Forest Certification in Boreal Forests: Current Developments and Future Directions

Abstract

AbstractForest certification has expanded rapidly in boreal forests as a means to verify responsible management. It was spearheaded in the early 1990s by civil society organizations concerned about the negative impacts of industrial forestry on biodiversity and the rights of Indigenous and local communities. Certification standards are agreed by multistakeholder groups and outline a set of environmental and social requirements. Forest companies that meet those standards can put a green label on their wood products, thus gaining market recognition for good forest practice. This chapter reviews the particular challenges facing certification in the boreal region and the ongoing debates about how best to address those challenges. It examines differences between certification schemes and variations in requirements across world regions on key issues, such as protecting the rights of Indigenous and local communities and management of woodland caribou. It finds, for example, that the recognition and protection of Indigenous rights are more comprehensive in Canada than in Russia. This highlights the political and dynamic nature of certification as it evolves and adapts to changing social and environmental contexts.