What is FSC?

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the world’s most trusted sustainable forest management solution.

We are a non-profit membership organization that certifies over 200 million hectares of forest worldwide. FSC’s responsible forestry standard, linked to a strict chain of custody certification, is a proven nature-based solution to tackle today’s climate and biodiversity challenges. That is why we are trusted by environmental groups, NGOs, consumers, and businesses alike.

FSC’s "check-tree" label, found on thousands of products worldwide, verifies sustainable sourcing from forest to consumer. By choosing and supporting FSC you are helping to protect the future of forests and the communities who depend on them.

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Woodland caribou
Elston Dzus

How We Protect Forests

In 1994, FSC pioneered forest certification as a way to responsibly manage our world’s forest. With support from experts in the environmental, economic and social spheres, FSC developed ten principles for responsible forest management that any forest operation must follow in order to receive our certification. These requirements ensure that the forest is being managed in a way that preserves biological diversity, upholds Indigenous Peoples’ rights, benefits the lives of local people and workers, and is economically viable.

In 2019, after 5 years of rigorous consultation, FSC Canada launched an updated national forest management standard that addresses some of the most pressing issues facing Canadian forests now including species at risk, specifically woodland caribou, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, workers’ rights, landscape management and conservation.

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Supply Chain Integrity

From forest to store, we are committed to ensuring credible, accurate and transparent supply chains. 

Over 50,000 companies worldwide have FSC’s chain of custody (CoC) certification. FSC supports them with industry leading tools - to ensure certified and non-certified materials are separated throughout the supply chain -  including the adoption and deployment of new technology, including blockchain, and through initiatives to find and address inaccurate claims. 

As CoC certification evolves, FSC is steadfastly committed to ensuring the ongoing integrity of supply chains.

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Supported by top Environmental Organizations

We are proud to be the only responsible forest certification system in Canada to be supported by top environmental organizations includingWWF-Canada, David Suzuki Foundation and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association (CPAWS).