FSC opens the first public consultation for the revised Ecosystem Services Procedure

The first public consultation of the Ecosystem Services Procedure: Impact Demonstration and Market Tools (FSC-PROC-30 006) is open between 16 January and 17 March 2023, and has been translated into Spanish and French.

FSC will hold webinars in English with simultaneous Spanish and French translation during this consultation process to explain the procedure revision.

The Ecosystem Services Procedure: Impact Demonstration and Market Tools (FSC-PRO-30-006 V1-2) has as its main objectives:

set out the requirements for FSC-certified forest managers to demonstrate the impact of their activities on the maintenance or enhancement of ecosystem services.
provide FSC-certified forest managers with improved access to emerging ecosystem services markets.
improve access to finance for validated ecosystem service enhancement impacts.

This consultation is part of a review process initiated more than a year ago and motivated by several needs:

in 2021, a review report of the procedure was drafted by the FSC Performance and Standards Unit (PSU) and was put for consultation (in Dec 2021 – Jan 2022), whose analysis has led to a full revision of the procedure.
In parallel to the review process, Motion 48/2021 (Streamline the Ecosystem Services Procedure, incorporate more services and maximise its potential) was approved at the FSC General Assembly 2021 requesting a revision of the procedure.
At the 9th FSC General Assembly 2022 in Bali, the following motions connected to the Ecosystem Services Procedure were approved:
- motion 49/2021 FSC Ecosystem Service Procedure as a mitigation mechanism to meet global market demand for net-zero and net-positive targets.
- motion 53/2021: Policy Motion to incorporate to ecosystem services the recognition of cultural services and practices to strengthen and endure over time the interconnection of Indigenous Peoples.

The revision of the procedure also contributes directly to the FSC Global Strategy 2021 – 2026, with outcomes in strategy 1 (forest solutions) and 2 (transform markets).

FSC set up a technical working group which started to workin July 2022. It consists of six members, three members represent environmental, social and economic interests and three members are technical experts.

FSC has also established a Consultative Forum to engage with interested parties during the revision.

Feedbacks and comments can be submitted in the consultation platform (link here), which is open to all.

The consultation material for this first public consultation is available on the platform in English, French and Spanich, and you can download here the revised procedure and consultation document.

The first public consultation is open between 16 January and 17 March 2023. The second public consultation is expected to happen in August 2023.

FSC will also hold webinars in English with simultaneous Spanish and French translation for different time zones during the consultation. In these webinars, the technical working group will explain the proposals presented in the revised draft, the questions included in the public consultation, and will address questions/comments from the public.
The registration information is given below:

Cf. Tableau ci après avec liens d’enregistrement

The ATIBT, the Certification Commission, and the Carbon & Biodiversity Commission are participating in the consultative forum and invite members and stakeholders to participate in this consultation and to attend to the webinars. The challenge is to have a more operational procedure, which allows to recognize the ecosystem services provided by the certified concession holders and to value them on a market to be conquered.

Webinar information	Expected Date	Time	Registration info.
Webinar 1 (English with Spanish and French translation)	24 January 2023	9:00 – 10:00 CET	Link here
Webinar 2 (English with Spanish and French translation)	21 February 2023	17:00 – 18:00 CET	Link here

Members