The outcomes of COP 16.2 create momentum for the forest sector to strengthen its commitment to biodiversity

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) welcomes the successful conclusion of the resumed UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16.2) in Rome, which has delivered crucial agreements on resource mobilization and the financial mechanisms to implement it.  

With the focus now shifting to implementation, delegates also adopted other pending decisions to help advance the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), including mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting, and reviewing. For the first time in biodiversity negotiations, countries have agreed to a text specifically on tracking their own progress, including the way that the indicators will be measured and used. This will ensure that all Parties are tracking progress in a way that can be interpreted by national policymakers and provide data that can be aggregated up to the global level to provide an integral picture of implementation for the KMGBF.   

FSC welcomes the outcomes of the Rome meeting, particularly the decisions made on biodiversity monitoring and reporting. As a mission-based market influencer, FSC is pleased to see the increasing recognition of the role of the market, for example in Target 15, which requires governments "to set legal, administrative, or policy measures" to encourage and enable the private sector to monitor, assess, and transparently disclose their risks, dependencies and impacts on biodiversity.  

This is an important step in tackling the biodiversity challenge we still face, and we look forward to helping the business sector relying on forests to understand their forest biodiversity impacts better and take necessary actions to move their businesses towards creating a forest-positive world.

For companies using FSC certification, it already provides robust tools to collect data, make verifiable claims, and find markets that bring additional financial value to the protection and maintenance of critical ecosystem services. These tools empower foresters and businesses across consumer and investment value chains to demonstrate their sustainability efforts and comply with other sustainability reporting and disclosure frameworks, such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).          

"For over 30 years, FSC has promoted sustainable forest management practices that enable forest stewards to conserve, improve, restore essential ecosystem services including biodiversity," said FSC Director General, Subhra Bhattacharjee. "The decisions taken in Rome validate our approach and create new opportunities for the forest sector to demonstrate leadership in climate action." 

The outcomes of COP16.2 create momentum for forest-dependent businesses to strengthen their commitment to nature by certifying their forest management operations, deforestation-free supply chains, and investing in biodiversity conservation and restoration initiatives. Business action is essential to achieving all targets and goals of the KMGBF. FSC certification offers a strong, ready-to-use framework to support these efforts towards 2030.  

As we approach the Climate COP30 in 2025, FSC remains committed to working with businesses, governments, and civil society to accelerate the transition to forest stewardship. By choosing FSC, companies contribute to achieving the goals of the KMGBF and building resilience in their operations while meeting growing stakeholder expectations for environmental and social responsibility.