Company risk assessments for Controlled Wood remain valid post-2015
Until now, companies have used their own risk assessments in countries without an FSC-endorsed national or central risk assessment. Company assessments were to be eliminated from the FSC system by the end of 2015. However, FSC has decided to postpone the phase-out.
According to a new decision by FSC, company risk assessments for controlled wood (CW) will remain valid until FSC implements a new CW standard. Companies may thus continue using their own risk evaluations in countries where no FSC-endorsed risk assessment exists.
The extension of the ability to use company risk assessments is an interim solution whilst the CW Standard (FSC-STD-40-005) is undergoing a major overhaul, introducing a new risk-based approach to sourcing acceptable timber.
Concurrently, FSC is planning to put many more FSC-endorsed risk assessments in place. This process is well under way, with risk assessments for 20 new countries almost completed and 37 more in the pipeline. FSC-endorsed risk assessments will largely replace company assessments.
The issue of company-based risk assessments has long been contentious amongst the stakeholders of FSC.
The key problem is a lack of alignment amongst different companies’ assessments in the same country. This is why there is an on-going process to replace them.
“The Controlled Wood Standard revision and the CNRA project are both huge undertakings and they are interlinked. Despite delays, both of these processes are well under way. At this point it makes sense for FSC to allow this flexibility in the time schedule for the phase-out of company-based risk assessments,” comments NEPCon Executive Director and Controlled Wood expert Peter Feilberg.
