Clear and accurate: Why individuals and businesses can trust the claims about FSC

When people see the FSC logo, they recognize and trust it. This is because the organizations who use our trademarks follow a specific set of rules. Behind these rules is a system shaped equally by environmental, social, and economic perspectives, as well as a series of controls that ensure third parties verify the path of each FSC-certified product or material back to the forest.   

Our system evolves with a changing world. Most recently, we updated our trademark rules, which support FSC licence holders to use our logo correctly and leverage it to showcase their forest commitment to other businesses and consumers. We also created new resources to provide interested individuals with more information on who we are, what we stand for, and the impact we’re having on the ground.  

These changes directly address emerging global regulations against greenwashing. By meeting these updated requirements, organizations with an FSC certificate or licence can align with laws like the Empowering Consumers (EmpCo) Directive and continue to use our trademarks to communicate with consumers transparently.  

Updated rules for using the FSC trademarks 

• For FSC Forest Management and Chain of Custody Certificate Holders: The revised Trademark Standard (FSC-STD-50-001) was published on 1 January 2026 and reflects latest market and legal trends, providing the required alignment with EmpCo. The Standard sets the rules for trademark usage for certificate holders. Among the improvements included in the revision, it now provides a list of more than 60 specific environmental claims that FSC-certified companies can use with confidence. 
• For FSC Promotional Licence Holders: The revised Trademark Use Guide was published on 1 June 2026 and provides clearer rules for trademark use, a list of substantiated environmental claims, and practical guidance that supports accurate and credible communication about FSC-certified products. 

Global transparency and accessible proof for any claim about FSC 

We thoroughly reviewed our digital platforms to keep our promise of credibility and rigour. Our main digital home, FSC.org, now provides stakeholders and individuals with transparent, easy-to-access information about our claims and relevant certification requirements. A dedicated page – FSC Claims Check – provides explanations for all FSC-related claims, as well as verified sources for stakeholders interested in learning more. 

To inspire individuals to continue choosing FSC, we’re also showcasing the impact we’re having on the ground – backed up by academic studies, verified project data, and stories from the forest – on a dedicated digital space which we’ll continue to update as we collect these tangible data. 

We believe that environmental claims should not mislead consumers and inspire purchasing decisions that drive real change. This is why we support global initiatives against greenwashing and why we periodically revise our system to respond to the latest requirements. With this, organizations that use our trademarks are not only supported in their compliance journey but continue to feel confident in speaking up for the forests and the people, plants, and animals that call them home.  

Stay up to date on our work and have your say: 

• How we fight greenwashing 
• FSC and Empowering Consumers 
• Report a problem with FSC trademarks 
• Email trademark@fsc.org for direct queries