/ Sustainability / Forests / Forest certifications

Forest certifications

Forest certification schemes aim to ensure sustainable forest management and help conserve biodiversity.

The two most common forest certification schemes are the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®). Both schemes ensure sustainable forest management and help conserve biodiversity and preserve the valuable habitats and biotopes that are typical of forests.

Both schemes also focus on respecting the rights of local communities and forestry workers, and ensure that forests can continue to be used for recreational purposes.

Both forest management certification and chain of custody are essential

For our customers to be able to purchase certified paperboard or pulp and to use globally recognised forest certification labels on the packages, both the forest management and the chain of custody system must be certified.

Forest management certifications define strict criteria for the ecological, social and economic sustainability of forest management. The certification also requires that third parties regularly audit the certified forest areas and implemented measures.

All parties involved in the processing of wood and pulp in Metsä Board’s value chain comply with the requirements of the PEFC and FSC chain of custody. Our chain of custody system is evaluated annually as part of Metsä Group’s internal and third-party external audits. These audits monitor the operations of the wood suppliers and harvesting contractors as well as the traceability of the wood fibre within our own processes.

Our licence codes are PEFC/02-31-92 and FSC®-C001580.

See also

91% of the wood we use originate from certified forest sources.

FAQ

  1. 1

    What is the difference between the PEFC and FSC certification standards?

    The PEFC and FSC certification standards have slightly different criteria, but they both aim ensure sustainable forest management. FSC was originally created to implement sustainable forest management practices for tropical forest areas whilst PEFC was created for areas where forest regulation was already implemented.

    To maintain the quality of forest certification, it is useful to have more than one reliable certification scheme. Globally, PEFC-certified forests cover 330 million hectares while FSC-certified forests cover 230 million hectares (2021). 

  2. 2

    What is SFI® certification?

    SFI, or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, is a North American forest certification scheme belonging to the same group as PEFC.

    In North America, Metsä Board's customers can use the SFI Global on-product label for Metsä Board's PEFC certified products. 

  3. 3

    What is a chain of custody?

    The certification process has two main parts: forest management certification and certification of the chain of custody. The chain of custody system makes it possible to trace and document the flow of wood raw material and the products made from it throughout the supply chain.

    With a chain of custody certificate, a producer can prove that the wood raw material used in their products comes from certified or controlled forests.

  4. 4

    What does wood of controlled origin mean?

    Wood of controlled origin, or more specifically PEFC Controlled Sources or FSC Controlled Wood, refers to wood that has been harvested by implementing a due diligence system.

    This means that the wood originates from low-risk sources and is harvested in compliance with local, national or international legislation and requirements applying to, for example, biodiversity, protected and endangered species, the health and labour of forest workers, and the rights of Indigenous peoples.