FSC: Forests forever for all
Safeguarding important environmental and social standards in the forest
FSC – Forest Stewardship Council®
With globally valid standards, the unprecedented involvement of all relevant interest groups and the support of well-known companies as well as recognized independent environmental and social organizations, FSC is considered the most credible solution for sustainable forest management. The certificate is awarded after a successful audit by independent third parties, which is repeated at least annually. The FSC system thus ensures that forests are used in accordance with the social, economic and ecological needs of current and future generations.
What does FSC do in Germany?
In Germany, around 1.44 million hectares of forest are FSC certified and almost 4,000 companies have certification according to the FSC standards (as of January 2022). In German forests, the FSC stands, among other things, for forest management that does not overuse the forest, promotes biodiversity and acts transparently towards interested citizens and organizations. Clear-cutting during regular timber harvesting is prohibited and pesticides may only be used if required by law. FSC is committed to increasing natural mixed forests, protecting the forest soil, and protecting rare species and ecosystems. This makes FSC-certified forests more stable in a changing climate and, as an ecosystem, can bind more CO2 in the long term. For the people in the forest, FSC ensures fair pay and more citizen participation in the forest.
Transparent and reliable
There is a consistently reliable process behind the FSC label: Ten principles and 56 indicators have been developed on which the globally valid FSC standards for forest management are based. Forests that are managed according to these standards can acquire the FSC certificate. The FSC also offers transparency, trademark security and information services for companies and organizations interested in good forest management.
At a glance: FSC worldwide in numbers
- 197 million hectares are FSC-certified
- 51,188 FSC chain of custody certificates were awarded
- 1,477 FSC advertising licenses are active
- 1,165 FSC members are represented in a total of 89 countries worldwide
Always up to date: FSC International publishes monthly current “Facts & Figures”
Over 25 years of FSC commitment to the forest
For over 25 years, FSC has been committed to promoting environmentally friendly, socially beneficial and economically viable forest management. The independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization was founded in 1993 as part of the follow-up processes to the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. Today, FSC is represented in over 80 countries with national working groups.