What is SmartLogging?
SmartLogging certification demonstrates that a logging company is performing its work in an environmentally and socially conscious manner.
A responsible approach to climate impact is increasingly seen as a key performance indicator for businesses involved in the timber sector. By earning the SmartLogging certification, you will be able to differentiate your company in the market while building trust among clients and the public.
To obtain the SmartLogging certification, you need to exhibit environmentally, socially and economically responsible harvesting practices. Additionally, you also need to adopt regional best management practices, protect wildlife habitat, comply with worker safety regulations and ethically operate the business.
Benefits of choosing SmartLogging certification
Public trust: Opting for SmartLogging certification is an effective way to build trust amongst your clients and the wider public. Preferred by Nature will provide letters of support and other private business-to-business communications as proof of SmartLogging-certified loggers and forest product companies' commitment to responsible harvesting practices.
Branding opportunities: Larger companies in many countries already face mandatory requirements to report on their emissions. As such, smaller businesses are being scrutinised by their clients and stakeholders.
- Green is cool, but greenwashing is not: Make sure that responsible harvesting practices and certification are part of your sustainability strategy. SmartLogging provides a technically rigorous third-party evaluation of your harvesting practices.
Certified organisations
Our SmartLogging certification programme offers organisations a means to communicate their sustainability progress and gain recognition.
>> Access our database of certified organisations
SmartLogging certification process
Start your certification journey by completing our service request form or reaching out to us directly. Our expert will provide a standardised, yet flexible process for you to receive a SmartLogging certification. The process normally entails the following steps:
Step 1: Scope of your certificate
Apply to SmartLogging, where a Task Manager will assess certification scope, provide a cost estimate, and finalise a budget agreement before proceeding with the Certification Agreement.Step 2: Selecting auditor and planning
The SmartLogging Task Manager will gather your input before proceeding to the next step of selecting a qualified Lead Auditor and other team members for the assessment. Our auditors are provided with comprehensive guidance, training and written SmartLogging auditing procedures for the certification process.Step 3: Evaluation
We will review the harvester’s documentation, conduct interviews with employees and stakeholders, and collect data through field observations. Opening meetings will be organised with the harvester or group manager to review the assessment scope, procedures, and certification standards. Subsequently, selected sites will be inspected based on a comprehensive review of your harvesting systems, jobs, and forest conditions. We will engage with stakeholders and discuss critical issues or challenging sites.Step 4: Certification
We evaluate the performance by the harvester at the criterion and indicator level of the standard. Any non-conformances are analysed and classified as either minor or major.
Here is the basis for all assessments:
Non-conformance
| Corrective Action Request (CAR) Type |
|---|---|
Major non-conformance: Failure to meet the objectives of the criterion | Major CAR |
Minor non-conformance: Non-compliance not leading to failure at the criterion level | Minor CAR |
Observation: Very minor problem or beginning stages of a problem that if untreated could result in a minor nonconformance | Observation |
To achieve SmartLogging certification, you must comply with the requirements defined in the SmartLogging Certification Standard.
The standard is categorised into eight (8) subject areas that are used by auditors for assessing the performance of harvesting operations. The areas are:
1. Legal requirements
2. Harvest planning and monitoring
3. Harvest practices
4. Community values
5. Occupational health and safety
6. Business viability
7. Continuous improvement and innovation
8. Silviculture and reforestation
Complementary add-on certifications
You may also apply for the following complementary add-on Forest Stewardship CouncilTM (FSCTM) certification when applying for SmartLogging certification:
Chain of Custody (CoC) certification is to control the flow of certified materials throughout the supply chain. You need certification for any business-to-business trade in FSC-certified products.
Preferred by Nature Certification
We are an accredited certification body for several certification programmes, in addition, we have our own schemes and standards like the Carbon Footprint Support and Verification Programme and Sustainability Framework.
Our Carbon Footprint Management Support and Verification Programme offers a range of services that align with your business needs. The integrated support approach to carbon footprint management (CFM) provides the necessary knowledge, tools and methods required to help you better manage and verify GHG emissions across your business, products, or specific projects.
We have also created a universal framework to ensure big and small companies can optimise their positive impact. The Preferred by Nature Certification, based on our Sustainability Framework, is adaptable and uses a risk-based approach that evaluates critical sustainability issues based on the commodity, region and scale of activity.
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