Consultation on the Revision of the FSC® National Risk Assessment for Canada
DOWNLOAD THE REVISED RISK ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR CANADA
PARTICIPATE IN THE CONSULTATION BY COMPLETING AN ONLINE FORM
The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) International has commissioned SmartCert to update the National Risk Assessment (NRA) for Canada. The NRA was developed by the FSC to evaluate and identify risks associated with sourcing Controlled Wood within Canada. Controlled Wood, as defined by the FSC, refers to uncertified material that can be combined with FSC-certified material in products carrying the FSC Mix label. The NRA needed to be updated because the current assessment is more than five years old and needs to be aligned with the requirements of the new Risk Assessment Framework (FSC-PRO-60-006b) and with the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The main changes introduced as part of this revision are as follows:
- Risk nomenclature has been revised for greater clarity. The classification of risk has changed from ‘Low-Risk’ , ‘Specified Risk’, and ‘Unspecified Risk’ to ‘Negligible Risk”, and ‘Non-Neglible Risk’. The categories were revised to enhance clarity and consistency in risk designations. ‘Non-Negligible Risk” indicates a level of risk that requires mitigation, whereas ‘Negligible Risk’ denotes minimal concern;
- The number of indicators has been increased from 32 to 64, to enhance the precision and comprehensiveness of the assessments;
- Risk maps are now mandatory to clearly visualize areas at risk;
- Threats to non-forest High Conservation Values (HCVs) are now included in the risk analysis, unlike previous versions; and,
- Mitigation measures are now required in the event of non-negligible risk, to ensure more responsible and proactive management.
The revised version of the risk assessment is available at the following link: RISK ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR CANADA
As part of the consultation, Smartcert is seeking comments from experts, certificate holders and interested parties in order to improve the risk assessment. PARTICIPATE IN THE CONSULTATION
We invite all interested individuals and organizations to submit their feedback before January 30, the closing date of the consultation.