling of wood products.

Climate

Promotes the use of wood to address climate change; greater use of wood stimulates the expansion of forests, greater storage of carbon in trees and products, recovery of stored energy by burning wood as a substitute for fossil fuels, and reduction of greenhouse emissions.

Traceability

Requires that forest management certification systems ensure the traceability of the products through a chain of custody system.

Information Accuracy

Requires that sustainably harvested timber is certified by an independent body on the basis of internationally recognized criteria. FSC and PEFC have been approved to meet the requirements of the Procurement Policy.

Legality

Requires that wood harvesting complies with national laws and international conventions.

SFM

Sustainably harvested timber is defined as wood from sustainably managed forests that has been certified by an independent body on the basis of internationally recognized criteria. FSC and PEFC meet the Procurement Policy requirements.

Legality

Campaigns publicly and privately for legislation and regulation that Coalition members can realistically apply and implement, in order to ensure the legality of timber and timber products in the EU markets.

SFM

Campaigns publicly and privately for legislation and regulation that Coalition members can realistically apply and implement, in order to ensure the sustainability of timber and timber products in the EU markets.

Climate

The Coalition campaigns on forest-related topics such as deforestation and its impact on climate change.

Traceability

Promotes the use of locally manufactured materials.

SFM

Promotes SFM through the use of FSC certification.

Pollution

Promotes the reduction of waste.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Rates the proportion of materials that contain recycled content and the proportion of used materials (e.g. in renovation projects) being recycled, including paper, wood flooring, cardboard, etc.

Traceability

Promotes the use of locally manufactured materials.

SFM

Scores whether wood-based products originate from operations that are certified by the American Tree Farm System, CSA, FSC and SFI.

Legality

Proposed procurement guidelines build on verified legal origin (through FSC or PEFC certification, or by following the UK Government Timber Procurement Policy)

SFM

The procurement model is based on sustainable forest management (through FSC or PEFC certification, or by following the UK Government Timber Procurement Policy)

Social Aspects

While social issues are not included as mandatory feature of the proposed procurement model, there is a section that explores how social issues can be integrated into the policy.

Legality

The website provides detailed information aimed at companies importing timber to Spain about the FLEGT action plan, the EUTR and other relevant EU policies and directives. The website also includes information about CITES, the timber species listed under each CITES appendix, and the contact information for the Spanish CITES authority. Further, the website features a risk tool, which allows the user to learn about timber producing countries. The tool includes information about main product categories sourced from these countries, about legality and governance concerns, and provides a risk rating and recommendations for due diligence steps.

Traceability

First two elements of the framework evaluate carbon sequestration and storage in forests, and promote maintaining the lands forested. Encourages members to estimate (i) changes in carbon stocks and link them to specific products, and (ii) carbon stored in their products.

Information Accuracy

Promotes the use of recognized standards in the evaluation of the carbon footprint including official standards, such as ISO guidelines for life cycle assessments and the Carbon Trust. It provides guidance about stakeholder-supported resources such as EPAT, WRI/WBCSD’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and the Paper Profile.

SFM

Promotes the maintenance of lands forested and emphasizes on the renewability of forest products.

Forest Conversiony

Pollution

Provides guidance in the assessment of fossil fuel-derived CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process. Inclusion in the evaluation of other greenhouse gas emissions is left at the discretion of the company.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Provides guidance in the assessment of greenhouse gas emissions generated by producing wood fiber and recycled fiber.

Climate

Framework provides a structure and guidance for individual CEPI membercompanies to estimate – and communicate with stakeholders – the net greenhouse gas emissions associated with their products (carbon footprint). Evaluation of carbon footprint is based on 10 elements throughout the supply chain: carbon sequestered in forests and stored in forest products, emissions in transportation, manufacturing, use, recycling and disposal. Highlights the renewability of forests and the capacity of forests and forest products to sequester and store carbon.

Traceability

Rates percentage of new fiber input that can be traced back to its origin to the forest management unit. Allows users to view individual companies’ part of the final product.

Information Accuracy

Rates degree of verification. It also rates whether a company has EMS, monitoring programs and procedures to manage negative impacts on communities.

Legality

Rates compliance of paper-making facilities with international labor, human and health conventions.

SFM

Rates fiber from operations certified under CSA, FSC, PEFC, SFI and other national and international certification systems.

Unique Forest Values

Measures the extent to which paper producers and their fiber suppliers identify and manage fiber from sensitive forests. Criteria for sensitive forests include biodiversity, viable natural species populations, rare, threatened or endangered ecosystems, ecosystem services, subsistence needs and critical cultural values.

Social Aspects

Rates mill systems for ensuring worker safety and health, engagement with stakeholders, and public disclosure of indicators covered by EPAT.

Pollution

Rates minimization of impacts on water, air, soil and climate; rates release of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, total particulate matter, mercury, absorbable organic halogens, total suspended solids, carbon dioxide, as well as solid waste, total suspended solids and oxygen demand per unit of finished product and by types of mills.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Rates the percentage of pre- and post-consumer fiber, as well as the use of agricultural residues.

Climate

Rates the CO2 emitted to the air per unit of product, as well as efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Traceability

Promotes the use of credible chain of custody tracking systems to identify the origin of fiber sources, as well as mechanisms to report results. Provides tracking forms.

Information Accuracy

Promotes fiber that comes from FSC certified forest operations and accurate carbon footprint accounting.

Legality

Rates compliance of paper-making facilities with international labor, human and health conventions.Rates compliance of paper-making facilities with international labor, human and health conventions.

SFM

Seeks to end the clearing of natural forest ecosystems and the conversion of these forests into plantations for paper fiber. Seeks to reduce geographically disproportionate and wasteful consumption of paper. Discourages the use of GMOs, and promotes sourcing from FSC certified forest operations.

Unique Forest Values

Seeks to end the use of wood fiber from endangered forests. Provides a definition of endangered forests and an overview.

Social Aspects

Provides information and examples of social impacts on aspects such as land claims, FPIC, emissions of pollutants and economic impacts. Provides guidance and recommendations, and showcases best and worst practices.

Pollution

Seeks to minimize impacts on water and air throughout the entire paper supply chain; promotes the use of chlorine-free paper and provides information about different bleaching processes. EPN’s Paper Calculator estimates emissions of various air and water pollutants depending on the paper grade and percentage of recycled content per ton, as entered by the user.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Seeks to eliminate the production of papers manufactured solely using virgin fiber and maximize post-consumer fiber content in all paper types. Provides information about the benefits of using recycled fiber. EPN’s Paper Calculator estimates environmental impacts and changes in wood usage based on the paper grade and percentage of recycled content used. Provides detail guidance about impacts and implications of using recycled content.

Climate

Addresses climate change through promoting sustainable forest management, shifting sourcing from endangered forests, reducing use of natural resources in general, and supporting paper recycling. Promotes accurate carbon footprint accounting. EPN’s Paper Calculator estimates CO2 emissions depending on the paper grade and percentage of recycled content per ton. It also estimates methane emissions for end-of-life.

Traceability

Information Accuracy

Legality

Verification methodology provides five options to verify compliance with legality requirements. Options include combinations of forest certification systems, ecolabels, chain of custody certificates and self declarations.

SFM

Verification methodology provides five options to verify compliance with sustainability requirements. Options include combinations of forest certification systems, ecolabels, chain of custody certificates and self declarations.

Pollution

Recognizes the use of ecolabels and self declarations as evidence to verify that products meet bleaching requirements.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Accepts the use of forest certification systems as well as other ecolabels, self declarations and independent third-party certification as evidence that products meet recycled content requirements.

Traceability

Provides information on how the origin of wood fiber is documented and whether the mill receives wood from certified forests.

Information Accuracy

Provides information on whether or not a mill receives wood from certified forests, and the certification systems used. It also includes a description of certified environmental management systems.

SFM

Provides information on whether or not the mill receives wood from certified forests, and under which certification systems.

Pollution

Provides a summary of air, water and solid emissions in pulp and paper production, including: chemical oxygen demand, absorbable organic halogens, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, as well as solid waste.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Includes a summary of recycled content.

Climate

Provides information about the total amount of energy procured, possible energy surplus and the CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels and peat.

Traceability

The initiative provides general information about supply chains for printed products, from the forests to the final product.

Information Accuracy

Provides general information and links to FSC and PEFC in the UK.

Pollution

The initiative provides links, documents and case studies related to air and water emissions in the paper making process.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

The initiative provides links, documents and case studies related to paper recycling.

Climate

The initiative provides links, documents and case studies related to CO2 emissions due to timber harvesting and the paper making process.

Traceability

Promotes the use of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and third -party verification; showcases a company tracking supply chain.

Information Accuracy

Promotes the use of EMS and third-party verification.

Legality

Promotes the avoidance of illegal and other un acceptable sources. Promotes forest certification as a means to avoid sourcing raw materials harvested through illegal practices.

SFM

Provides background information about SFM and links to additional resources; promotes forest certification as means to avoid sourcing raw materials from areas that have been converted; showcases company sourcing certified materials.

Unique Forest Values

Promotes the avoidance of illegal and other unacceptable sources. Promotes forest certification as a means to avoid sourcing raw materials harvested from high conservation value forests.

Social Aspects

Promotes the avoidance of illegal and other unacceptable sources. Promotes forest certification as means to avoid sourcing raw materials harvested in violation of customary rights.

Pollution

Provides background information about pollution and most notable pollutants. Promotes the use of EMS by forest-producing companies to improve environmental performance, and promotes the use of TCF paper.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Provides background information and advice about increasing use of recycled fiber. Showcases examples of companies using recycled fiber.

Climate

Provides background information; promotes reduction of CO2 emissions and showcases companies reducing CO2 emissions.

Traceability

Rates percentage of fiber from certified sources.

Information Accuracy

Rates fiber from certified operations as well as manufacturing operations that implement EMS.

Legality

Rates percentage of fibers that are certified to avoid the potential inclusion of fiber from unwanted sources.

SFM

Rates percentage of FSC certified fiber.

Unique Forest Values

Provides safeguards to avoid potential inclusion of unwante d sources of fiber, in line with FSC Controlled-Wood Standard.

Forest Conversion

Social Aspects

Rates safeguards to avoid potential inclusion of unwanted sources of fiber, aligned with the FSC Controlled-Wood Standard.

Pollution

Rates safeguards to avoid potential inclusion of unwanted sources of fiber, aligned with the FSC Controlled-Wood Standard.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Rates and promotes the use of post -consumer recycled fiber.

Climate

Provides safeguards to avoid potential inclusion of unwante d sources of fiber, in line with FSC Controlled-Wood Standard.

Traceability

Paper and Forest Sources grading includes adherence to certification and labeling schemes, including FSC and PEFC.

Information Accuracy

Accepts FSC and PEFC as guarantee that wood and wood products certified under these systems come from verifiable legal origin. Paper samples are also tested based on the trans-shipment risk of the country where it is manufactured. The PREPS Grading System also recognize paper that is certified by another recognized certification scheme, or if comes from a low to high risk source (accounts for lower scores).

Legality

Requires that wood comes from verifiable legal forest management, initially as verified by FSC and PEFC.

SFM

Accepts FSC and PEFC as a guarantee that wood comes from areas that are managed sustainably.

Unique Forest Values

Requires that wood does not comes from a low risk country, as defined by the Country Forest Risk Tool developed by PREPS, and does not originate from within a WWF-defined Ecoregion. The Forest Risk Tool has three separate stages 1) Country risk assessment (assesses the risk of illegal logging, conversion, and the rate of forest loss occurring within a particular country) 2) Specific Eco-Region assessment (includes the WWF list terrestrial eco-regions to determine particular areas with high conservation value) 3) Importing country risk assessment (looks at whether a country imports a significant amount of wood from those countries listed as HIGH RISK in the initial Country Risk Assessment).

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Includes information on the extent that paper is made from recycled material in PREPS Grading System.

Climate

Members track information on fossil fuel CO2 emissions by paper mills based on direct reporting from paper mills; however, this information is not a factor in the PREPS Grading System.

Traceability

The guidelines recommend various means to improving traceability as a key step towards transparency: Documenting the legality of a source, using wood with chain of custody certification, and sourcing wood from certified sustainably managed forests

Legality

The Consumer Goods Forum Guidelines suggest the verification of legal sourcing by third-party inspection in high-priority countries (as defined in the guidelines), and monitoring in those countries where the risk of sourcing potential illegal timber is high.

Forest Conversion

The Consumer Goods Forum Guidelines suggest the verification of virgin fiber sourcing by third-party inspection in high-priority countries (as defined in the guidelines), and monitoring in those countries where the risk of contributing to deforestation and forest conversion is high.

Pollution

Provides general overview information about the use of water and energy in the paper-making process, and tradeoffs and co-benefits derived from both reduced water usage and reduced energy consumption, in terms of pollutant emissions. It also provides an overview of impacts resulting from efforts to reduce emissions of specific pollutants, including chlorinated compounds.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Provides general overview information about fiber recycling and statistics about recycling and recovery rates in the U.S. The website also provides an overview of the impacts of using more or less recycled content in manufacturing various paper grades, in terms of water usage, energy consumption, greenhouse gases emissions, emissions to air, water and solid waste, as well as demand for virgin fiber.

Climate

Provides general overview information about greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the paper-making process, and the role of forests, wood and paper-based products in storing carbon. It also covers the links between GHG emissions and energy usage.

Traceability

Provides advice for companies to identify the sources of their wood (e.g., sending questionnaires, interviewing suppliers, etc). Provides an overview of options for wood tracking, chains-of-custody, and potential issues.

Information Accuracy

Provides advice about third-party verification systems, as well as potential issues.

Legality

Provides overview definitions of illegal and legal wood, as well as guidance to exclude illegal wood from the supply chain.

SFM

Promotes sourcing from verifiable sustainably managed forests. Provides an overview of international initiatives to develop criteria and indicators for assessing, monitoring and reporting on SFM, as well as certification systems. Definition of unwanted wood includes wood from forest conversion projects, dam clearance projects and others.

Unique Forest Values

Provides an overview of unwanted wood, includes wood from high conservation value forests, endangered forests, and others.

Social Aspects

Provides an overview of unwanted wood, which includes: material from places where harvesting is associated with human rights violations, wood used to underwrite armed conflicts, or wood that breaks UN trade sanctions.

Traceability

Assures readers that the origins of Canada’s wood and paper -based products are often well-known and documented, although there are products originating in some areas with less rigorous supply chains; suggests that buyers ask their suppliers questions.

Information Accuracy

Discusses trends of Canadian forest companies turning to third-party certification; provides information about the proportion of third -party certified forests in Canada.

Legality

Assures readers about the lack of systemic issues in the forest sector that could allow illegal logging in Canada.

SFM

Highlights member companies’ efforts and collaborations with stakeholders to improve environmental performance; assures commitment towards forest certification and provides data about the extent of third-party certified forests in Canada.

Unique Forest Values

Highlights efforts, commitments and collaborations between member companies and stakeholders to identify and preserve various types of special sites in Canada.

Social Aspects

Highlights collaboration and engagement with various stakeholders, such as Aboriginal Peoples, NGOs and research institutions. Introduces member companies’ approaches and principles of corporate social responsibility.

Pollution

Provides information showing decline in emissions of pollutants to water and air over the past decade.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Highlight efforts of members to develop reliable sources of recycled content and increase recycled content in finished products. Provides concrete facts to document such efforts.

Climate

Highlights efforts towards increasing the use of biomass electricity; increasing the carbon sequestration potential of forests and forest products; and reducing the use of energy, fossil fuels, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Traceability

Members commit to set up and use reliable verification/tracking systems and use third-party certification chain of custody to document the wood flow.

Information Accuracy

Members commit to set up and use reliable verification systems, apply third-party certification of the chain of custody, and EMS.

Legality

Members commit to full compliance with all applicable laws related to logging and purchasing wood. Members commit to implement procurement procedures that comply with laws corresponding to the underlying principles of the EMS. The legality of purchased wood is to be appropriately documented; support and cooperation with governments in their action to halt illegal logging is expected.

Traceability

Draft criteria include requirements to track products throughout the supply chain and verification through the certification process.

Information Accuracy

Requirements for monitoring and verification are covered through the certification process.

Legality

Legality requirements in draft criteria are similar to UK central government criteria for legal timber. Requires that the forest owner/manager hold legal use rights, compliance with all relevant laws related to forest management, environment, labor and welfare, health and safety and other parties’ tenure and use rights. Criteria also require payment for all relevant royalties and taxes, as well as compliance with CITES requirements. Accepts CSA, FSC, MTCC, PEFC and SFI as schemes that provide adequate documentation of legality. Accepts alternative instruments to verify legality such as SGS’s Timber Legality and Traceability Verification; SmartWood’s Verification of Legal Compliance. FLEGTlicenses where available.

SFM

Draft criteria address seven thematic elements for SFM, including protection and productive functions of forest resources and forest health and vitality. Previous guidelines considered FSC and MTCS (PEFC endorsed) to provide adequate guarantees for sustainably produced tropical wood.

Unique Forest Values

Draft criteria includes seven thematic elements against which SFM should be addressed; one of these elements is the protection and maintenance of biodiversity, conservation/along with key ecosystems or habitats and protection of features and species of outstanding or exceptional value.

Social Aspects

Draft criteria include seven thematic elements, including maintenance of socioeconomic functions, legality of property and tenure rights, respect for customary and traditional rights, as well as health and workers’ rights.

Traceability

Criteria requires evidence that Chain of custody systems are in place in each step of the supply chain. The Criteria also requires that each organization in the supply chain maintains contacts and records of their trade transactions.

Information Accuracy

The Dutch government has set up a Timber Procurement Assessment System (TPAS) to assess the evidence of compliance. Forest management certification systems can be used as evidence of compliance, as well as first, second, and third-party verification systems. For certification, TPAC has evaluated a number of systems. As of November 2010, FSC and PEFC, except MTCS, are accepted as evidence of compliance with the Dutch procurement policy.

Legality

Criteria includes compliance with relevant international, national and/or regional/local legislation and regulations. In particular, the Criteria highlight the following: legal rights to use forests, respect and payment of taxes, fees and royalties, compliance with forest management laws and regulations (including international agreements such as CITES), and respect of indigenous and local tenure and use rights.

SFM

The Criteria includes principles and criteria to maintain and enhance biodiversity, including the protection of special forests (see Question 4), as well as protected and endangered species. The Criteria does not accept wood from converted areas, except when conversion occurs under justified exceptional circumstances such as a natural disaster. The Criteria accepts wood from plantations if they were established before 1997, and if at least 5% of the plantation is allowed to re-grow as natural forests. The Criteria prefer plantations made up of native species, and it does not accept genetically modified organisms. The Criteria requires that forest management maintains and, to the degree possible, enhances the vitality of the forests in terms of protection of soil and water resources, use of fires, and use of reduced-impact logging. The Criteria also requires that the SFM is implemented through a system that includes periodic monitoring, expert knowledge, and stakeholder involvement.

Unique Forest Values

Requires that areas of high ecological value and representative of the forest types that occur within the forest management unit are identified, inventoried and protected.

Social Aspects

The Criteria requires that the interests of directly and indirectly involved stakeholders should be taken into account. Specifically, the Criteria requires that tenure and use rights are respected, stakeholders are consulted, and that the forest management plan, and relevant information, are publicly available. The Criteria also includes specifications for safety, health and labor conditions.

Pollution

The Criteria requires that avoidable damage to the ecosystem be prevented, by applying suitable methods and techniques for logging and infrastructure building. The Criteria allows the use of chemicals only if the use of ecological processes and ecological alternatives are proven to be insufficient. It does not allow the use of class 1A and 1B pesticides, as defined by the World Health Organization, and or chlorinated hydrocarbons.

Climate

The Criteria requires that the forest management system at a minimum maintains important ecological cycles, such as carbon.

Traceability

Recognizes chain of custody certificates from FCS or PEFC. It also recognizes EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licenses from countries that have signed voluntary partnership agreements. For non-certified products, requires ability to trace through the supply chain to the origin.

Information Accuracy

Recognizes European Ecolabel, FSC and PEFC certificates as evidence of compliance and verification, as well as any other appropriate means of proof, such as a technical dossier issued by the manufacturer, or a test report from an independent body.

Legality

For paper, core criteria propose that all fiber must come from legally harvested sources; in addition, award criteria should allow to give preference to fiber coming from sustainably harvested sources. The comprehensive standards propose additional award criteria related to compliance with the full set of EU Ecolabel requirements.

SFM

Proposes award criteria that promotes products from forests that are sustainably managed for virgin fiber, solid wood and wood-based products for construction, according to PEOLG, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) Forest Principles, as well as international SFM Criteria and Indicators.

Pollution

Recycled paper should be at least elementary chlorine free. The comprehensive criteria for paper proposes applying the full set of criteria from the EU Ecolabel. Paper must be at least Elementary Chlorine Free; Totally Chlorine Free will also be accepted.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

For paper, core criteria for paper proposes 100% recovered paper fibers. Comprehensive criteria proposes full compliance with the EU Ecolabel criteria or other Type I ecolabel criteria.

Traceability

One of the goals of the FLEGT VPA is the establishment and implementation of Legality Assurance Systems (LASs) to ensure and demonstrate the legal origin of the wood. The LASs could be built on existing in-country schemes.

Information Accuracy

One of the goals of the FLEGT VPA is the establishment and implementation of Legality Assurance Systems (LASs) to guarantee the legality and reliable tracking of timber products. The LASs include the independent verification of law compliance, and they could be built on existing in-country schemes.

Legality

The FLEGT focuses on capacity-building and improvement of governance in the forest sector of producing countries. A key aspect in establishing an in-country FLEGT VPA is to define what constitutes legal timber, based on national laws and regulations.

SFM

The FLEGT LASs should be based on national standards for forest management, rooted in the national laws and regulations of partner countries.

Social Aspects

The definition of what constitutes legally produced wood in VPA countries should be produced through a multistakeholder dialogue. The definition of legally produced wood should also cover recognition and protection of property rights, especially the rights of forest-dwelling communities.

Traceability

Includes considerations about explicit performance requirements including chain-of-custody. It assesses certification systems’ provisions for the control of chain -of-custody from the forest of origin to the final product.

Information Accuracy

Includes criteria to assess the absence of conflicts of interest in a certification scheme’s decision-making process. It also includes criteria and requirements to assess the independence of the evaluation and verification of performance in forest management and the chain-of-custody standard. Criteria and requirements to assess the use of monitoring systems to evaluate overall management, and the social and environmental impacts are also included.

Legality

Includes criteria and requirements for assessing compliance with relevant national and international laws, treaties and agreements.

SFM

Includes criteria and requirements to assess compatibility with globally applicable SFM principles and continued improvement of forest management. Assesses whether or not certification systems’ provisions for forest plantations ensure that plantations do not lead to the conversion of critical natural habitats.

Unique Forest Values

Includes provisions regarding the establishment of plantations, the conversion or loss of critical natural habitats, the mitigation of environmental impacts to conserve biological diversity and other ecosystem services, and the maintenance of critical forest areas and other critical natural habitats.

Social Aspects

Includes criteria and requirements for assessing compatibility with globally applicable social principles including: respect for human, indigenous and worker’s rights; meaningful and equitable participation of all major stakeholder group s; and transparency in decision-making and public reporting.

Traceability

Companies are asked to disclose information about their ability to trace the commodities to the place of origin, and the steps they are taking to improve and manage traceability.

Information Accuracy

Companies are asked to disclose information about public comittmments and policies related to third-party certification systems.

SFM

Companies are asked to disclose information about public commitments and policies related to sustainability, sustainable sourcing, third-party certification systems, and deforestation.

Climate

Companies are asked to disclose information about public commitments and policies related to climate change.

Traceability

GHG emissions are estimated throughout the sup ply chain, beginning with the production of raw materials, including emissions associated with land use conversion --if applicable-- carbon stored in products throughout their life span, product manufacturing and use, transportation, recycling and disposal.

SFM

Estimates GHG emissions, if applicable, from land use conversions including converting natural forests to plantations and grasslands to forest plantations.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Estimates avoided GHG emissions by recycling products.

Climate

Estimates direct and indirect (Scope 1,2, and 3) GHG emissions of forest products throughout the supply chain, including emissions associated with land use conversion, carbon stored in products throughout their life span, manufacturing, use, recycling and disposal. FICAT also allows for incorporating indirect emissions, such as those generated by off-site energy sources.

Traceability

Requires suppliers to compile and retain information about the country of origin, species and contact details of their suppliers (requirement is mandatory for basic products such as logs, sawnwood, veneer, plywood).

Information Accuracy

Evidence of legality or sustainable forest management is required. These guarantees must be obtained through a process that includes third-party verification.

Legality

Does not include definition of legality; procurement managers are required to refer to existing tools such as forest certification systems, ecolabels, or the supplying countries that could define which legislation is relevant. Requires compliance with CITES.

SFM

Procurement managers are required to refer to existing tools such as forest certification systems or ecolabels. Does not include a definition of sustainability.

Traceability

Includes specifications to ensure the tracking of wood to the country and district level.

Information Accuracy

Standard is subject to third-party verification.

Legality

Requires wood harvesting to comply with all applicable harvesting laws in the jurisdiction.

Unique Forest Values

Requires that wood harvesting does not threaten high conservation value forests. Evidence of compliance is required.

Social Aspects

Requires that wood is not harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights.

Traceability

Provides guidance on gathering information and assessing supplier data regarding the origin of wood products. Provides sample questionnaires and advice on setting up supplier databases (White and Sarshar, 2006).

Information Accuracy

Provides advice on setting up internal monitoring and tracking systems. Promotes credible third-party certified products.

Legality

Provides advice for keeping illegally harvested wood out of the supply chain. Advice includes providing definitions of legal wood, addressing bad or unfair laws, examples of procurement policies, list of CITES listed species, and lists of legal documentation for various countries (see Miller et al., 2006).

SFM

Promotes credible certification as a tool for improving forest management. Provides advice on options for addressing land-use change issues.

Unique Forest Values

Provides overview information about high conservation value forests, and advice on options to address sourcing from these areas.

Social Aspects

Provides information on social issues related to wood and paper purchasing, as well as information on areas where these issues are most relevant (see White and Sarshar, 2006). Requires compliance with ILO convention on indigenous and tribal peoples, and the UN declaration of human rights. Endorses good labor practices through compliance with local and international labor laws.

Pollution

Supports procedures for minimizing pollution and impr oving the acquisition, transportation, storage and management of toxic substances. Promotes nonuse/ production of toxic chemicals and compliance with local and international conventions regarding emissions, effluents and wastes.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Provides advice on defining levels of recycled content and systems to certify recycled materials.

Climate

Supports efficient use of energy to minimize direct/indirect impacts on climate change, management to improve levels of carbon sequestration.

Information Accuracy

Prefers suppliers that implement EMS to monitor and improve performance, as well as suppliers that proactively disclose environmental information.

Legality

Promotes the use of raw materials that have been produced in compliance with the laws and the rules of the regions where they were harvested.

SFM

Prefers products using sustainably produced renewable natural re sources, including certified products.

Pollution

Prefers paper bleached without chlorine.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Prefers products that are easily recycled and contain high percentages of recycled content.

Traceability

Requires that relevant documentation and evidence (e.g., invoices, contract sales, logging notification, etc.) be preserved during definite terms.

Information Accuracy

Requires verification of legality and sustainability through various instruments and procedures, such as wood industry associations’ codes of conduct, self-verification mechanisms and forest certification systems. Certification systems that are recognized to meet monitoring and verification requirements include Japan’s Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), the Indonesian Lembaga Ekolabel (LEI), the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCS), PEFC, and SFI.

Legality

Requires that timber be harvested in a legal manner, consistent with procedures in the forest laws of timber-producing countries. Legality is a priority for the Japanese government.

SFM

Requires that timber be harvested under a sustainable management regime, and verified through various instruments such as forest certification systems (CSA, FSC, Japan’s Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council, LEI, MTCS, PEFC and SFI), codes of conduct of wood industry associations, and self-verification mechanisms.

Pollution

Includes specifications for pollutant emissions in the processing of procured raw materials.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Requires specific percentages of recycled content for various solid and pulp-based products.

Traceability

Timber and wooden furniture products should be third-party certified to ensure that the origin of the raw materials is known.

Information Accuracy

Timber and furniture products should be third-party certified to ensure (i) that the origin of the products is known; and, (ii) that the forests where the raw materials originated were sustainably managed. Auditing bodies should register, and be previously approved by, the Ministry of Environment.

Legality

Wood of verified legal origin and in compliance with environmental regulations.

SFM

Timber and wooden furniture products should be third-party certified to ensure that the forests from which the raw materials originated were sustainably managed.

Pollution

Office paper products should be at least 50% Chlorine-free.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

At least 50% of the fibers of office paper products should be recycled or certified.

Traceability

The Standard does not cover, and is not applicable to, materials from unknown sources. Users need to know the geographic origin of the raw materials that go into the product to a level that is appropriate to support claims to consumers.

Information Accuracy

The Standard is applicable to non-controversial products of known origin, including SFM certified products, legally-verified products, or products with chain of custody certification. The Standard seeks to provide a framework to help differentiate products in the marketplace, based on qualities and values important to the buyers, and beyond the variability of forestry certification systems.

Legality

The Standard is applicable only to products that originate from jurisdictions with low risk of illegal activity, or from controlled wood standards, stair-step standards, legality assessments, or other proprietary standards.

SFM

The Standard characterizes sources as “responsible” if controls in place ensure compliance with best management practices to protect water sources. It characterizes sources as “certified” if they are certified to credible forest certification schemes, or conform to the American Society for Testing and Materials’ (ASTM) own standard for the evaluation of forest management plans. The Standard also includes in appendices, for discussion purposes, provisions related to protective forestry practices. Practices including cultivation of exotic species, forest-composition changes, systematic use and reliance on chemicals, and systematic elimination of natural in-growth of native trees cumulatively disqualify a source from being characterized as coming from areas with protective practices.

Traceability

The Toolkit provides a general, high-level overview of different sustainability aspects and issues along supply chains of forest products. The Toolkit also provides advice and information for financial institutions to assess and manage risk, depending on the country of origin of the products involved, and the location of operations.

Information Accuracy

The Toolkit provides general information about third-party verification systems, including SFM certification systems. It also provides links to SFM certification case studies, and advice about self and third-party performance monitoring, and stakeholder engagement to verify information.

Legality

The Toolkit provides a general overview of legality and illegal activities in the forestry sector. It also provides general information about emerging demand-side legality requirements, such as the U.S. Lacey Act and FLEGT. The Toolkit also includes case studies.

SFM

The Toolkit provides general information about Sustainable Forest Management; specific SFM topics include: forest conversion, GMOs, exotic species, use of chemicals, forest restoration, and clearcuts. Plantations are covered extensively, as well as information about SFM certification systems.

Unique Forest Values

The Toolkit provides general background information about special forests.

Pollution

The Toolkit includes information about the relationship between forests and the global carbon cycle, as well as the role of forests in providing ecosystem services such as air quality regulation, provision of genetic resources, and others. It covers aspects such as afforestation, reforestation, Reduced Emissions from Degradation and Deforestation, as well as wood-based biofuels.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

The Toolkit provides general background information about recycled fiber streams.

Climate

The Toolkit includes information about the relationship between forests and the global carbon cycle, as well as the role of forests in providing ecosystem services such as air quality regulation, provision of genetic resources, and others. It covers aspects such as afforestation, reforestation, Reduced Emissions from Degradation and Deforestation, as well as wood-based biofuels.

Traceability

In the US and Canada, requires an auditable system to ensure that the raw material in the supply chain is from responsible and legal sources. This includes landowner outreach, use of qualified resource and qualified logging professional and adherence to best management practices. For sources outside North America, it requires participants to assess and address risk of acquiring materials from controversial sources.

Information Accuracy

For the US and Canada, requires participants to have an auditable system to address Forest of Exceptional Conservation Value in harvest of purchased stumpage, implement a policy to ensure that facility inventories and fiber sourcing activities do not compromise adherence to the principles of sustainable forestry, and shall monitor the use of best management practices. Outside the US and Canada, requires participants to ensure their fiber sourcing programs support principles of sustainable forestry, including efforts to promote conservation of biodiversity, thwart illegal logging and avoid controversial sources and encourage socially sound practices.

SFM

Participants’ procurement programs are expected to promote SFM principles.

Unique Forest Values

For the US and Canada, participants’ shall provide information to landowners for identification and protection of important habitat elements for wildlife and biodiversity, including Forest with Exceptional Conservation Value. This includes program to address FECV in harvests of purchased stumpage. Outside the US and Canada, participants shall ensure their fiber sourcing support efforts to promote the conservation of biodiversity hotspots and major tropical wilderness areas.

Social Aspects

Requires the establishment of an auditable system for compliance with socially sound management practices. In countries without effective laws and law enforcement, participants must assess and address issues related to workers’ health and safety, fair labor practices, indigenous peoples’ rights, antidiscrimination and anti-harassment measures, prevailing wages, and workers’ right to organize.

Traceability

Requires suppliers to provide the place of harvest. In general the information should be posted on the product, close to it, or in the packaging. Initially, roundwood, wood in the rough and some solid wood products are covered. Declaration requirements to other wood products will be extended and clarified as the EU Illegal Timber Regulation is implemented.

Information Accuracy

The Federal Consumer Affairs Bureau will conduct various forms of enforcement including surveys at points of sale and documentation audits. The agency might also enlist assistance of private and public organizations in enforcement actions.

Legality

With the database on the website of the Federal Consumer Affairs Bureau, it is possible to obtain information about the scientific name and the trade name of the type of wood, necessary for the declaration. In addition, the database provides distribution areas of different types of wood, as well as information on whether the type of wood is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

Traceability

Identifies origin of raw materials for members’ products and conducts field scoping to ensure basic legality requirements are met as a minimum first step. Provides guidance on procurement policies; assists members to establish chain of custody systems and provides monitoring of such systems.

Information Accuracy

Promotes third-party certification. Provides second-party monitoring for members through the supply chain: monitoring members’ progress towards credible forest certification standard levels in forest operations; monitoring traceability of wood in processing facilities; and monitoring wood use and sourcing to decrease that from unwanted sources and increase use of good wood.

Legality

Evaluates operations’ compliance with basic legality requirements through field checks. Establishes and monitors supply management systems in forest operations and processing facilities and provides guidance towards specific legal standards.

SFM

Promotes SFM by providing technical guidance in forest operations towards credible forest certification. Promotes increased efficiency in forest management through training on reduced impact logging practices.

Unique Forest Values

Promotes sourcing from production forests and avoiding wood from unwanted sources such as protected areas.

Social Aspects

Trains forest companies to implement all social elements of FSC certification. Encourages business to donate directly to community forest programs.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

Promotes verification of recycled status.

Climate

Through the Climate Tree Initiative, promotes conservation of tropical forests to reduce greenhouse emissions and protect climate. Advocates ways to be carbon responsible.

Legality

Users can store supply chain information related to ethical and responsible practices covered by International Labour Organization, the Ethical Trade Initiative, or the UN Global Compact. It does not require reporting of this information, but encourages audits which track compliance with local laws and regulations.

Social Aspects

Allows members to store, share, and report supply chain information related to international labor standards and health and safety and compliance with laws on these issues.

Legality

Provides advice and guidance for compliance with UK central government procurement requirements for the legality of wood products. Accepts FSC and PEFC, as evidence of legality.

Climate

Although not required, members are encouraged to analyze and track the carbon footprint in their operations.

Traceability

The SmartSource program works with clients to trace the supply chains for specific products to identify, as accurate as possible, the forest source or origin of the raw materials in the product.

Information Accuracy

SmartSource staff reviews and validates claims made by suppliers regarding the origin of the raw materials in the products and relies on credible third-party certification and verification programs for sources with significant risk of controversial sourcing practices.

Legality

Suppliers are required to conduct a ‘risk assessment’ to determine whether wood/fiber source could be derived from illegal harvesting or trading activities. SmartSource relies on credible third party certification and verification programs for assessing legality for sources with significant risk of illegal harvesting and trading of wood and/or fiber. 

SFM

Suppliers are required to conduct a ‘risk assessment’ to determine whether wood/fiber source could be derived from conversion activities. SmartSource relies on credible third-party certification and verification programs and credible, peer reviewed, science-based, and publicly available resources for identifying SFM, potential Land-Use Change and Forest Conversion activities associated with particular supplying entities and countries.

Unique Forest Values

Suppliers are required to conduct a ‘risk assessment’ to determine whether wood/fiber source could be derived from areas considered to be HCVFs. Smartsource relies on credible third party certification and verification programs for assessing impacts of forest management activities in forests where High Conservation Values (HCV) exist.

Traceability

The project is seeks to provide an overview of the extent, primary geographic locations, and routes, of networks involved in illegal logging, corruption, fraud, laundering and smuggling of wood products.

Information Accuracy

The project seeks to provide an overview of the extent, primary geographic locations and routes, of networks involved in illegal logging, corruption, fraud, laundering and smuggling of wood products.

Legality

The project provides an overview of the extent, primary geographic locations, routes, causes and structure of networks involved in illegal logging, corruption, fraud, laundering and smuggling of wood products. Another objective is to provide support to countries in improving enforcement efforts, and build the capacity for law enforcement by providing training and operational support; a third objective involves developing best practices for combating forest-related corruption. Under Project LEAF, INTERPOL will conduct groundbreaking, intelligence-led law enforcement operations to combat illegal logging.

Climate

One of the objectives of the project is to develop best practices for combating REDD-related and forest-related corruption.

Traceability

String users are able to trace any product along the supply chain, from the forest to the finished product. This includes complex and extended supply chains and through the transformational processes.

Information Accuracy

Buyers and suppliers use a “handshake” mechanism to confirm that the data already entered by the previous organization is correct before entering their own data. If the data recorded is missing, or in violation of previously established validation rules, the system marks the data as incomplete or invalid. The system has built-in tools for third party auditing.

Legality

String makes it easier to identify data discrepancies. The “handshake” mechanism between buyer and supplier means that all actors along the supply chain would be in collusion to enable deliberate falsification of the data. String can be customized to store/request legality/verification documents or certificates.

Traceability

Provides contextual information on chain of custody and forest certification. The overview includes and profiles tools and initiatives that help track forest supply chains.

Information Accuracy

Provides contextual information on chain of custody and forest certification. The overview includes and profiles initiatives that help track forest supply chains, including technology tools.

Legality

Provides contextual information on legal initiatives (at global, regional, national, and local scales) that address illegal logging and trade in illegal timber. It includes government initiatives (e.g. bilateral and multilateral processes, trade agreements, public procurement policies) and private sector initiatives (e.g. certification agreements, legality verification systems) among others.

Traceability

Provides contextual information on timber tracking technologies that trace forest products through supply chain.

Information Accuracy

Provides contextual information on timber tracking technologies that trace forest products through supply chain.

Legality

Provides contextual information on timber tracking technologies that trace forest products through supply chain.

SFM

Provides contextual information on timber tracking technologies that trace forest products through the supply chain, supporting adherence to forest management certification standards.

Traceability

Provides and links to contextual information sources on traceability including reports, studies tracking trade flows among regions, and other analyses. It also provides links and information about tools to track forest products, including forestry certification systems, chain of custody standards, standards to verify the origin and legality of the raw materials and technological tools to track materials throughout the supply chain.

Information Accuracy

Provides contextual information and links to sources of information about forest certification systems, legality verification systems and technologies to help track and verify the origin and identity of the timber used in the products.

Legality

The data warehouse is dedicated to everything related to illegal logging. The web site provides data and links to contextual information on major themes related to illegal logging: causes and drivers of illegal logging and trade, initiatives and approaches to address the problem, policies and legislation aimed at tackling illegal logging and trade, key actors and stakeholders, indicators of progress and important sources of information. Information is provided at both the regional and country level, and it is organized by topic.

SFM

Provides and links to contextual information sources on sustainable forest management, forest conversion, and deforestation and land-use change.

Unique Forest Values

Provides and links to contextual information sources on various types of special places including high conservation value forests, endangered forests, forests with exceptional conservation value, and others.

Social Aspects

Provides and links to contextual information sources related to social aspects and forests. Themes covered include labor and health, social conflict related to illegal logging, public participation and others.

Climate

Provides and links to contextual information sources related to climate change and forests. The site has a section dedicated to Forests and Climate Change, and Reduced Emissions from Forest Degradation and Deforestation.

Traceability

The program offers tools, templates, procedures, training to design and implement a due diligence system. Organizations using the LegalSource standard are required to compile and store information about the supply chain detailed enough to allow a meaningful risk assessment.

Information Accuracy

The LegalSource program audits and certifies compliance with the participant’s due diligence system.

Legality

The LegalSource standard provides a system for organisations to reduce the risk of sourcing illegally harvested and traded forest products. The standard enables companies to apply a precise risk specification in their supply chain and to aim risk mitigating actions at the specified risks.

Social Aspects

The legality definition applied in the LegalSource standard includes social issues in so far as they are regulated by law in the country of harvest.

Traceability

Provides specifications for tracking and collecting and maintaining documentation about the origin of the materials.

Information Accuracy

Standard is subject to third-party verification.

Legality

Requires the implementation of supply-chain control mechanisms to minimize sourcing materials from forest management activities that do not comply with local, national or international laws.

Unique Forest Values

Requires that forest management activities maintain, conserve and enhance special forests.

Social Aspects

Requires participants to establish systems to minimize the risk of sourcing raw materials from forest management activities that do not comply with local, national or international laws related to workers’ health and labor and indigenous peoples’ property, tenure and use rights.

Traceability

Companies are asked to disclose information about their ability to trace the commodities to the place of origin, and the steps they are taking to improve and manage traceability.

Information Accuracy

Companies are asked to disclose information about public commitments and policies related to third-party certification systems.

SFM

Companies are asked to disclose information about public commitments and policies related to sustainability, sustainable sourcing, third-party certification systems, and deforestation.

Traceability

The network will create a database of DNA and stable isotope fingerprints for commonly traded species to help identify species and track the origin of wood and wood products along the supply chain.

Information Accuracy

The information in the database will be useful for monitoring and verification. Genetic and stable isotope testing can help track and monitors the flow of the timber throughout the supply chain.

Legality

Genetic and stable isotope testing can help verify the wood species listed on papers, and thus, support adherence to regulations for timber harvesting and trade.

SFM

The information in the database will be useful to help verify compliance with certification standards. Genetic and stable isotope testing can help verify the adherence to certification efforts, which support sustainable forest management.

Traceability

Course reviews how to develop due diligence systems to comply with the Lacey Act and meet other legality requirements, such as CITES, EUTR and the Australia Illegal Logging Prohibition.

Information Accuracy

Course provides an overview of risk assessment tools and forest trade certification bodies. The course website provides a list of resources for further information.

Legality

Course provides an introduction to the Lacey requirements, information on CITES requirements, and overview of government resources regarding Lacey, the EU Timber Regulation and the Australia Illegal Logging Prohibition. The course website provides a list of resources for further information.

Information Accuracy

Requires government departments to maintain records that demonstrate verification of the legality of the operations from where products were harvested.

Legality

Seeks to ensure procurement of only legally sourced timber and wood products. Provides guidance for implementation through supplier engagement and contract clauses and documentation for the verification of legality; recognizes third-party forest certification as a way to verify legality, as well as legality validation schemes and ecolabels.

SFM

Strongly encourages procurement of sustainably produced timber and wood products. Recognizes full third-party forest certification and step-wise certification as ways to identify sustainability.

Information Accuracy

Reviews verification requirements issued by public timber procurement policies in Belgium, Denmark, France, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand and the UK.

SFM

Reviews how different public procurement policies define or address sustainability (e.g., through certification systems, providing definitions and guidance, adopting third-party definitions, etc). Provides an analysis of the impacts of public procurement policies on the forests and forest certification.

Social Aspects

Reviews how public procurement policies include, exclude or address social aspects (socioeconomic, cultural and spiritual), compliance with fundamental rights, equality, non-discrimination, and others.

Information Accuracy

Provides contextual information and links to sources of information about forest certification systems, legality verification systems and technologies to help track and verify the origin and identity of the timber used in the products.

Legality

Alliance members are involved in in-country policy discussions around legality in the forest sector, including the negotiation of a legal timber partnership agreement between the European Commission and the government of Ghana, and law enforcement actions in Mozambique, and potential social and environmental impacts from a VPA.

SFM

Alliance members are involved in in-country policy discussions around legality in the forest sector, including the negotiation of a legal timber partnership agreement between the European Commission and the government of Ghana, and law enforcement actions in Mozambique, and potential social and environmental impacts from a VPA.

Social Aspects

Alliance members are involved in in-country policy discussions around social issues including land tenure, social justice in forest operations, forest operations and poverty reduction and community forest management and enterprises.

Climate

Alliance members are involved in in-country policy discussions and negotiations around REDD+ often from a social-issues angle.

Legality

The Alliance seeks to raise awareness of demand-side legality requirements such as the U.S. Lacey Act, to produce practical tools to help forest products supply chains screen out illegal wood and exercise due care, and to demonstrate compliance with legality requirements. The Risk Information Tool provides general information on countries and species to help buyers evaluate the risk of illegality of their supply sources.

Legality

The Global Forest Registry incorporates Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index as a way to assess risk of illegality, as well as relevant national and sub-national data when available. The aspects covered by the Registry, based on the requirements of the FSC’s Controlled Wood Standard, include: prevalence of illegal harvesting; enforcement of logging related laws; existence of effective systems for legal harvest and wood purchases, as well as levels of corruption.

SFM

Sustainability aspects covered, based on the requirements of FSC’s Controlled Wood Standard, include: conversion of forest to plantations or non-forest uses; no net loss and no significant rate of loss (>0.5% per year) of natural forests to other naturally wooded ecosystems; no use of genetically modified trees. Among other national and sub-national relevant sources of information, the Registry incorporates information from the FAO’s State of the World’s Forests report to assess risk of forest conversion. Also, all countries are classified as low risk of sourcing commercial wood from GMOs, with the exception of China, where there are GMO plantations.

Unique Forest Values

FSC’s Controlled Wood Standard requires that companies must assess if there are high conservation values at the ecoregional level that are threatened by management. To this end, the Registry incorporates the following information: Biodiversity Hotspots; Global 200 Ecoregions; Frontier Forests and Intact Forest Landscapes, in addition to existing information for national and sub-national high conservation value forests assessments.

Legality

The HCV approach was created to be used in the context of certification, which provides an additional level of assurance. The HCVRN recommends users to follow the Principles of Application of the HCV approach. Users should ensure that their procurement is compliant with international, national and local laws, respects tenure, customary rights and consent of indigenous peoples and local communities, and compliant with laws regulating the use and management of land and water.

SFM

The HCVRN advises against converting areas that are needed to maintain or enhance HCVs. Additionally, the HCVRN recommends using the HCV approach as part of a certification scheme where other principles can support environmental good practice.

Unique Forest Values

The HCVRN supports the identification of HCVs through assessments and responsible management and monitoring of HCVs in forest landscapes.

Social Aspects

Two of the six categories of HCVs are areas fundamental to the needs of local communities and indigenous peoples, and areas of cultural, archaeological, economic, or religious significance. These HCVs should be identified through engagement with local communities and indigenous peoples.

Traceability

The online platform supports the implementation of full batch level product traceability. The platform enables companies (with support from the Global Traceability team) to map and gather detailed information from their suppliers about the traceability and sustainability of products.

Information Accuracy

Allows users to compile and manage supply chain information to reduce data gaps in the supply chain allowing for better informed risk assessment.

Legality

By enabling enhanced traceability and supply information management, the platform allows users to assess their risk of sourcing illegal products in their supply chains, which could potentially violate legality requirements like the U.S. Lacey Act.

SFM

By enabling enhanced traceability and supply information management, the platform allows users to evaluate any sustainability claims associated with the products.