FSC advances biodiversity impact monitoring: initial findings at COP16

Posted on October, 25 2024

Promising initial findings suggest that FSC Forest Management Certification contributes to biodiversity conservation, but more comprehensive data to monitor biodiversity in FSC-certified forests are needed
PRESS RELEASE: The first results of an initiative to fast-track biodiversity assessments in FSC-certified forests were announced today on Forest Day at COP16 in Cali, Colombia.
 
While they show a significant need for more comprehensive data to monitor biodiversity in FSC-certified forests, these initial findings suggest that FSC Forest Management Certification contributes to biodiversity conservation, including rare, threatened, and endangered species.
 
Consistent global data on biodiversity remains limited but is essential for improving the FSC Forest Stewardship Standards and demonstrating the positive impacts of responsible forest management. This fast-tracking initiative aims to evaluate the effects of FSC certification on biodiversity through data collection. It will also provide key inputs for mainstreaming outcome orientation in FSC forest management standards, a process that is currently ongoing.
 
FSC is working with WWF International, IKEA and other partners to enhance the understanding and monitoring of FSC certification’s effects on biodiversity in Brazil, Finland and Sweden. Initial results, show promising indication of positive impacts from FSC certification:
 
  • In Brazil, FSC-certified forests protect over 300 threatened species, including endangered primates, reptiles, plants, birds and large mammals.
  • In Sweden, key forest indicators and red-listed species have remained stable in certified forests over the past two decades.
  • In Finland, over 9 per cent of all FSC-certified forests are now designated for conservation due to FSC Forest Management Certification. Additionally, FSC certification has generated set-aside areas in Brazil and Finland that ensure landscape connectivity. 
  • In these countries, the FSC Forest Stewardship Standards include requirements for biodiversity conservation that are stricter than national legislation.
However, the biodiversity monitoring methods carried out according to FSC requirements — such as in Principle 8 — vary greatly from country to country, making it harder to collect the consistent data needed to assess forest biodiversity and understand the impact of FSC certification on forest management. To address this issue, FSC plans to use the results to establish clearer and more systematic data collection methods, a key improvement of FSC certification.
 
"While challenges exist in monitoring biodiversity consistently across countries, improving data quality represents a key opportunity to improve FSC certification and mainstream outcome orientation in FSC forest management standards," said Joanna Nowakowska, FSC System Performance Director. “Our goal is to strengthen our Forest Stewardship Standards by ensuring they incorporate robust data collection practices across all regions, strengthening our understanding of FSC certifications impact."
 
"Credible forest certification is a key solution that benefits both nature and people. It's important that we improve global understanding and monitoring of impacts of FSC certification on biodiversity. Initial results show promising indications of positive impact, but significant limitations in the data remain. The release of these results at COP16 offers a renewed commitment to ensuring FSC remains fit for purpose and continues to catalyse private sector leadership towards a net zero and nature positive future," added Fran Price, Global Forest Practice Lead at WWF.
 
The Fast-Tracking Biodiversity Assessment project, which was launched in 2022 at COP15 in collaboration with WWF and IKEA, has two main parts:
 
  1. Evaluating the biodiversity value linked to FSC Forest Management certification.
  2. Developing a standardized and robust monitoring framework for biodiversity in FSC-certified forests.
 
FSC will focus on advancing this monitoring framework once all results related to the value of biodiversity are collected.
 
Evaluating the outcomes of FSC certification is key to improving the FSC Forest Stewardship Standards and effectively communicating the benefits of responsible forest management. This helps FSC stay relevant and credible in a changing market that increasingly demands proof of sustainability impacts.
 
In Finland over 2.3 million hectares of forest are FSC-certified, representing approximately 10% of the country's forest land.
© FSC / Milan Reška