Why forests matter for the climate

Forests: our best line of defence against climate change.
Low angle shot of tree trunks with green trees in the back
FSC / Milan Reška

Sustainable forestry is smart for the climate

In the fight against climate change, every forest counts. Forests capture and store carbon dioxide—one of the greenhouse gases that contributes to climate change.

Sustainably managed forests offer complementary benefits: They continually capture carbon in the soil and their biomass while providing countless materials we use every day. Using materials from sustainably managed forests can reduce our dependence on less sustainable materials like steel or concrete. In turn, these forest-based materials retain the carbon they capture even as they’re used to build the furniture, buildings, and bridges we rely on.

Forest
Milan Reška

Nurture forests, capture carbon

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), restoring and sustainably managing the world’s forests can help us remove the equivalent of all the carbon emitted by oil usage every year.1

Proven solutions for fighting climate change

For more than 25 years, FSC has pioneered responsible forest solutions that protect forests’ natural lifecycles.
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A balanced framework

Our proven framework balances the economic, environmental, and social value of forests.

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Productive collaboration

We have an established history of convening diverse economic, environmental, and social interests in a way that facilitates real change for the health and resilience of forests around the world. We’re putting this experience to use developing collaborative and practical solutions to fight climate change.

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New tools to drive climate action

Forests that measure carbon storage using our Ecosystem Services procedure realize a 17 per cent average increase in carbon stocks over a management cycle by implementing forest management practices such as increased rotation length and preservation of dead wood.

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A simple way for consumers to get involved

Consumers want to help fight climate change but often don’t know how. The globally recognized FSC label empowers consumers by helping them identify and purchase products that originate from responsibly managed forests.

“There is currently just one proven way to remove carbon from the atmosphere at scale: forests.”

Kim Carstensen, FSC’s director general, talks about the challenge of climate change and how FSC can help brands take meaningful action.

Learn how your brand can make a measurable difference in the fight against climate change
Read the article →
Amazon Climate pledge friendly
Amazon

Shop climate friendly with FSC and Amazon

FSC is a proud participant in Amazon’s “Climate Pledge Friendly” programme, which helps consumers choose sustainable products. FSC is the only programme participant that focuses exclusively on forest products.

Shop →
Wide angle shot of green trees with snowy mountains in the back
FSC / Milan Reška

Helping forest managers measure and verify carbon storage

“Ecosystem services” is a term used to describe all the benefits humans derive from nature. Our Ecosystem services procedure helps forest managers quantify the benefits their forests provide, including carbon storage.

As part of this procedure, we launched a carbon monitoring tool to give FSC certificate holders a cost-effective and practical way to assess the carbon captured and stored by their forests.

Learn more →
Close shot of redwood tree bark
iStock.com / CHUNYIP WONG
Bringing Climate Partners Together: First Ecosystem Services Certification in Portugal
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2021 Global Consumer Research Reveals Escalating Concerns about Climate Change and Threats to Forest Biodiversity
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Caribou in Canada
Jeremie Leblond-Fontaine
On the Front Lines of Climate Change
Read more →
Forest Background

Become a forest steward

We all have a role to play in protecting the future of our forests. Learn how you can join the FSC
ecosystem and start making a difference today.

1. IPCC, Special Report: Climate Change and Land, Chapter 2

https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/4/2021/07/05_Chapter-2-V6.pdf

1. Global Carbon Budget 2021 https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/14/1917/2022/