Backgrounder Backgrounder Forest Certification in British Columbia Governments, industry and non-governmental organizations have introduced a variety of initiatives to promote sustainable forest management since the issue was raised as a global concern at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development. Forest certification is a new tool that is gaining increasing international attention as a mechanism by which forest companies can demonstrate to world markets their commitment to the principles of sustainable forest management. Although certification has yet to be proven in practice in BC, there is growing interest in exploring ways to make it work effectively. Types of Forest Certification Forest certification provides independent third-party verification that a forestry operation meets the voluntary standards set by a certification program.
Companies apply voluntarily, and government has no direct role in the process.
A variety of forest certification programs have developed throughout the world in the last few years, and others are still evolving. It is not clear at this stage which programs are likely to play a predominant role in the future. At the present time, BC applicants may choose to apply to one or more certification bodies. ISO 4001, a standard that permits the certification of an environmental management system, provides a framework for a company to identify areas where its activities, products and services have an environmental impact. The standard is not specific to forestry.