FSC Ecosystem Services Program · FSC Ecosystem Services Program ... made and rewards received for the provision of ecosystem ... or endangered ecosystems, habitats or refugia

FSC Ecosystem Services Program

Activities and approaches to expand

FSC certification

Chris Henschel May 2014

FSC® F000100 - FSC® International All rights reserved

Ecosystem ServicesThe benefits people obtain from ecosystems…Regulating Services

• Biodiversity Conservation

• Carbon sequestration and storage• Carbon sequestration and storage

• Watershed services - Water regulation and purification

Cultural Services

• Recreational services such as ecotourism

Supporting Services

• Soil formation/conservation

• Nutrient conservation

Provisioning Services

• Timber and non-timber forest products


Drivers of our work• Motion 10: FSC shall identify the risks with respect to claims

made and rewards received for the provision of ecosystem services (including carbon sequestration and storage) by certificate holders and take measures to ensure protection certificate holders and take measures to ensure protection and integrity of the FSC brand.

• ForCES Objective: FSC certification incorporates expanded and enhanced global and national environmental standards which are applied to emerging markets for biodiversity conservation and ecosystems services as an initial step for upgrading successful models in order to improve ecosystem functions


Primary ActivitiesDeveloping FSC strategic approach to certifying ecosystem

services:

• Developing certification models – how to certify ES?

• Developing benefit models – payment for ecosystem services

• Developing management requirements – new indicators and

Guidance for the Provision of Ecosystem Services

• Developing an impact evaluation and verification approach

• Adapting assurance and accreditation requirements

• Developing promotional claims


Supportive Activities• Market analysis

• Assessing the credibility and defensibility of external carbon

accounting schemes

• HCVF Reward Pilot Project

• Developing the FSC Forest Carbon Monitoring Tool

• Developing communications strategy for the program

• Ecosystem Services Advisory Panel


Additional Projects• Exploring the feasibility of FSC certification of protected areas

(2008 Motion 44)

• Exploring the feasibility of including high carbon density

forests as HCV (2011 Motion 17)forests as HCV (2011 Motion 17)

• Exploring the feasibility of FSC involvement in the verification

of REDD+ safeguards

• Memorandum of Understanding with Gold Standard

Foundation (exploring mutual recognition)


• Standard

development

• Market Analysis &

Business models

• Scaling up

Lead: FSC IC

• CIFOR

• UNEP

GLOBAL

57,000 ha

Nepal

45,000 ha

2 pilot sites

Lead: SNV

• MARD

• RECOFTC

Vietnam

Who is involved?


320,000 ha

3 pilot sites

Lead: FSC Chile

• Astorga Consultants

• Bosques Cautin

• Fundación Pumalin

• GFA

• INFOR

Chile

• UNEP 57,000 ha

2 pilot sites

Lead: ANSAB

• FECOFUN

• National Trust for

Nature Conservation

• Relief International

290,000 ha

3 pilot sites

Lead: WWF Indonesia

• LEI

• Ministry of Forestry

Indonesia

Certification Models and Benefit

ModelsModels


CM 1: Single Certification Model

FSC standards and systems are adapted to certify the provision of ecosystem services.

Enhanced promotional claims are developed and FSC certification of ES is marketed.


STANDARDS

• IGIs

• National

Standards

DOCUMENTATION

• FMP

• Monitoring Plan

• HCV Assessment

Additional ES

Management

Indicators +

safeguards

Impact

Evaluation

Indicators

Ecosystem

Services

Verification

Document

• Benchmark FSC FM Stds against

existing ES standards

• ForCES: indicator development at

national level

• Assess impact evaluation approach

developed under ForCES

• Assess other impact evaluation

approaches.

• Assess verification documents from other systems

• Survey CBs for existing verification approaches

• Develop verification document

Single Certification Model

PROMOTION

• FSC logo

• FSC claim

ASSURANCE

• Accreditation

• CB Training

• Audits

Additional

training on

impact

evaluation

Enhanced

ES

Promotional

Claim

• Determine training needs.

• Training in 2015

• Market research

• Explore different kinds of claims

• Link claims to additional normative ES requirements

STATUS QUO

Two Options for the Single

Certification Model:

• Broad ES Certification: Built upon the

foundation of indicators in Principle 6 foundation of indicators in Principle 6

• HCV ES Certification: Built upon the

foundation of indicators in Principle 9


Ecosystem Services Indicators

Soil formation (6.1, 6.3)

Water regulation and purification (6.7)

Biodiversity conservation (6.1, 6.3,

6.3, 6.4, 6.6, 6.9)

ES under Principle 6


Landscape values – tourism (6.7)

Provision of food – hunting (1.4, 6.6)

________________

Targets, Monitoring

Target setting (P7)

Monitoring (P8)

Social Safeguards (P1-5)

P6

Ecosystem Services Indicators

Conservation of biodiversity (HCV

1,2,3):

• Concentrations of biodiversity

• Large landscape-level forests

• Rare, threatened, or endangered

ecosystems, habitats or refugia

Basic ecosystem services in critical

situations (HCV 4):

• Water purification

ES under Principle 9


• Water purification

• Flood regulation

• Soil formation

• Erosion control

Provisioning for communities (HCV5)

Cultural Services (HCV 6)

________________

Identification (9.1)

Management (9.2)

Maintenance (9.3)

Monitoring (9.4)

Social Safeguards (P1-5)

HCV

PROS

• Broadest applicability

• No brand confusion (i.e.

promoting ES through FSC

rather than through HCV)

CONS

• Principle 6 does not require maintenance (allows for mitigation, damage and restoration)

Broad ES Certification Model

rather than through HCV)

• ForCES country partners are

taking this approach

restoration)

• Needs more adaptation from the current approach

• May be difficult to differentiate between normal SFM and ES activities

• May create too much supply


PROS

• HCV explicitly addresses biodiversity and ecosystem services

• HCV approach is precautionary and focused on maintenance

CONS

• Just a fraction of FSC-

certified areas and

ecosystem services

• Relative weakness of HCVF

HCV ES Certification Model

and focused on maintenance

• Area-based approach may lead to simpler impact evaluation

• May have broader market appeal

• Could be a force to strengthen HCV implementation

• Could strengthen FSC ‘claim’ to HCV concept

• Relative weakness of HCVF

implementation compared

to Principle 6.

• ForCES country partners are

not taking this approach


CM 2: Dual Certification Model

Certificate holders rely on external schemes for verification of the provision

of Ecosystem Services. Particularly for carbon.


STANDARDS

• IGIs

• National

Standards

DOCUMENTATION

• FMP

• Monitoring Plan

• HCV Assessment

Additional ES

Management

Indicators +

safeguards

• Benchmark FSC FM Stds against

existing ES standards (carbon)

• Particular focus on safeguards

• ForCES: indicator development at

national level

• FSC participate in development of

Gold Standard Improved Forest

Management Module

External

project

design

document

• NO FSC ACTIVITIES

External

Verification

requirements

Dual Certification Model

PROMOTION

• FSC logo

• FSC claim

ASSURANCE

• Accreditation

• CB Training

• Audits

Joint

application of

FSC and

external audit

Trademark

policy for use

with other

schemes.

• Joint application exercise with Gold Standard

• Recommendations for joint application

• CB training in 2015

• Market research

• Assessment of the credibility and robustness of

external carbon schemes (e.g. VCS, Gold Standard)

• Develop trademark rules for ‘tagging’ carbon projects

with the FSC name

STATUS QUO

BM1A: Self-directed Benefit Model

(Single Certification Model)(Single Certification Model)

FSC Certificate Holders access a fractured ES market independently using an FSC-certified verification document and an associated

promotional claim. Possible market segments include the tourism sector, private water companies, corporations driven by regulation

or Corporate Social Responsibility or funding programs of governments, NGOs and international institutions.


Self-Directed Benefit Model

Key Activities

• Market surveys

• Investigating impact demonstration • Investigating impact demonstration

requirements

• Testing through ForCES pilot projects


BM1B: Directed Benefit Model

(Single Certification Model)(Single Certification Model)

FSC facilitates payment to certificate holders for the provision of ecosystem services. This could happen

through an established fund, a program with key accounts, or some other measure. This approach is being tested through the HCVF Reward Pilot Project.


Directed Benefit Model

Key Activities

• Collaborating with FSC Key Accounts Program to identify supporters and develop pilot project

Identifying one or two FSC-certified candidate HCVFs• Identifying one or two FSC-certified candidate HCVFs

• Developing verification document and assurance approach

• Developing valuation approach

• Developing terms of payment

• Facilitating execution of agreement


BM 2A: Carbon Market Benefit

Model

(Dual Certification Model)(Dual Certification Model)

FSC Certificate Holders

independently access an established

carbon market to sell carbon credits.


Carbon Market Benefit Model

Key Activities

• Assessing external carbon schemes for rigor and credibilityand credibility

• Developing a trademark policy for use of FSC name/logo together with these external schemes (‘tagging’)

• Assessing joint application of FSC and Gold Standard assessments


BM 2B: Carbon Market Premium

Benefit Model

(Combined Single and Dual

Certification Models)Certification Models)

FSC Certificate Holders independently access an established carbon market to

sell carbon credits, with verified co-benefits, at a premium price.


Carbon Market Premium Benefit Model

Key Activities

• Same as for 2A, plus:

• Exploration of recognition of FSC-verified co-• Exploration of recognition of FSC-verified co-

benefits by external systems


BM3: REDD+/NAMA Benefit

ModelModel

FSC Certificate Holders benefit from inclusion in supported Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions

(NAMAs) or national REDD+ programs.


REDD+/NAMA Model

Key Activities

• Benchmark/gap analysis between FSC Principles and Criteria and established Principles and Criteria and established international and national REDD+ safeguard systems

• Exploration of the value, role and political feasibility of FSC in the context of national REDD+ programs and safeguards


Your Feedback Required:

• Which certification models?– Dual versus single

Broad versus HCVF

Dual versus single

– Broad versus HCVF

• What level of impact evaluation / demonstration of benefits is required and feasible?

• What are the most attractive markets for ecosystem services and the best business models for accessing them?


Who is doing the work?


Develop National

management Develop impact

Market Research

Review

International

Generic Indicators

Select and refine

certification models

Develop benefit

models

Evaluate

Benchmark FSC versus

other ES systems

New policies and

Government

engagementNational standards

development

Standards

development

groups

Selecting and

applying business

model and

payment

Stakeholder

engagement and

benefit sharingFSC ES Strategy

FSC

certification of

Project

management

FSC® F000100 - FSC® International All

rights reserved

Data Collection and

monitoring

management

indicators

Develop impact

indicators

Develop Impact Evaluation

Methodology

Evaluate

certification

models and

business

models

New policies and

guidancecertification of

sites

Forest Stewardship Council ®

FSC International

Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 553113 Bonn, Germany


53113 Bonn, Germany

T +49 (0) 228 367 66-0F +49 (0) 228 367 66-30

www.fsc.org

Documents

FSC Ecosystem Services Program · FSC Ecosystem Services Program ... made and rewards received for the provision of ecosystem ... or endangered ecosystems, habitats or refugia