Certification schemes

The FSC logo is the best guarantee that wood and paper products come from well-managed sources

With so much timber on the market that is destructively or illegally logged, it's important to have a certification system that can assess the logging industry's impact in forestry areas on both the environment and the communities who live there.

If developed responsibly, certification schemes can reassure customers that what they are buying is not the result of destructive or illegal logging. But poorly-managed schemes can make the situation worse by endorsing bad forestry practices.

FSC

At present, there is only one certification system that is truly effective, run by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). An international, non-government organisation dedicated to promoting responsible forest management, they have developed a system of forest certification and product labelling that allows timber merchants and domestic customers alike to identify wood from well-managed forests. The tree-tick logo is the best guarantee that timber has been produced in an environmentally sound and socially responsible manner.

To gain the FSC stamp of approval, loggers and forestry owners must demonstrate that their activities comply with FSC regulations. These require that:

• forests be logged in a responsible manner;
• water supplies be protected;
• free and informed consent of the traditional landowners is obtained;
• the rights of forest workers and forest communities are respected;
• endangered species and their habitats are conserved.

Certification schemes that don't cut the mustard

Canadian Standards Association

Malaysian Timber Certification Council

Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes

Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Chain of custody

At the heart of the FSC monitoring system is the chain of custody. This means any timber that carries their logo can be traced along the supply chain, from the forest it was felled in right through to the builders' merchant or furniture shop. Documentary evidence is obtained for every stage of the journey providing full traceability, while the FSC logo has become an internationally recognised symbol for high ethical standards.

Several major retailers, including B&Q and Marks and Spencer, are committed to stocking FSC-certified products. Check for the FSC logo on any wood products you buy - if it isn't there, you can't be sure of any environmental claims the manufacturers might make.

Other certification schemes

There are other timber certification schemes on the go, but none provide adequate assurances of environmental or social safeguards. Usually their certification standards fall short of providing sufficient protection for forest habitats and local communities, and in many cases the forestry industry has a controlling stake in their development.