Aligning with emerging regulations
Companies around the world trust FSC to provide assurance that their forest-based products support responsible forestry. This is because FSC puts the forests first, with our sustainable forest management standards as the core of our system. They enhance biodiversity, ensure fair wages, protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and tackle pressing challenges like deforestation, degradation, and the climate and biodiversity crises. FSC sets the international standard for responsible forestry, and is constantly working to keep the certification system relevant and robust to support compliance with emerging regulation.
Integrating FSC Certification into Impact Investing
This publication examines the role of FSC certification in impact investing, providing investment analysts with data-driven insights into its financial, environmental, and social implications. It explores how FSC certification may contribute to sustainability assessments in investment portfolios, drawing on research findings, case studies, and its relevance within sustainability-related frameworks.
FSC Aligned Certification for EUDR
The FSC Regulatory Module and FSC Risk Assessment Framework comprise FSC Aligned Certification for EUDR, along with system-wide updates to strengthen FSC’s commitment to sustainable forestry. These requirements ensure that our certification system remains robust and relevant in the evolving regulatory landscape. The Regulatory Module is relevant for companies that are in the scope of EUDR and companies that would like to support their current or future clients importing to European Union.
FSC Regulatory Module
FSC’s Regulatory Module supports FSC certificate holders in aligning their practices with Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EUDR) requirements and takes the guesswork out of compliance. The FSC Regulatory Module is a complementary standard to add on to existing FSC certification requirements for forest management, chain of custody, project certification, controlled wood and accreditation.
Due Diligence Requirements
The objective of due diligence for products in the FSC Regulatory Module is to demonstrate that the following conditions are met:
- Forest products are deforestation-free;
- they have been produced in accordance with the relevant legislation of the country of production;
- Forest products are covered by a due diligence statement.
Core elements of the additional due diligence requirements introduced in the module include:
- Information collection
- Risk assessment
- Risk mitigation
FSC’s Risk Assessment Framework
The FSC Regulatory Module requires that risk assessment and mitigation is conducted with the FSC Risk Assessment Framework. FSC Risk Assessments assess the risk of sourcing material from supply areas and establish mitigation measures to address those identified risks. Companies can find mitigation measures from the assessment based on the framework.
Simplified Risk Assessment Template
Forest management users of the FSC Regulatory Module can use FSC’s Simplified Risk Assessment Template. The Simplified Risk Assessment Template is also available for companies sourcing solely from FSC-certified forests; assuring that the additional work required to demonstrate due diligence is drastically less.
Users of the Regulatory Module not sourcing from FSC-certified forest must use the full FSC Risk Assessment template. Learn more about how to use an FSC Risk Assessment to conform with the Regulatory Module here.
Relevant claims
Organizations adopting the FSC Regulatory Module can make use of a Regulatory claim on sales documents for certified products signifying adherence to rigorous standards. When the whole supply chain is certified with the FSC Regulatory Module, certificate holders can make deforestation-free promotional statements. Learn more.
Get started with the FSC Regulatory Module
Contact your certification body to request the addition of the FSC Regulatory Module to your certification scope, and explore the resources below to support its understanding and implementation.
Infokits for FSC Regulatory Module
Regulatory Module Terms and Interpretations
Additional Quick Guides
Additional resources to support specific user groups with quick reference guides and summaries to simplify compliance.
FSC Regulatory Module Summary
Chain of Custody users quick guide