NGO criticism
Constructive feedback from stakeholder groups contributes to FSC’s efforts to further strengthen and improve its system. FSC is committed to engaging with any stakeholder who voices concerns about a component of the FSC system and is committed to facilitating discourse that brings about solutions.
Constructive critique from its members is intrinsic to the FSC forum - where equal voice is given to stakeholders with diverse interests in social, economic and environmental forest matters. The active relationship between these members and FSC is an example of how criticism can play an important role in furthering FSC’s mission.
However, there are a few instances where members have left or criticism have been presented in campaigns that lack the intent to engage in productive dialogue. As a multi-stakeholder organization, FSC is limited in its ability to react to criticism or critics that only address general issues without specific details, or have a vision of the world which is not compatible with FSC’s.
Please read the FAQ’s below and should you have any further questions you should contact your national FSC representative.
Below are some links to further information regarding recent NGO criticism and what other voices are saying about it:
Ethical Corporation article 02/02/2009: NGO campaigns – Better the devil you know?
Ethical Corporation podcast 24/02/2009: Why NGOs are wrong to slam multi-stakeholder initiatives in CSR
Please read the FAQ’s below and should you have any further questions you should contact your national FSC representative.
Frequently asked questions
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How does FSC deal with critique?
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FSC is open to concerns raised by stakeholders. Every component of the FSC system – from governance to defining responsible forest management – is developed through consensus. It is therefore imperative that any concerns be addressed in a way that considers the governance and decision-making structure of FSC – in social, environmental and economic balanced decisions – in order for them to contribute to the growth of the FSC system.
These can feed into stakeholder-balanced decisions on the direction of the organization at FSC General Assemblies, or the technical improvement of FSC’s certification and accreditation frameworks. FSC is open to improving its system, and welcomes collaboration with partners and stakeholders.
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How does FSC deal with concerns over the quality of certificates?
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FSC has an official Complaints and Disputes Procedure which is designed to help stakeholders make their concerns known and to find the best way of resolving complaints.
There are thousands of FSC certifications around the world. FSC does not certify forest management or forest product operation itself, it evaluates, monitors and accredits existing certification bodies to ensure consistent implementation of certification against FSC policies and standards around the world. FSC’s accreditation program, managed by Accreditation Services International (ASI), has rigorous checks and balances to ensure continued high level performance.
Complaints can be resolved on different levels within the FSC system. We encourage stakeholders to take our recommended stepwise approach as it is the most efficient way that will lead to a faster resolution. More information on this procedure is available in our FAQ section. Please note the procedure is currently being revised to improve its application. -
And concerns over the quality of an FSC standard?
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FSC standards are reviewed every 5 years. Issues or complaints can feed into the standards review consultation process by raising the issues with the FSC National Initiative who developed the national standard, or FSC International Center for international standards.
All FSC National Initiatives have a system for managing and responding to complaints that are in line with FSC and ISO standards. -
And concerns over the quality of an FSC accredited certification body?
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If a stakeholder is concerned with the quality of an FSC accredited certification body, they must contact Accreditation Services International (ASI), the company managing FSC's accreditation program. This can often lead to additional audits of the certification bodies by ASI, to ensure that they are compliant with FSC's standards.
ASI has a system in place to manage and respond to complaints that are in line with FSC and ISO standards.
