The document summarizes a stakeholder seminar on the revision of PEFC requirements for sustainable forest management standards. It discusses the objectives of revising the standards to incorporate latest knowledge, respond to new challenges and expectations, and streamline requirements. The revision process includes a working group developing draft documents, a public consultation period for feedback, and formal approval of final documents. Key areas addressed in the revised standards include definitions of forest conversion, use of native and introduced species, chemical usage, conservation of ecologically important areas, indigenous peoples' rights, and compliance with legislation.
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PEFC Standards Revision: Requirements for SFM Standards
1. Stakeholder seminar
Revision of PEFC requirements
Part 2: Requirements for SFM standards
Geneva, Switzerland (2nd June 2010)
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2. Objectives of the stakeholders dialogue
- To inform stakeholders about the results of work of the
revision Working Group.
- To receive feedback from stakeholders on the “enquiry
draft” documents.
- To encourage stakeholders in participation in the formal
public consultation.
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3. Global Challenges for Certification
PEFC Stakeholder Dialogue
Geneva 2st June 2010
Ben Gunneberg
PEFC Council Secretary General
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4. Over last ten years:
Increasing public and consumer awareness and knowledge
Increasing involvement by governments at all levels
Concept of “corporate social responsibility" adopted – and
implemented – by more and more companies
Forest management has become a global procurement issue
The rise of issues such as climate change, social issues,
biodiversity – and the potential contribution by forests
especially in the tropics
Forest certification is now a solution provider
4 However….
5. Challenge 1: Expansion of Certification
8% 26 66
% %
Only 8% of the world’s forests are certified – have we stalled?
Only 26% of the world’s industrial roundwood supply is certified – after
almost 20 years of forest certification
66% of the total area certified to PEFC
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6. Challenge 2: Distribution of certification
82 million ha, 26% of world’s
certified forests 180 million ha, 56% of world’s
60
52.8
certified forests
50
% of total forest area
40 38.3
30
20
10 5.2
2.8 2.5 0.9 0.8
0
Western North Oceania CIS Latin America Africa Asia
Europe America
CIS = Commonwealth of independent states
6 Source: UNECE/FAO Forest Products Annual Market Review 2008-2009
7. Challenge 3: Securing Market Access
Legislation and procurement policies as drivers for sustainable
and legal timber stimulate demand for certified product and are
welcomed:
Legislation (Lacey Act, Due Diligence Proposal EU)
Bilateral Agreements – FLEGT; MoU China & Indonesia, etc
Public Procurement Policies (CPET, TPAC, ICLEI, EU Ecoflower etc)
Green Buildings initiatives
Responsible Purchasing Policies & Codes of Conduct
Need to ensure they remain drivers and do not become barriers
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8. PEFC Standards Revision needs to
ensure that:
Meta standard requirements are flexible enough to be
applicable to all national processes,
Resulting national certification requirements are feasible,
realistic and cost-effective.
Both the Meta standard requirements and resulting national
certification standards and systems are robust enough to
provide confidence to deliver key market and stakeholder
expectations
Finding the right balance is the challenge
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9. Context of the PEFC Revision
Governance Review 2008
New Strategic Plan
General Review of Statutes and Documents
chain of custody and requirements for C-o-C Certification Bodies
requirements for standard setting, forest management standards and
regional/group certification,
requirements for FM CBs and PEFC endorsement process.
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10. Elements under Review
PEFC ST 1001:20xx: Standard setting – requirements
-- establishes governance requirements for national standards processes
PEFC ST 1002:20xx: Group forest certification – requirements
-- rules for group or regional certification
PEFC ST 1003:20xx: Sustainable Forest Management
Standards
-- requirements for national SFM standards
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11. Objectives
Incorporate latest knowledge
Respond to customer/community expectations
Respond to new challenges (global south)
Broaden stakeholder involvement
Streamline PEFC requirements and structures
Simplify PEFC documentation
12. Stages of the revision process (PEFC
GD 1003:2009)
Proposal stage: “Project” for development of new document or
revision of existing is approved by the BoD
Preparatory st.: A working group is set up and first draft or analytical
papers prepared by the project leader
WG stage: Working Group builds consensus on draft documents
Enquiry stage: A draft document is released for public consultation (2
months minimum), comments received are considered
by the WG
Formal approval: Final draft is adopted by the PEFC General Assembly
based on recommendation of the PEFC BoD.
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14. Working group stage
• Provides for balanced representation of stakeholders
• 5 meetings 2009-2010
• Established four (4) task forces (standard setting and group
certification; biodiversity; social issues; and plantation forestry and
GMOs)
• Organised two specialists workshop (social issues in Feb 2010
and biodiversity in March 2010),
• Prepared draft documents for public consultation
15. Public consultation stage
• Three documents published for public consultation
(mid April to the end of June 2010),
• Stakeholder Dialogues (Geneva in May 2010,
Malaysia in June 2010)
• Three webinars (1-3rd June 2010)
16. Next stages
• WG will consider all comments from public consultation and
will deliver to the PEFC BoD a final draft (September 2010),
• PEFC Board of Directors will consider the final draft and
recommends it to PEFC General Assembly for formal voting or
returns it back to the WG (October 2010),
• PEFC General Assembly will formally vote on the final drafts
documents
Participate in online consultation: www.pefc.org, click on Get
involved - Public consultations
17. Draft requirements for sustainable
forest management
Jaroslav Tymrak
PEFC Council Head of Technical Unit
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18. PEFC ST 1003:20xx, Part 1 (ED):
Requirements for Sustainable Forest Management
Standards – Part 1: Temperate, boreal and
plantation forests
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19. Scope
- PEFC Council defines “meta-standards”,
- PEFC meta-standards should be based on
intergovernmental processes,
- Only PEOLG and ATO/ITTO PCIs (alternatively FAO
guidelines for planted forests) can be used as meta-
standards,
- A single SFM standard should be assessed against
a single PEFC meta-standard.
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20. Application of SFM standards (3.1)
At what level?
…are applicable at the forest management unit level, or at another
level as appropriate, to ensure that all requirements are met at the
forest management unit level.
Note: An example of a situation where a requirement can be defined at other than forest
management unit level (e.g. group/regional) is monitoring of forest health. Through monitoring of
forest health at regional level and communicating of results at the FMU level the objective of the
requirement is met without the necessity to carry out the individual monitoring of every forest
management unit.
By whom?
…shall apply to activities of all operators in the defined forest area
who have a measurable impact on achieving compliance with the
20 requirements.
21. Public availability of FMPs (1.1c)
A summary of the forest management plan or its equivalent, which
contains information about the forest management measures to be
applied, is publicly available, except for confidential business and
personal information.
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22. Forest conversion (1.2 a and Appendix 1)
Requirement regulating forest conversion includes two elements:
a) To regulate conversion of forests into other use, including
conversion to forest plantations
b) To exclude from certification forest plantations established as a
result of the conversion.
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23. Forest conversion (1.2 a)
Conversion of forests to other types of land use, including timber plantations,
shall not occur unless in justified circumstances where the conversion:
i. is in compliance with national and regional policy and legislation
relevant for land use and forest management and is a result of
national or regional land use planning governed by a governmental
or other official authority including consultation with materially and
directly interested persons and organisations,
ii. entails a limited pro-portion of forest type,
iii. does not have negative impacts on threatened (including
vulnerable, rare or endangered) forest ecosystems, culturally and
socially significant areas, important habitats of threatened species
or other protected areas and,
iv. makes a contribution to long-term conservation, economic, and
social benefits (for example through the rehabilitation of degraded
forests).
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24. Forest conversion (Appendix 1)
The requirement for the “conversion of forest to other types of land,
including plantations” shall be interpreted that plantations established
from forest conversion after the application date of this standard in
other than “justified exceptional circumstances” are not meeting the
requirement and are not eligible to certification.
Optional requirements:
- Specific date, e.g. …plantations established after year 2000…
- Floating date, e.g. …plantations established during the period of the last 10
years…
- Rotation period, e.g. …plantation within the first rotation after the
conversion…
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25. Native species (2.2b) and introduced species (4.2b)
Appropriate forest management practices such as reforestation and
afforestation with tree species and provenances that are suited to the site
conditions or the use of tending, harvesting and transport techniques that
minimise tree and/or soil damages shall be applied.
For reforestation and afforestation, origins of native species and local
provenances that are well adapted to site conditions shall be preferred,
where appropriate. Only those introduced species, provenances or varieties
shall be used whose impacts on the ecosystem and on the genetic integrity
of native species and local provenances have been evaluated, and if
negative impacts can be avoided or minimised.
Note: CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) Guiding Principles for the Prevention, Introduction, and Mitigation
of Impacts of Alien Species that Threaten Ecosystems, Habitats or Species are recognized as guidance for
avoidance of invasive species.
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26. Usage of chemicals (2.2c)
The use of pesticides shall be minimised and appropriate silvicultural
alternatives and other biological measures shall be preferred.
The WHO Type 1A and 1B pesticides and other highly toxic pesticides
shall be prohibited, except where no other viable alternative is available.
Note: Any exception for the usage of WHO Type 1A and 1B pesticides
shall be defined by specific forest management standard.
Pesticides, such as chlorinated hydrocarbons whose derivates remain
biologically active and accumulate in food chain beyond their intended
use, and any pesticides banned by international agreement, shall be
prohibited.
The usage of pesticides shall follow the FAO International Code of
Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides or other regulations
compatible with the FAO Code of Conduct. Proper equipment and training
26 shall be provided with regular compliance assessment made to minimise
health and environmental risks.
27. Representative areas , ecologically important biotops (4.1b)
Forest management planning and terrestrial inventory and mapping of
forest resources shall identify and protect ecologically important forest
biotopes, taking into account protected, rare, sensitive or representative
forest ecosystems such as riparian areas and wetland biotopes, areas
containing endemic species and habitats of threatened species, as
defined in recognised reference lists, as well as endangered or protected
genetic in situ resources.
The forest management shall provide for conservation/set aside of the
key ecosystems or habitats in their natural state.
Alternative proposal:
PEFC Council would incorporate the concept of HCVF.
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28. GMOs (4.1b)
Genetically modified trees shall not be used.
Note: The restriction on the usage of genetically modified trees has been adopted
based on the precautionary principle. Until enough scientific data on genetically
modified trees indicates or guarantee that impacts on human and animal health and the
environment are equivalent to, or more positive than, those presented by trees
genetically improved by traditional methods. PEFC Council position on genetically
modified trees will be reviewed in 2015.
Alternative proposal
Until 2015, genetically modified trees shall not be used.
Note: The restriction on the usage of genetically modified trees has been adopted
based on the precautionary principle that until enough scientific data on genetically
modified trees indicate or guarantee that impacts on human and animal health and
the environment are equivalent to, or more positive than, those presented by trees
genetically improved by traditionally methods. PEFC Council position on genetically
28 modified trees will be reviewed by 2015.
29. Contribution to local economy (6.1a)
Where applicable, forest management shall stimulate employment of the local
population, including indigenous peoples, as well as the local processing of timber and
non-timber forest products. The employment of local people, including indigenous
peoples, shall be stimulated, for example through training.
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30. Indigenous people rights (6.1b)
Property rights and land tenure arrangements shall be clearly defined,
documented and established for the relevant forest area. Likewise, legal,
customary and traditional rights related to the forest land shall be
clarified, recognised and respected.
Forest management activities shall be conducted in recognition of the
established framework of legal, customary and traditional rights, which
shall not be infringed upon without the free and informed consent of the
holders of the rights, including the provision of compensation where
applicable. Where the extent of rights is not yet resolved or is in dispute
there are processes for just and fair resolution. In such cases forest
managers shall, in the interim, provide meaningful opportunities for
parties to be engaged in forest management decisions whilst respecting
the processes and roles and responsibilities laid out in the policies and
laws where the certification takes place.
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31. Training and competency (6.2b)
Forest managers, contractors, employees and forest owners shall be
provided with sufficient information and encouraged to keep up to date
through continuous training in relation to sustainable forest management
as precondition for all management planning and practices tasks
described in this standard.
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32. Save working condition (6.2b)
Working conditions shall be safe, and guidance and training in safe working
practice shall be provided. Forest management shall comply with ILO
conventions No. 155, 161 and 184.
Alternative proposal:
Forestry work shall be planned, organised and performed in a way that health and
accident risks are identified and all reasonable measures are applied which protect
workers from work related risks. Workers shall be informed about the risks involved
with their work and about preventive measures. Working conditions shall be safe,
and guidance and training in safe working practice shall be provided to all assigned
in a task in forest operation.
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33. Compliance with legislation (7)
Forest management shall comply with legislation applicable to forest
management; including forest management practices; nature and
environment protection; protected and endangered species; property,
tenure and land use rights for indigenous people; health, labour and
safety issues; and the payment of royalties and taxes.
Forest management shall provide for adequate protection of the forest
from unauthorised activities such as illegal logging, illegal land use,
illegally initiated fires, and other illegal activities.
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34. Appendix 1: interpretation for forest conversions
• Applicable for standards developed specifically for “forest plantations”,
• Provides interpretations for requirements of the core part,
• Interpretation is mainly based on principle of compliance at the FMU
rather than individual stand level.
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We do need to realize that only 8% of the world's forest are certified. This corresponds to 26% of the global industrial round wood production. And if you think that 26% does sound like a lot, keep in mind that it has taken the two global certification organisations almost 20 years to get to this level. What's more, according to the UN, the rate of increase in global certified forest area has slowed dramatically since 2006.
There's more to this problem: More than 80% of today's certification happens in Western Europe and North America, regions where forest management has been traditionally quite responsible, with strong forest legislation and law enforcement. Forest certification has not made much progress in certifying tropical forests – and you may recall that this was the primary objective when forest certification was first set up. Tropical forests is where forest certification can really make a difference, and the challenge is to make certification relevant there. We do need to look closely at why forest certification has not succeeded there, and how we can better adapt our approaches to certifying forests in these areas. There's also an additional challenge: More and more public and private procurement policies require sustainable timber – which essentially excludes timber from the Global South, given that only small parts there are certified. How can we expand certification in the Global South?
Forests are very important for life. Sustainable forests are vitally important and do make a difference to life.