Governments

Governments own and manage most of the world's forests, which puts them at the center of forest policy. FSC partners with national and local governments around the world to help them meet sustainability commitments – including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and the Glasgow Climate Pact – through forest certification, verified progress reporting, and public procurement policy. 

Working with FSC helps governments and communities create economic, environmental, and social value that helps secure their forests’ future. By certifying public forests, you can take advantage of the growing global demand for sustainably sourced wood and other forest products. Certification helps prevent deforestation and create a safe work environment and fair wages for citizens, while protecting forests’ environmental, social, and cultural values.

Case study: Gabon

The Congo Basin is the world’s second largest rainforest after the Amazon. A sizeable share of this rainforest is in Gabon. Gabon wanted to take a different course than other Congo Basin countries where mining, illegal logging, and encroachment on wildlife habitat are threatening both the environment and sustainable economic development. 
 
In 2018, Gabon decided that all of its forests where private concessions operate—about 15 million hectares—must be FSC certified. Gabon believes this decision will open the door to new economic opportunity while also protecting animals such as the endangered African elephant, creating a safe environment with fair wages for workers, and protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples. 
 

Learn more about FSC and Gabon

FSC certification lets you communicate verified progress toward your sustainability goals with real data. You can report on the share of public forests managed according to the world's most rigorous forest-stewardship standard. FSC's ecosystem services claims go further, letting you measure and report specific outcomes like carbon storage or watershed protection, and connect those outcomes to climate commitments such as the Paris Agreement. 

Implementing an FSC preference policy for public procurement needs is a powerful way to drive positive change. When you source FSC-certified paper supplies, office furniture, construction materials, and more, you’re supporting responsible forestry that helps the environment and improves your citizens’ quality of life.

You can also specify that public building initiatives use FSC-certified materials. FSC offers project certification to verify that projects such as new buildings, renovations, civil engineering projects, and event infrastructure use sustainably sourced forest materials.

To learn more about making FSC certification part of your public-spending policies, contact your local FSC team.

FSC’s solutions can help governments support many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals define the world’s shared plan to end extreme poverty, reduce inequality, and do more to protect the planet by 2030.

In all, FSC’s work addresses 40 targets under 14 of the 17 SDGs. FSC’s responsible forestry standard is particularly relevant to realizing SDG 15, which is Life on Land. Our comprehensive economic, environmental, and social approach to forest stewardship also contributes to SDGs focused on poverty, equality, natural resources, production and consumption patterns, decent work, climate change, inclusive and accountable societies, and global partnerships.

Your local FSC team can identify ways FSC solutions can help you address your specific SDG commitments.

To learn more about FSC and the UN SDGs, download our fact sheet.