© Tran Phuoc Lam / WWF
Forest Stewardship Council

Established in 1994, FSC enables businesses and consumers to make informed choices about the forest products they buy, and create positive change in the forest products market.

FSC, with its robust system and balanced decision-making process, provides the most credible forest certification scheme at present. Independent research also confirms that FSC certification has positive impacts on the environment, social development and governance.

The studies on this page, led or supported by WWF, provide further important insights into practical impacts of FSC certification on a company's bottom line and on the environment.

  1. Economic impacts of FSC Certification

    Profitability and sustainability in responsible forestry: Economic impacts of FSC certification on forest operators

    A new WWF study offers much needed insights into the economic impacts of FSC certification on forest operators.

    Through primary research on 11 forestry entities operating across four continents, the report finds that the financial benefits of FSC tend to outweigh the costs for tropical forest producers and small- and medium-enterprises, groups that are key players in the forest products sector and play an important role in managing forests sustainably.

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FSC & WWF

Forest management that is environmentally sound, socially just and economically viable, can help meet society’s needs while preserving important conservation values, thereby increasing the value of a standing forest and preventing conversion to other land uses.

But forest certification has yet to provide much of a stimulant to spread locally controlled forest management. Despite many efforts to establish forest certification amongst small-scale forest managers and owners, its spread is limited because the high costs involve outweigh the tangible benefits.

Forests Forward wants to work specifically with this group of forest stewards on achieving positive forest outcomes. Where possible, synergies are being sought with initiatives supporting smallholders.  

 

Stories from the ground
02 Feb 2021

To meet the unprecedented challenges of our planet, we need action to conserve and restore nature ...

23 Jul 2019

Low-impact logging practices in commercial tropical forests can contribute to wildlife protection ...

14 Jun 2018

Recognising we can’t protect or manage what we don’t know, a decade ago, WWF and IKEA set out to ...

10 Apr 2018

IKEA’s expanded IWAY Forestry Standard now covers bamboo, rattan and paper, adding almost 5m m3 RWE ...

26 Jun 2017

Sustainably produced rattan helps secure vital habitat for wildlife while improving livelihoods.

14 Feb 2017

A new report published by WWF and ISEAL indicates how businesses can contribute strongly to the ...

27 Jan 2016

South American timber giant Arauco received certification for 188,000 ha of forest.

21 Dec 2015

Only the second energy company in the world to be FSC certified.

17 Dec 2015

WWF calls on Resolute to work with FSC to address the challenges facing forest management in Canada.

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