FSC Joins Alliance Committed to Coronavirus Green Recovery

The coronavirus pandemic has had, and will continue to have, far-reaching social and economic consequences.

To respond to the global crisis, FSC has joined the Green Recovery Alliance, a coalition of more than 180 political decision-makers, business leaders, trade unions, and NGOs asking to increase green investment and develop "a new model of prosperity" based on sustainability, protection of biodiversity and a climate resilient economy. 

The recovery should be green and tackled together. A message from Kim Carstensen, CEO FSC International. 

“As a global NGO committed to protect and use forests as an effective climate solution, FSC is proud to be part of the Green Recovery Alliance. The pandemic we are facing has heightened awareness around the dangers of deforestation and illegal wildlife trade. In fact, when forests are destroyed and wild animals traded, the risk of spreading zoonotic viruses can increase.  

“In this context, FSC is an effective solution to meet the increasing demands for sustainable forest products while preventing deforestation, and adding economic, environmental and social value to forests and the people who depend on them.

“Being a multi-stakeholder platform working with governments, businesses, workers, and Indigenous Peoples, FSC strongly favours holistic solutions to global problems. FSC is eager to support the Alliance by providing knowledge, tools and expertise to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable green recovery.” 

What FSC can offer for a faster and greener recovery

As the world’s most trusted sustainable forest management system to deliver positive impacts for forests, markets, and people, FSC is well positioned to offer stakeholder-agreed forest solutions that are easily implementable on the ground and that can further enhance European Union (EU) regulations and policies. As such, FSC is committed to: 

• Promoting and setting the highest sustainable forest management standards as a cost effective way to tackle climate change and protect biodiversity; 
• Using its system to enable a thriving deforestation-free supply chain; 
• Fostering certified renewable materials as a foundation for the circular bio-economy; 
• Fighting illegal logging; 
• Accelerating EU sustainable finance policies; 
• Disseminating the FSC ecosystem services procedure to demonstrate the impact of forest management on climate, biodiversity, water management and more; and 
• Enabling Indigenous land management and upholding Indigenous rights to land and natural resources.