FSC disassociated from Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) in October 2007 because of substantial, publicly available information that APP was involved in destructive forestry practices and was thus in violation of the Policy for Association. APP expressed its interest in re-entering the FSC system, and as a result a Roadmap for ending disassociation has been drafted after extensive stakeholder engagement. FSC has since decided to suspend the process to finalize a roadmap for ending disassociation with APP. For further information please refer to the following statement.

March 2023

APP and FSC are engaged in a dialogue to plan APP’s remedy framework project, which will be implemented after July 2023, when the FSC Remedy Framework (FSC-PRO-01-007 V1-0) becomes effective. This dialogue is supported by a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations. APP may seek to end disassociation with FSC only after the remedy framework process has been completed.

November 2021

APP fulfills initial pre-requisite before entering into an FSC Roadmap process

APP has submitted to FSC an independently verified report sharing the corporate structure of the APP Group.

This data disclosure fulfills one of the various initial pre-requisites FSC stipulated prior to entering into a roadmap process – to end APP’s disassociation.

By fulfilling this pre-requisite, APP shows an effort of transparency and openness. However, the company must still meet several other FSC requirements to start a roadmap process.

FSC and its stakeholders are also currently engaged in a process to revise and develop an updated set of policies to guide the  disassociation ending procedure.

As a result, FSC will only initiate a formal dialogue with APP Group related to a roadmap process once all pre-requisites are met, and the various FSC policies and procedures related to the FSC Policy for Association and the FSC Remediation Framework are refined and finalized.

August 2018

FSC decides to suspend the roadmap process for ending disassociation with APP. For further information please refer to the following statement.

May 2018

The 3rd Stakeholder Working Group in-person meeting was held in Bonn, Germany, 30 April - 4 May.

December 2017

The 2nd Stakeholder Working Group in-person meeting was held in Sukabumi 11-15 Dec. Second meeting summary note.

November 2017

Stakeholder Engagement Plan approved by FSC International and published.
Invitation for affected and interested stakeholders to receive the latest news on the APP Roadmap. Please contact dispute.resolution@fsc.org to sign up.

July 2017

The 1st Stakeholder Working Group in-person meeting was held in Jakarta 10-14 July.
Meeting summary note.

April 2017

FSC releases Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) draft for public consultation for 30 days. This document addresses the Board request in March and replaces Annex 1 in the APP roadmap draft.
SEP for public consultation EN | ID (Consultation closed)

March 2017

The FSC Board of Directors took a complementary decision requiring certain amendments to and clarifications in the Roadmap document.
The Board also requested that the further process is guided by a protocol and plan which ensure a common understanding of stakeholder roles, their balanced representation and any rules of engagement.

February 2017

FSC organized a workshop with APP and stakeholders in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which aimed to resolve the outstanding issues in the roadmap. 
The Board conditionally approved the Roadmap to end the disassociation with APP in the 74th Board meeting in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Roadmap (V6) EN | ID 

November 2016

The FSC Board of Directors provided additional interpretation stating that APP should be held responsible for compensating the past damage it caused, regardless whether the damage occurred in its own concessions or its suppliers.

September 2016

A stakeholder workshop is held in Jakarta where a group of international, national and local civil and environmental organizations discussed their key concerns of the revised draft roadmap (V2) with FSC.

  • FSC clarified that the roadmap was a high-level framework, which is served as the basis to develop detailed action plans with performance and verification measures, and also timelines.
  • Given the relationship between the roadmap and the action plans, it was agreed that the roadmap, when ready, would first be “conditionally approved” by the FSC Board of Directors. The final approval could only be considered when the action plans were also submitted to and approved by the FSC Board.
  • The roadmap was then revised accordingly (V3)
April 2016

FSC releases the first draft of Roadmap for public consultation. Consultation results indicated that clarification on the scope and objectives of the roadmap is needed. Roadmap (V1) ENFAQ | Consultation report

March 2016

FSC and APP agree on a consultation draft of the roadmap. A four-week consultation, open to FSC members and regional stakeholders, is launched on April 4.

November 2015

The FSC Board mandates the FSC Secretariat to move forward with a proposed framework of Roadmap commitments and to consult important national, regional, and global stakeholders representing social, environmental, and economic interests about them.

August 2015

The FSC Board mandates the Secretariat to enter into a dialogue with APP about the development of an action and monitoring plan (a roadmap) for phasing out, correcting, compensating for, and preventing the recurrence of any previously identified, or ongoing, non-compliance with the FSC Policy for Association.

March 2015

APP requests that FSC agrees to postpone further discussions so that APP can deploy all its resources to investigate a fatal incident at one of its suppliers’ concessions. FSC agrees to this request.

February 2015

Rainforest Alliance publishes its independent evaluation of APP’s progress in meeting its own Forest Conservation Policy (FCP). Additionally, APP provides FSC with a progress update for the period from August 2014 (end of the fieldwork of the Rainforest Alliance evaluation).

November 2013

FSC releases a first public update on recent developments, outlining the conditions for any consideration of ending the disassociation which under any circumstances would not take place prior to completion of at least a full year of implementation of APP’s new conservation policy.

February 2013

APP announces a new Forest Conservation Plan (FCP), with one part focused on the complete adoption of the FSC Principles and Criteria for high conservation value forests across its entire supply chain.

December 2012

APP approaches FSC, stating that it has undergone fundamental changes, therefore that it would like to enter into a constructive dialogue on the possibility of renewed association with FSC.

October 2007

FSC disassociates from APP. The decision is made because of substantial publicly available information that APP is involved in destructive forestry practices, which brings it into conflict with the FSC mission.

Update #1 - Status of disassociation from APP 2013-10-29
PDF, Size: 87.69KB
Update #2 - Status of disassociation from APP 2014-04-15
PDF, Size: 180.11KB
Update #3 - Status of disassociation from APP 2014-08-12
PDF, Size: 240.85KB
Update #4 - Status of disassociation from APP 2015-09-08
PDF, Size: 157.77KB
Update #5 - Status of disassociation from APP 2017-04-05
PDF, Size: 317.01KB
Update #6 - Status of disassociation from APP 2018-07-06
PDF, Size: 124.52KB
Update #7 - Status Of Disassociation From APP 2018-08-16
PDF, Size: 123.55KB
FSC Update 8 - Status of disassociation from APP_2019.06.21 (1).pdf
PDF, Size: 149.86KB