APP signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FSC to start the remedy process. All updates related to the remedy process will be available here.
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.
APP and FSC are engaged in a dialogue to plan APP’s remedy process, 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’s company specific remedy plan will be developed and implemented according to the provisions of the FSC Remedy Framework.
APP will become eligible to end its disassociation with FSC once the relevant thresholds as described in the remedy plan have been met, which are verified by a qualified third-party verifier, and a decision to end disassociation is taken by the FSC Board of Directors.
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.
FSC decides to suspend the roadmap process for ending disassociation with APP. For further information please refer to the following statement.
The 3rd Stakeholder Working Group in-person meeting was held in Bonn, Germany, 30 April - 4 May.
The 2nd Stakeholder Working Group in-person meeting was held in Sukabumi 11-15 Dec. Second meeting summary note.
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.
The 1st Stakeholder Working Group in-person meeting was held in Jakarta 10-14 July.
Meeting summary note.
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)
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.
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.
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)
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) EN | FAQ | Consultation report
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.