Help Shape FSC’s Future Approaches to Conservation and Restoration

FSC will launch two stakeholder surveys supporting work on conservation and restoration

Forests play a critical role in addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, and ecosystem degradation. Governments, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, forest managers, investors, and conservation organizations around the world are increasingly investing in conservation and restoration efforts to safeguard biodiversity, recover ecosystem functions, and strengthen resilience.

Recognizing these growing opportunities, FSC is advancing work to support the implementation of Motion 46 ‘FSC shall certify restoration’, Motion 47 ‘Promote FSC certification and ecosystem services verification to encompass diverse woodland ecosystems’, and the IFL-related conservation workstream of Motion 45 ‘Creating incentives for conservation on non-production forests’, approved by FSC members at the 2025 General Assembly in Panama.

Together, these motions explore how the FSC system can strengthen approaches to conservation, restoration, and the recognition of diverse woodland ecosystems while maintaining the credibility and integrity that underpin FSC certification.

As part of this work, FSC will launch two stakeholder surveys from 8 to 24 July 2026. FSC is inviting interested stakeholders to register their interest in participating.

Understanding stakeholder needs and expectations

The upcoming surveys will help inform ongoing analyses exploring future approaches for:

• restoration within the FSC system;
• conservation-oriented forest management, including non-production forest areas and diverse woodland ecosystems.

Through the surveys, FSC seeks to gather perspectives on a range of topics, including:

• current opportunities and challenges;
• stakeholder needs and expectations;
• market demand and practical experience;
• implementation considerations and safeguards;
• risks and opportunities for future FSC approaches.

The results will contribute to ongoing technical and market analyses supporting FSC’s work on conservation and restoration, while helping ensure that future approaches are practical, credible and responsive to stakeholder needs.

The surveys also support the implementation of the FSC Climate and Biodiversity Strategic Framework 2026–2032, which recognizes restoration as an important pathway to deliver positive outcomes for forests, people, biodiversity, and climate. 

Contribute your perspective

The surveys are open to all interested stakeholders, including FSC certificate holders, certification bodies, restoration practitioners, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, environmental organizations, researchers, investors, government representatives, as well as FSC members and staff. 

The restoration survey responses will be combined with additional research and analysis to inform a concept note that will be presented to the FSC Board of Directors at Board Meeting 107 in December 2026. The concept note will explore possible options and approaches for implementing Motion 46/2025 and help guide future decision-making on restoration within the FSC system.

FSC encourages all interested stakeholders to participate and share their views. Your input will help ensure that any future restoration-related solution is based on practical experience, stakeholder needs, and FSC’s commitment to credible environmental and social outcomes.

Register your interest to participate in the surveys today

By registering your interest, you will receive the survey link(s) once these are launched on 8 July 2026. 

Register to participate in FSC’s upcoming stakeholder surveys on conservation and restoration.

The surveys will remain open from 8 to 24 July 2026 and will be available in English, Spanish and French.

For comments or questions, please contact the Climate, Biodiversity and Restoration team at strategy@fsc.org or the Policy Innovation team at policyinnovation@fsc.org.