LAND MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION

Ensuring Good Forest Practices

In today’s fast paced global economy, generating high product volumes quickly puts natural resource, like timber, at risk. A growing concern for the sustainable management of the earth’s resources is driving consumers, companies and public authorities for assurance that harvested trees, paper, and wood products come from responsibly managed sources. They want to ensure that our forests will be here for future generations.

What is Land Management Certification?

Land Management Certification is for companies that manage forest resources and is a way to ensure that forest land is managed responsibly. It often includes measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat and species at risk. Bureau Veritas offers certification to the two most recognized international standards: FSC® and PEFC.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) is an independent NGO (Non-Govermental Organisation) created in 1993 by environmental NGOs, wood trade organizations, foresters, indigenous people and certification bodies representing 25 countries.

The Programme for the Endorsement of a Forest Certification (PEFC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to promoting Sustainable Forest Management through independent third-party certification. PEFC works throughout the entire forest supply chain to encourage good practice in the forest and to ensure that timber and non-timber forest products are produced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards.

In addition to land management, both FSC® and PEFC offer standards that extend to organisations that use forest products (paper manufacturers, lumber mills, printers): Chain of Custody Certification.

What are the key benefits of Land Management Certification?

- Increasing consumer confidence
- Improving brand image
- Ensuring better access to your markets through strong differentiation
- Protecting forest resources

OUR APPROACH<\b>

Key Steps In Our Certification Process Are:

- Definition of certification scope and issuance of a contract adapted to your company;
Pre-audit (optional3): gap analysis between your current position and the certification requirements;
- Initial audit: global assessment of the certification requirements;
- Certification committee decision;
- Certificate issuance;
- Surveillance audits to verify the continuity of your system conformity;
- Re-certification after the completion of the 5-year certificate cycle.

3 -The pre-audit is optional in certain circumstances but mandatory in others.