Ecosystem Services Procedure: Impact demonstration and ... · verified by FSC-accredited...

Ecosystem Services Procedure:

Impact demonstration and market

tools

FSC-PRO-30-006 V1-0 EN

Draft 2

FSC-PRO-30-006 V1-0 EN Ecosystem Services Procedure: Impact demonstration and market tools

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The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) is an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization established to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. The FSC vision is that the world’s forests meet the social, ecological, and economic rights and needs of the present generation without compromising those of future generations.

Title:

Ecosystem Services Procedure: Impact demonstration and market tools

Document reference code:

FSC-PRO-30-006 V1-0 EN

Approval body:

FSC Board of Directors

Contact for comments:

FSC International Center Policy and Standards Unit Charles de Gaulle Strasse 5 53113 Bonn Germany

+49 (0)228 367660

+49 (0)228 3676630

[email protected]

© 2017 Forest Stewardship Council AC. All rights reserved. FSC® F000100 No part of this work covered by the publisher’s copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, recording taping, or information retrieval systems) without the written permission of the publisher. Printed copies are uncontrolled and for reference only. Please refer to the electronic copy on the FSC website (https://ic.fsc.org) to ensure you are referring to the latest version.

mailto:[email protected]

https://ic.fsc.org/


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Foreword

FSC Forest Stewardship Standards already require forest managers to maintain/conserve or

enhance/restore ecosystem services and environmental values. They also require the managers of

FSC-certified forests to identify, produce, or enable the production of diversified benefits and/or

products based on the range of resources and ecosystem services existing in the management unit.

FSC forest management certification demonstrates compliance with Forest Stewardship Standards

covering these and many other topics. This procedure offers something additional, which is the

demonstration of the positive impact on ecosystem services within FSC-certified forests. Once

verified by FSC-accredited certification bodies, ecosystem services claims can be used in several

ways to access ecosystem services markets and result in increased net revenue for forest managers.

FSC ecosystem services claims are some of the new market tools that FSC committed to develop

in its Global Strategic Plan 2015–2020. This commitment is part of a broader strategy to increase

the market value of FSC.

This procedure will help answer the global challenge that forest governance and economic systems

in many parts of the world provide greater incentives for deforestation, forest degradation, and

related social inequities than they do for responsible forest management. By using the ecosystem

services claims to access payments for ecosystem services and markets, forest managers will have

additional incentives to choose responsible forest management.

FSC ecosystem services claims will increase the confidence of governments, investors, buyers, and

businesses in ecosystem services markets. They can be used to demonstrate the impact that

investments in these markets have on preserving ecosystem services. FSC ecosystem services

claims may offer forest owners and managers an additional incentive to become FSC-certified rather

than pursue the short-term economic benefits of forest degradation, and an added economic support

for FSC certificate holders already managing their forests responsibly.

This procedure is the foundation for FSC ecosystem services claims:

Part I of this procedure sets requirements for forest managers to demonstrate the impacts of FSC-

certified forest management on ecosystem services;

Part II of this procedure sets requirements for forest managers, chain of custody certificate holders

and non-certificate holders to use FSC ecosystem services claims:

o Promotion of FSC-certified forests with verified FSC ecosystem services impacts;

o Labelling and promotion of FSC-certified products carrying an FSC ecosystem services

claim;

o Financial sponsorship of verified ecosystem services impacts;

o Adding information about FSC ecosystem services impacts within external registries.

Part III sets requirements for certification bodies to verify the impacts demonstrated by FSC-

certified forest managers and approve uses of FSC ecosystem services claims.

FSC Ecosystem services claims are available to forest managers that are certified to a Forest

Stewardship Standard that has transferred Annex C (Additional requirements for ecosystem

services) from FSC-STD-60-004.


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Contents

Foreword ........................................................................................................................... 3

Contents ............................................................................................................................ 4

A Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 5

B Scope ............................................................................................................................. 5

C Effective and validity date .............................................................................................. 5

D References ..................................................................................................................... 5

E Terms and definitions ..................................................................................................... 6

Part I: Impact demonstration .............................................................................................. 9

General requirements .................................................................................................... 9

Step 1: Declaration of the ecosystem service(s) ......................................................... 10

Step 2: Description of the ecosystem service(s) .......................................................... 10

Step 3: Theory of change – linking management activities to impacts ........................ 11

Step 4: Selection of outcome indicators ...................................................................... 12

Step 5: Measurement and comparison of the value of outcome indicator(s) ............... 12

Step 6: Methods .......................................................................................................... 13

Step 7: Statement of results ........................................................................................ 13

Part II: Market tools - Using FSC ecosystem services claims .......................................... 15

Part III: Requirements for certification bodies .................................................................. 19

Annex A. Template Ecosystem Services Certification Document .................................... 22

Annex B. Possible impacts, and measures to demonstrate them .................................... 34

Annex C. Example of a completed theory of change ....................................................... 51

Annex D. Information regarding financial sponsorships ................................................... 53

FSC-PRO-30-006 V1-0EN DEMONSTRATING THE IMPACT OF FOREST STEWARDSHIP ON ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

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A Objectives

The objectives of this procedure are to:

Provide FSC-certified forest managers with the requirements to credibly

demonstrate the impact of their activities on the maintenance, conservation,

restoration or enhancement of ecosystem services;

Improve the access of FSC-certified forest managers to payments for

ecosystem services through the use of FSC ecosystem services claims based

on verified impacts.

B Scope

FSC-Forest Management certificate holders shall comply with the requirements of Part

I and II of this procedure when they want to demonstrate the positive impact that their

forest management has on ecosystem services, and use FSC’s ecosystem services

claims.

FSC-Chain of Custody certificate holders shall comply with the requirements of Part II

of this procedure when they want to use FSC´s ecosystem services claims.

Certification bodies shall comply with the requirements of Part III of this procedure

when they evaluate FSC–certificate holders’ compliance with Parts I and II.

New requirements in this procedure for trademark, chain of custody, forest

management evaluation and certification bodies will be incorporated into the

respective standards at their next revision.

This procedure may be directly used by its intended audience globally, there is no need

for national adaptation.

All aspects of this procedure are considered to be normative, including the scope,

effective and validity dates, references, terms and definitions, notes, tables, and

annexes, unless otherwise stated.

C Effective and validity date

Approval date to be added

Publication date to be added

Effective date to be added

Period of validity to be added (or until replaced or withdrawn)

D References

The following referenced documents are relevant for the application of this document.

For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any

amendments) applies.

FSC-STD-01-001 FSC Principles and Criteria for Forest Stewardship

FSC-STD-01-002 Glossary of Terms

FSC-STD-20-001 General Requirements for FSC Accredited Certification Bodies

FSC-STD-20-007 Forest Management Evaluations

FSC-STD-20-007b Forest Management Evaluations Addendum – Forest Certification

Public Summary Reports


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FSC-STD-20-011 Chain of Custody Evaluations

FSC-STD-40-004 Chain of Custody Certification

FSC-STD-50-001 Requirements for use of the FSC trademarks by Certificate Holders

FSC-STD-50-002 Requirements for Promotional use of the FSC Trademarks by Non-

Certificate Holders

FSC-STD-60-004 International Generic Indicators (IGI)

FSC-GUI-30-006 Guidance for demonstrating ecosystem services impacts (under

development)

E Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this procedure, the terms and definitions provided in FSC-STD-

01-002 Glossary of Terms, FSC-STD-60-004 International Generic Indicators, and the

following apply:

Beneficiaries of the ecosystem service: Any person, group of persons or entity that

uses or is likely to use the benefits obtained from nature provided by the management

unit. Examples include, but are not restricted to, persons, groups of persons or entities

located in the neighbourhood of the management unit. End users such as consumers

or indirect beneficiaries of carbon mitigation are not considered beneficiaries. The

following are examples of beneficiaries of the ecosystem service:

Local communities

Indigenous Peoples

Forest dwellers

Neighbours

Downstream water users

Tenure and use rights holders, including landowners.

(Source: adapted from FSC-STD-01-001 V5-0).

Conservation/Protection: These words are used interchangeably when referring to

management activities designed to maintain the identified environmental or cultural

values in existence long-term. Management activities may range from zero or minimal

interventions to a specified range of appropriate interventions and activities designed

to maintain, or compatible with maintaining, these identified values (Source: FSC-STD-

01-001 V5-0).

Contextual factors: socioeconomic, institutional and biophysical setting in which the

organization operates or management activities are implemented. These factors may

support or hinder progress toward the realization of outcomes, and are generally not

under the control of the organization.

Ecosystem services: The FSC Principles and Criteria (FSC-STD-01-001) define

ecosystem services as:

“The benefits people obtain from ecosystems. These include:

a. provisioning services such as food, forest products and water;


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b. regulating services such as regulation of floods, drought, land

degradation, air quality, climate and disease;

c. supporting services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling;

d. and cultural services and cultural values such as recreational, spiritual,

religious and other non-material benefits.

(Source: Based on R. Hassan, R. Scholes and N. Ash. 2005. Ecosystems and

Human Well-being: Synthesis. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Series.

Island Press, Washington DC).

When this procedure refers to ecosystem services, it refers to a specific subset of

forest ecosystem services:

carbon sequestration and storage

biological diversity conservation

watershed services

soil conservation

recreational services.

Ecosystem services claim: Assertion of a verified impact on ecosystem services,

which is used for the purpose of promotion or accessing payments for ecosystem

services. The possible uses of ecosystem services claims to access ecosystem

services markets are described in Part II of this procedure.

Impact: The maintenance, conservation, enhancement or restoration of ecosystem

services, or benefits derived from them, which results, at least in part, from contributing

management activities.

The organization: The person or entity holding or applying for certification and

therefore responsible for demonstrating compliance with the requirements upon which

FSC certification is based (Source: FSC-STD-01-001 V5-0).

In this procedure, the term ‘the organization’ is used in Parts I and III to refer to

applicants and holders of FSC-forest management certification.

Outcome indicator: Measure of ecological or social condition on the ground.

Outcomes: Ecological or social conditions on the ground that are direct consequences

of the outputs and contribute to the proposed impact. For example, water body

protected from cattle, change in area of forest sustainably managed (thanks to

improved knowledge through training), erosion and sedimentation reduction (thanks to

replanting on slopes), etc.

Outputs: Measureable, immediate and direct consequences from management

activities implemented on the management unit. For example, meters of fence

constructed, number of people trained, number of hectares of slopes replanted, etc.

Restore/Restoration: These words are used in different senses according to the

context and in everyday speech. In some cases, ‘restore’ means to repair the damage

done to environmental values that resulted from management activities or other

causes. In other cases, ‘restore’ means the formation of more natural conditions in

sites which have been heavily degraded or converted to other land uses. In the

Principles and Criteria, the word ‘restore’ is not used to imply the recreation of any

particular previous, pre-historic, pre-industrial or other pre-existing ecosystem (Source:

FSC-STD-01-001 V5-0).


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Sponsor: An individual or institution that provides financial support for a project or

activity (Source: adapted from the Merriam-Webster dictionary).

In the context of this procedure, sponsorship is of verified ecosystem services impacts;

Individuals/institutions may promote their sponsorship of verified ecosystem services

impacts with the FSC trademarks.

Theory of change: Comprehensive description and illustration of how and why a

desired change is expected to happen in a particular context (Source: Based on The

Centre for Theory of Change, Inc., 2016. Adapted from definition provided on the

websitehttp://www.theoryofchange.org/what-is-theory-of-change/).

Validation: In the case of a proposed restoration impact for which management

activities have only recently started and an impact cannot yet be demonstrated,

confirmation through evaluation by an FSC-accredited certification body that the

organization complies with all other applicable requirements of this procedure and has

a credible plan that is likely to lead to verification of impacts in the next main evaluation

(Source: adapted from Glossary: CDM Terms. Clean Development Mechanism.

https://cdm.unfccc.int/Reference/Guidclarif/glos_CDM.pdf).

Verification: the periodic evaluation and ex-post determination by an FSC-accredited

certification body that any proposed ecosystem services impacts has occurred

(Source: adapted from Glossary: CDM Terms. Clean Development Mechanism.

https://cdm.unfccc.int/Reference/Guidclarif/glos_CDM.pdf).


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Part I: Impact demonstration

Note: The following steps are designed to allow the organization to demonstrate an

ecosystem services impact by linking measured ecosystem services outcomes to

contributing management activities.

General requirements

0.1 In order to apply Part I of this procedure, the organization shall be an applicant

for or hold a valid FSC–forest management certificate.

0.2 Failure to demonstrate an impact according to this procedure shall not affect the

status of the FSC–forest management certificate.

0.3 To demonstrate the impact of forest management activities on ecosystem

services, the organization shall implement all of the seven steps described

below.

0.3.1 One or more impacts may be proposed for one or more ecosystem

services.

0.4 The demonstration of impacts, as described in the seven steps below, may be

applied across several management units within a certified group, as long as all

the areas contribute to the provision of the declared ecosystem service.

0.4.1 In group certification, designated requirements for ecosystem services

can be applied at the group level (FSC-STD-20-007). In such a case,

membership rules shall clarify the division of responsibilities between

group members and the group entity for demonstrating ecosystem

services impacts.

0.4.2 When only some of the members of the certified group decide to comply

with this procedure, specific rules and identification systems shall be

established to differentiate the members applying this procedure from the

other members.

0.5 The organization shall record the information from each step in the relevant

section of the Ecosystem Services Certification Document (ESCD) (Annex A).

0.5.1 The organization shall make the ESCD available in:

at least one of the official language(s) of the country, or the most

widely spoken language in the area in which the management unit is

located; and

for organizations not classified as Small and Low Intensity Managed

Forests (SLIMF), in one of the official languages of FSC.

0.5.2 The organization should develop an ESCD for each declared ecosystem

service.

0.5.3 The organization should send the ESCD(s) to the Certification Body 30

days prior to the start of the evaluation.

0.6 As an alternative to demonstrating the proposed impact and having it verified,

the organization may request to have a proposed impact validated. This

alternative may be used by complying with Clause 7.3 and as an intermediate


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step before achieving verification of the proposed impact in the next main

evaluation.

NOTE: The organization may use an ESCD with validated impacts as evidence

that it has developed a credible plan to achieve the proposed impacts; this could

be helpful in securing finance for the planned activities. The ecosystem services

claims described in Part II of this procedure are not available for use with

validated impacts.

Step 1: Declaration of the ecosystem service(s)

1.1 The organization shall declare the ecosystem service(s) for which an impact is

proposed.

1.2 The organization shall briefly describe the legal tenure to manage, use and/or

receive payments for the declared ecosystem service.

1.3 The organization shall list any management objectives related to the declared

ecosystem service, including any relevant objectives from the management plan.

Step 2: Description of the ecosystem service(s)

2.1 For each declared ecosystem service, the organization shall briefly describe:

2.1.1 The current condition of the ecosystem service;

2.1.2 The past condition of the ecosystem service, based on best available

information;

2.1.3 Areas within and outside of the management unit that contribute to the

declared ecosystem service;

2.1.4 The extent of the management unit where management activities are

contributing to the proposed impact;

2.1.5 Beneficiaries of the ecosystem service;

2.1.6 Threats to the ecosystem service, human-induced and of natural origin,

within and outside of the management unit;

2.1.7 A summary of culturally appropriate engagement with Indigenous

Peoples and local communities related to the declared ecosystem

service, including ecosystem services access and use, and benefit

sharing, consistent with Principle 3 and Principle 4 of FSC-STD-01-001.

Applicability NOTE: SLIMF don’t need to comply with clause 2.1.2, unless

required by the methodology used according to step 6, and may describe only

areas within the management unit to comply with Clauses 2.1.3 and 2.1.6.


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Step 3: Theory of change – linking management activities to impacts

Figure 1. Basic structure of a theory of change

Figure 1 shows the basic elements of a theory of change.

A theory of change is a chain of results over time that shows how an organization

expects its management activities will contribute to a desired impact.

The theory of change is built based on statements that link short-, medium-, and

long-term results by following the structure “if…then”: If I do this management

activity, then I will contribute to fulfilling this short-term outcome (output); If I achieve

this short-term objective, then I will contribute to fulfilling this medium-term outcome;

If I achieve this medium-term outcome, then I will contribute to fulfilling the long-term

objective (in other words, I have achieved the desired impact).

Note: Two examples of completed theories of change are provided in Annex C.

3.1 For each declared ecosystem service, the organization shall propose one or

more of the impacts from Annex B.

3.2 For each proposed impact, the organization shall develop a theory of change to

describe the link between the contributing management activities and the

proposed impacts, using the template included in Annex A.

3.3 The organization shall specify in the theory of change:

3.3.1 Any management activities that contribute to the proposed impact,

including management activities to mitigate threats described in Clause

2.1.6.

3.3.2 Outputs that result from the management activities.

3.3.3 Outcomes that result from the outputs.

Applicability NOTE: SLIMF don’t need to include activities to mitigate threats

outside of the management unit, unless required by the methodology used

according to step 6.

3.4 The organization shall identify and briefly describe any contextual factors that

may influence the outcomes, e.g. the introduction of new legislation, or the

presence of other water users.


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Step 4: Selection of outcome indicators

4.1 The organization shall comply with Annex B, consistent with the theory of change

developed in Step 3.

NOTE: for each proposed impact, all content of Annex B is mandatory, except

for the examples of outcome indicators (as clarified in Clause 4.3) and the link to

the Sustainable Development Goals (as clarified in Clause 9.2).

4.2 For each proposed impact, the organization shall select one or more outcome

indicators that comply with the outcome indicator requirements stipulated in

Annex B, e.g. ‘Indicators to measure forest cover’ or ‘Direct indicators of carbon

flux’.

4.2.1 When different outcome indicator requirements for the same impact are

connected with an ‘AND’, the organization shall comply with both.

4.2.2 When different outcome indicator requirements for the same impact are

connected with an ‘OR’, the organization shall provide justification of the

choice.

4.3 For the selection of outcome indicators, the organization may:

4.3.1 Select outcome indicators from the examples provided in Annex B; OR

4.3.2 Alternatively, based on scientific evidence, select outcome indicators that

are not provided as examples in Annex B.

4.4 The organization shall justify the choice of outcome indicator.

4.5 For each outcome indicator chosen, the organization shall specify a verifiable

target that represents a desired future value for the outcome indicator.

4.6 The choice of the verifiable target shall be justified.

Step 5: Measurement and comparison of the value of outcome indicator(s)

5.1 The organization shall measure the present value of each selected outcome

indicator.

5.2 The organization shall, according to the specifications in the column ‘Compare

value of outcome indicator to a reference level’ of Annex B, compare the present

value of each outcome indicator with a prior measurement, reference level or

reference site.

NOTE: the result of this comparison will indicate whether the proposed impact

has been demonstrated or not, and serve as evidence to comply with Clause 7.1.

5.3 When Annex B specifies the comparison of the present value of the outcome

indicator to at least one prior measurement, the organization shall show in this

comparison all previous measurements for which data is available.

5.4 The organization shall implement Clauses 5.1 - 5.2 at least every 5 years, unless

more frequent measurements are required by the methodology used.


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Step 6: Methods

6.1 The organization shall describe the methodology used to measure the values of

the selected outcome indicator(s) in terms that are clear enough to facilitate

evaluation.

6.2 The methodology chosen to measure the values of the selected outcome

indicator(s) shall conform to the following eligibility criteria:

6.2.1 The methodology is suitable for the local context and the outcome

indicator to be measured;

6.2.2 The methodology is credible, based on best available information (e.g.

there are scientific publications that support the use of the methodology;

it has been validated through previous use; it has been endorsed by

experts, etc.);

6.2.3 The methodology is objective and replicable, i.e. it yields similar results

when applied by different observers in the same site under similar

conditions.

NOTE: A number of methodologies that meet these criteria are listed in the

Guidance for demonstrating ecosystem services impacts (FSC-GUI-30-006).

Note to stakeholders: The first draft of this Guidance (FSC-GUI-30-006) is

being consulted at the same time as the second round of consultation on this

procedure.

6.3 The organization shall describe the collection and analysis of data, including:

6.3.1 The data sources that were used (literature, interviews, field

measurements, modelling, etc.);

6.3.2 Sampling methods, including frequency and/or intensity;

6.3.3 Any equipment used to measure the outcome indicator(s);

6.3.4 Data analyses performed.

NOTE: Guidance for the collection and analysis of data is provided in the

Guidance for demonstrating ecosystem services impacts (FSC-GUI-30-006).

Step 7: Statement of results

7.1 For each proposed impact, the organization shall provide evidence that the

present value of the selected outcome indicators meets the required result

specified in the column ‘Required result’ of Annex B.

7.2 For each proposed impact, the organization shall describe how the result from

Clause 7.1 contributes to likely achieving the proposed verifiable targets in the

future.

7.3 The organization may request to have a proposed impact validated if:

7.3.1 The proposed impact is a restoration or enhancement of the ecosystem

service;

7.3.2 The management activities have started recently and an impact cannot

yet be demonstrated;


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7.3.3 The organization complies with all applicable requirements of Part I of

this procedure, with the exception of Clause 7.1; AND

7.3.4 The organization has a credible plan to comply with all applicable

requirements of this procedure in the next evaluation.


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Part II: Market tools - Using FSC ecosystem services claims

8.1 The FSC ecosystem services claims may be used for the following purposes:

8.1.1 Promotion of FSC-certified forests with verified FSC ecosystem

services claims (Section 9).

8.1.2 Labelling and promotion of FSC-certified products carrying an FSC

ecosystems services claim (Section 10).

8.1.3 Financial sponsorship of verified FSC ecosystem services impacts

(Section 11).

8.1.4 Adding information about FSC ecosystem services impacts within

external registries (Section 12).

8.2 The ecosystem services claim shall be the verified impact from Annex B, e.g.

‘ES3.1: Water quality maintained’.

8.3 For promotional purposes, FSC ecosystem services claims may also be

described in summary form by using the phrase ‘positive impact’ with reference

to the ecosystem service(s) for which impacts have been verified.

For example:

- The claim ‘ES1.4: Forest landscape composition and structure conserved’ may also be more generally referred to as ‘Positive impact on biodiversity’.

8.4 Each ecosystem services claim shall be valid, once verified by the certification

body, until the next main evaluation.

9. Promotion of FSC-certified forests

Trademark Requirements for Forest Management (FM) certificate holders:

9.1 FM certificate holders may promote forests for which ecosystem services

impacts have been verified with the FSC trademarks and with FSC ecosystem

services claim(s) as indicated in Clauses 8.2 and 8.3.

9.1.1 Any additional explanation of the impact shall directly reflect the ESCD.

Some examples are: - “The maintenance of water quality has been verified on this FSC-certified

forest”. - “Positive impact on watershed services has been verified on this FSC-

certified forest”. - “Restoration of native species has been verified on this FSC-certified

forest. The abundance of [focal species] has increased and the area damaged by [pests] has decreased [timeframe] by introduction of [activities]”.

9.2 FM certificate holders may claim a contribution to Sustainable Development

Goals and targets corresponding to verified ecosystem services impacts as

indicated in Annex B.

For example:

- “The verified impact makes a contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 15, Life on Land”.


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9.3 All applicable requirements for use of the FSC trademarks in FSC-STD-50-001

shall apply.

10. Labelling and promotion of FSC-certified products

Chain of Custody (CoC) Requirements for FM/CoC and CoC certificate holders:

10.1 FM/CoC certificate holders may make ecosystem services claims on physical

FSC-certified products from forests with verified ecosystem services impacts.

10.2 For the sale of physical forest products with ecosystem services claims, FM/CoC

certificate holders shall add the specific ecosystem services claim(s) with the

corresponding code indicated in Annex B (e.g. ES1.1) to sales and/or delivery

documents of the product, in addition to the FSC Claim and its Certificate Code.

10.3 CoC certificate holders sourcing materials that carry FSC ecosystem services

claims may pass this claim on to the next companies in the supply chain.

10.3.1 CoC certificate holders shall ensure that these materials are traceable

and controlled during all stages of processing, storage and

commercialization.

10.4 CoC certificate holders shall establish separate product groups for products that

carry ecosystem services claims.

10.5 Only products that carry the FSC 100% claim can additionally carry an FSC

ecosystem services claim.

10.6 CoC certificate holders shall identify products with ecosystem services claims on

their material accounting records and volume summaries.

Trademark Requirements for Chain of Custody certificate holders:

10.7 CoC certificate holders may use ecosystem services claims when labelling

eligible products that have been produced solely with material carrying FSC

ecosystem services claim.

10.7.1 The ecosystem services claim text may be included within the FSC 100%

on-product label or presented separately in addition to the label.

10.8 The text for the FSC on-product label for the corresponding ecosystem services

claims shall be:

Ecosystem Services Claims (codes from Annex B)

On-product text: “From well-managed forests with positive impact on…

ES1.X …biodiversity”

ES2.X …carbon stocks”

ES3.X …watershed services”

ES4.X …soil”

ES5.X …recreational services”

10.9 Several impacts may be claimed for products carrying more than one ecosystem

services claim.


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For example:

- “From well-managed forests with positive impact on biodiversity and watershed services”.

10.10 The products promoted as FSC-certified material with specific ecosystem

services claims shall carry the FSC 100% and the ecosystems services claims.

10.11 When products are promoted as FSC-certified material with ecosystem services

claims, the ecosystem services claim(s) shall be always specified (see 8.2 and

8.3).

For example: - “This [product] is made of wood from FSC-certified forests with verified

[restoration of native species]”. - “This [product] is made of wood from FSC-certified forests with positive

impact on [biodiversity]”.

10.12 Only ecosystem services for which impacts have been verified for all material

sources may be claimed.

For example: A product is produced with material from two sources, one having

verified impacts claims for biodiversity and watershed services and the other for

biodiversity and soil. Only biodiversity may be included for the product labelling

or promotion.

10.13 Any additional text explaining the impact shall directly reflect the ESCD.

10.14 All requirements for use of the FSC trademarks in FSC-STD-50-001 shall apply.

Requirements for retailers of labelled products:

10.15 Organizations that are not required to obtain CoC certification may apply for an

FSC trademark license with the national or regional Trademark Service Provider

to promote sales and use of FSC-certified and labelled products with ecosystem

services claims in line with FSC-STD-50-002.

10.15.1 Any additional promotion explaining the impact shall directly reflect the

activities implemented and the statement of results verified by the

certification body as described in the ESCD.

11. Financial sponsorship

CoC Requirements for FM/CoC certificate holders:

11.1 For all sponsorships of FSC ecosystem services, FM/CoC certificate holders

shall fill in the form in Annex D of this procedure and submit it to their certification

body, which will publish an updated summary of all sponsored ecosystem

services impacts.

Trademark requirements for sponsors:

11.2 Only sponsors with an FSC trademark license may promote sponsoring of

verified ecosystem services claims with the FSC trademarks.

11.3 The promotion shall be done in line with applicable trademark use requirements

and shall specify the ecosystem service claims, the forest sponsored, and the

duration or year of sponsorship.


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11.4 Sponsors may also claim a contribution through sponsorship to Sustainable

Development Goals and targets corresponding to verified ecosystem services

impacts as indicated in Annex B.

For example:

- “The verified impact makes a contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 15, Life on Land, through a financial sponsorship of ecosystem services impact verified through FSC certification”.

11.5 If a sponsor does not have an FSC trademark license through certification or

trademark service, they may apply for one with the national or regional

Trademark Service Provider.

12. External registries

Trademark requirements for FM certificate holders:

12.1 FM certificate holders may add FSC ecosystem services claims as additional

information within registries for external environmental assets, such as verified

carbon units certified by Verified Carbon Standard or water benefit certificates

certified by Gold Standard Foundation.

Trademark requirements for purchasers of external environmental assets:

12.2 Individuals/institutions that buy external environmental assets with FSC

ecosystem services claims included as additional information within a carbon

credit registry or similar, do not need to obtain FSC trademark license in order to

do so.

12.2.1 Individuals/institutions that buy such assets shall have an FSC trademark

license to promote the purchase with the FSC trademarks beyond

including it into a registry, sustainability report or equal.

12.2.2 The registries listing the environmental assets shall comply with Clause

12.2.1.


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Part III: Requirements for certification bodies

13. Forest management evaluations (FSC-STD-20-007)

Pre-evaluation of management system(s)

13.1 When a pre-evaluation according to FSC-STD-20-007 is taking place, and the

organization is aiming to comply with this procedure, the pre-evaluation shall

include:

13.1.1 The requirements of this procedure; AND

13.1.2 Additional requirements for ecosystem services within the applicable

Forest Stewardship Standard, such as transferred requirements from

Annex C of FSC-STD-60-004.

Main evaluation

13.2 During main evaluations, the certification body shall evaluate conformity of the

organization with:

13.2.1 Applicable requirements of this procedure; AND

13.2.2 Additional requirements for ecosystem services within the applicable

Forest Stewardship Standard, such as transferred requirements from

Annex C of FSC-STD-60-004.

13.3 The certification body shall include the declared ecosystem services and the

requirements from Clause 13.2 in the audit plan and the sampling.

Surveillance procedures

13.4 Surveillance evaluations shall include:

13.4.1 Follow up of non-conformities identified in previous evaluations related to

the requirements of Clause 13.2; AND

13.4.2 Evaluation of significant changes in the ESCD, such as significant

changes to the theory of change, the methodologies used and the market

tool(s) to be used.

Re-evaluation

13.5 During re-evaluations, the certification body shall evaluate conformity of the

organization with Clause 13.2.

13.5.1 The certification body may decide not to evaluate all requirements of this

procedure during the re-evaluation if there have not been changes from

the last surveillance evaluation.

14. Audit findings and decision-making

14.1 Audit findings shall be evaluated in accordance with FSC-STD-20-001.

NOTE: In this procedure, a requirement is considered to be at the clause level

(e.g. 1.2, 5.6) including all individual sub-clauses.

14.2 The certification body shall come to a decision that an ecosystem services

impact proposed by the organization is verified if the organization complies with

all applicable requirements in Part I of this procedure.


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14.3 For each verified impact, the certification body shall:

14.3.1 Evaluate the use of ecosystem services claims and approve their use if

the organization complies with the applicable requirements of Part II of

this procedure.

14.3.2 Include ‘ecosystem services’ in the scope of the forest management

certificate.

14.3.3 Include the verified impact in the forest management certificate.

14.4 When the organization wishes to have a proposed impact validated, the

certification body shall:

14.4.1 Evaluate the organization´s compliance with Clause 7.3; AND

14.4.2 At the next re-evaluation, verify the organization´s compliance with all

applicable requirements of this procedure.

14.5 The certification body shall record any verified or validated ecosystem services

impacts in the ESCD.

14.6 Non-conformities of the organization with this procedure shall lead to corrective

action requests, but shall not affect the forest management certification decision.

14.6.1 If non-conformities are not closed within the specified timeline, the

certification body shall withhold or retract the verification or validation of

the proposed ecosystem services impact, and any associated uses of

ecosystem services claims from Part II of this procedure.

14.6.2 Each non-conformity shall be evaluated to determine whether it

constitutes a minor or a major non-conformity according to FSC-STD-20-

007.

14.7 Each proposed impact shall be evaluated individually; some proposed impacts

may be approved while others may not.

15. FM certification reports (FSC-STD-20-007a)

Content to add to forest management certification reports

15.1 The certification report shall include:

15.1.1 An explicit statement of any ecosystem services impact verified or

validated by the certification body in accordance with this procedure; AND

15.1.2 The extent of the forest management unit where management activities

are contributing to the proposed impact.

Group certification reports

15.2 Certification reports for groups shall indicate, in addition to the content from

Clause 15.1:

15.2.1 The separation of responsibilities to demonstrate impact between the

group entity level and the group member level; AND

15.2.2 To which group members the verified or validated ecosystem services

impact applies.


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Surveillance reports

15.3 The surveillance evaluation report shall indicate whether non-conformities with

this procedure identified in previous evaluations have been corrected.

16. FM certification public summary reports (FSC-STD-20-007b)

Content

16.1 The certification public summary report shall include the content described in

Clause 15.1, excluding confidential information.

16.2 The certification body shall publish the evaluated ESCD, including the results of

the evaluation and excluding confidential information, on the FSC database of

registered certificates (info.fsc.org).

16.2.1 A link or reference to the ESCD shall be included in the forest certification

public summary report.

16.3 The certification body shall publish and periodically update, on the FSC database

of registered certificates (info.fsc.org), a table of any sponsorships for the verified

impacts, containing the following information:

16.3.1 The verified impact that has been sponsored;

16.3.2 The number of sponsorships for each verified impact;

16.3.3 The year of each unique sponsorship.

17. Requirements for FSC accredited certification bodies (FSC-STD-20-001)

17.1 At least one member of the audit team shall be trained in the declared ecosystem

service(s) or have proven competence based on past experience.

http://info.fsc.org/


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Annex A. Template Ecosystem Services Certification Document

Results of the evaluation (this page needs to be filled in by the lead auditor)

Name of the certification body

Name of the lead auditor

Date of the evaluation of this document

Verified ecosystem services impacts

Validated ecosystem services impacts

(when clause 7.3 applies)

Date of verification or validation of the impact Approved on dd.mm.yyyy Valid until dd.mm.yyyy

Signature of the lead auditor and seal Place of approval


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Part I: Information regarding steps to demonstrating impact

Step 1: Declaration of the ecosystem service(s)

1.1 The organization shall declare the ecosystem service(s) for which an impact is proposed. The organization shall choose one

or more from among five ecosystem services: carbon sequestration and storage, biological diversity conservation, watershed

services, soil conservation, and/or recreational services.

Carbon sequestration and storage

Watershed services

Biological diversity conservation

Soil conservation

Recreational services

1.2 The organization shall briefly describe the legal tenure to manage, use and/or receive payments for the declared ecosystem

service

This clause requires to focus on legislation about the declared ecosystem services, this is particularly relevant in countries where forest

managers have the right to harvest timber, but other services such as water and biodiversity are not included in their management rights. It

is expected that the organization provides a reference to the applicable law(s).

A law may not exist in the relevant jurisdiction. In this case, the organization is required to describe this situation.

……………………………………………………………………..

1.3 The organization shall list any management objectives related to the declared ecosystem services, including any relevant

objectives from the management plan.

……………………………………………………………………..


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Step 2: Description of the ecosystem service(s)

(it is recommended to describe this step in approximately 2.000 words for all the clauses)

2.1.1 The current condition of the ecosystem service

………………………………………………….

2.1.2 The past condition of the ecosystem service, based on best available information (Small and Low Intensity Managed Forests

do not need to comply with this clause unless required by the methodology used according to step 6)

This description may include past management practices and lessons learned.

…………………………………………………

2.1.3 Areas within and outside of the management unit that contribute to the declared ecosystem service (Small and Low Intensity

Managed Forests do not need to describe areas outside the management unit unless required by the methodology used according

to step 6)

Some examples of areas outside of the management unit are:

a) Watershed Services: upstream and/or downstream areas in a river, key waterbodies within the watershed and/or adjacent areas with key watercourses and waterbodies.

b) Recreational Services: areas outside the management unit that are key tourist attractions or protected areas and/or features adjacent to the management unit that can enhance its tourist value, such as a beautiful mountain or lake that can be seen from the management unit

………………………………………………………………………………..

2.1.4 The extent of the management unit where management activities are contributing to the proposed impact.

Provide information about the area and a brief geographical description.

The organization should provide a map, if possible.

………………………………………………………………………………..

2.1.5 Beneficiaries of the ecosystem service.


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The organization should describe only direct beneficiaries of the declared ecosystem services, such as human populations drinking water

from the watershed service that wants to be protected, human settlements that can benefit from a more stable soil, or locals working in the

recreational services sector. Existing information from stakeholder consultations may be used to fulfil this clause.

End users such as consumers or indirect beneficiaries of carbon mitigation should not be listed.

………………………………………………………………………

2.1.6 Threats to the ecosystem service, human-induced and of natural origin, within and outside of the management unit. (Small

and Low Intensity Managed Forests may describe only threats within the management unit.)

Threats could be human induced or of natural origin.

Some examples follow:

a) Slash and burn activities outside may cause uncontrolled forest fires affecting carbon stocks, biodiversity or recreational services.

b) Floods and/or natural disaster such as earthquake.

c) Land conversion outside the management in mountainous areas that may significantly affect soil conservation.

………………………………………………………………………

2.1.7 A summary of culturally appropriate engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, related to the declared

ecosystem services including ecosystem services access and use, and benefit sharing

This description may include stakeholders’ consultation, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes and gaps, engagement with

communities and other organizations involved in activities related to the declared ecosystem service(s), and eventual conflicts and proposed

activities to solve these conflicts. In addition, this section may include how you plan to share benefits from the declared ecosystem services

with Indigenous Peoples and local communities that contribute to the ecosystem services; how you plan to grant access and basic use of

the ecosystem services to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, etc.

………………………………………………………………………


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Step 3: Theory of change – linking management activities to impacts

3.1 For each declared ecosystem service, the organization shall propose one or more of the impacts from Annex B

The impacts to be demonstrated are listed in the column “impact” from Annex B.

The choice of the impact has a great importance, as it influences the required information in terms of outcome indicators and comparison to

the reference level.

For example, ES1.1 Restoration of natural forest cover or ES3.1 Maintenance of water quality.

………………………………………………………………………

3.2 For each proposed impact (from clause 3.1), the organization shall develop a theory of change to describe the link between

management activities and the impacts that result from them, using the template included in Annex A.

Follow the template below to develop a theory of change (Clause 3.2)

Management Activities

(clause 3.3.1)

Outputs

(clause 3.3.2)

Outcomes

(clauses 3.3.3)

Impact

(from Clause 3.1)

Example 1

Activity 1 …………………


Output 1 (linked to Activity 1 and

2) …………………

Outcome 1 (linked to Outputs 1):

…………………

Impact for Outcome 1 and Outcome 2. …………………

Activity 3 ………………… Output 2 (linked to Activity 3 and

4) …………………

Outcome 2 (linked to Outputs 2):

…………………



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Example 2 (2 impacts)

Activity 1 ………………… Output 1 (linked to Activity 1)

…………………

Outcome 1 (linked to Outputs 1, and Output

2): …………………

Impact for Outcome 1. …………………



Output 2 (linked to Activity 2 and

3) …………………

Outcome 2 (linked to Output 1 and Output 2)

…………………

Impact for Outcome 2. …………………

3.4 The organization shall identify and briefly describe any contextual factors that may influence the outcomes, but are not under

the direct control of the organization

Some examples follow:

a) Political change or introduction of a new legislation;

b) Safety and other events such as wars or violent conflicts;

c) Occurrence of natural disaster or change in climate;

d) Overlapping tenure to the management unit by other users;

d) Land rights in the country;

e) Other users of the ecosystem services in the area.

………………………………………………………………………


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Step 4: Selection of outcome indicators

Impact (clause 3.1) For each proposed impact, the Organization shall

select one or more outcome indicators (clause 4.1).

4.2 For each outcome indicator chosen, the

organization shall specify a verifiable target(s) that

represents a desired future value for the outcome

indicator

4.3 The choice of the verifiable target shall be justified

One verifiable target may be used for multiple outcome

indicators, if this is justified.

Impact 1

Example:

ES1.2 Conservation

of Intact Forest

Landscapes

Outcome Indicator for Outcome 1 (chosen from Annex

B)

Area of intact forest landscapes………

Verifiable Target for Outcome 1 …………………

Justification ……

Impact 2 ………

Example:

ES1.5 Restoration of

the composition and

structure of native

ecosystems–

landscape level

Outcome 1……….

Outcome Indicator for Outcome 2 (not included in Annex

B) ………

Justification……….

Verifiable Target for Outcome 2 …………………

Justification ……


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Step 5: Measurement and comparison of the value of the selected outcome indicator(s)

5.1 The organization shall measure the present value of each

selected outcome indicator

Write the current value for each one of the outcome indicators defined

in the theory of change.

5.2 The organization shall, according to the specifications in

Annex B, compare the present value of each outcome indicator

with a prior measurement, reference level or reference site.

Write down the value of comparison for the outcome indicator and

describe how this is complying with the requirements from Annex B.

The values need to be comparable and comply with the requirements

described in the columns “Compare value of outcome indicator to a

reference level” and “Required result”.

Example for ES2.1

XX tons of carbon per hectare.

Example:

(rule according to Annex B: column “Compare value of outcome

indicator to a reference level” - rule: compare with a regional reference

level. - ):

Regional reference level for forest carbon stock in region Y is XY tons

of carbon per hectare.

Example for ES1.2 (Annex B: column “Outcome indicator

requirements):

Area of intact forest landscape in 2017.

Example:

(rule according to Annex B: column “Compare value of outcome

indicator to a reference level” - rule: Compare with a regional

reference level. - ):

Area of intact forest landscape in 2010 (provide data from previous

measurement if available according to clause 5.3).


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Step 6: Methods (it is recommended to describe this step in approximately 2.000 words for all the clauses)

6.1 The organization shall describe the methodology used to measure the values of the selected outcome indicator(s), in terms

that are clear enough to facilitate evaluation.

The organization should refer to FSC-GUI-30-006 for recommended methodologies and could also refer to external methodologies, books

or articles. Provide a brief description below.

………………………………………………………………………

6.2 The methodology chosen to measure the values of the selected outcome indicators shall conform to the following eligibility

criteria:

6.2.1 The methodology is suitable for the

local context and the outcome indicator to

be measured;

Brief Justification………………………………………………………………………

6.2.2 The methodology is credible, based

on best available information (e.g. there are

scientific publications that support the use

of the methodology; it has been validated

through previous use; it has been endorsed

by experts, etc. );


6.2.3 The methodology is objective and

replicable, i.e. It yields similar results when

applied by different observers in the same

site under similar conditions.



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6.3 The Organization shall also describe the collection and analysis of data, including:

6.3.1 The data sources that were used

(literature, interviews, field measurements,

modelling, etc.);

Brief Description………………………………………………………………………

6.3.2 Sampling methods, including

frequency and/or intensity;


6.3.3 Any equipment used to measure the

outcome indicator;


6.3.4 Data analysis used. Brief Description………………………………………………………………………

Step 7: Statement of results (it is recommended to describe this step in approximately 1.500 words for all the clauses )

Impact

(clause 3.1)

Outcome

Indicator (4.1)

Present value

of the outcome

indicator

(clause 5.1)

Value of the reference

level (clause 5.2)

Results (clause 7.1)

Impact 1…… …………… …………… …………… Provide a description of the results based on the present

value of the outcome indicator.

Provide detailed evidence summarizing reports or the results

for each outcome indicator.

The organization may provide additional evidence as an

attachment.

……………

Describe how the result from Clause 7.1 contributes to likely achieving the proposed verifiable targets in the future (clause 7.2)


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Verifiable Target 1

…………………

Describe how the result for each outcome indicator goes in the direction of achieving

the verifiable target in the future.

……………

Verifiable Target 2

…………………

Describe how the result contributes to achieving the verifiable target in the future for

impact 2.

…………………

Part II: Management information

Name of the forest management organization

……………………………………………………

Location of the management unit

……………………………………………………

Type of certification

Please tick all the options that apply to the management unit:

Tenure management:

Community Public/State Private

Concession Indigenous Low Intensity Small Producer

Tenure Ownership:

Community Public/State Private Indigenous


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Type of certificate:

Individual Management group

Characteristics of the certificate

Please give the following information:

Management Units (name and numbers): […]

Management unit area (in hectares): […]

Number of members (if applicable): […]

FSC Certificate Code (if applicable): […]

First issue date (if applicable): […]

Last issue date (if applicable): […]

Expiry date (if applicable): […]

Organization contact information

Please provide relevant contact information:

Email: […]

Postal address: […]

Telephone number: […]

Contact name: […]


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Annex B. Possible impacts, and measures to demonstrate them

Annex B contains mandatory requirements to comply with Part I of this procedure.

The first column (#) indicates the numbering of the possible impacts that an organization can choose to demonstrate. The second column (Impact)

contains the names of these possible impacts. (Clause 3.1).

The third column (Outcome indicator requirements (mandatory requirements in bold)) indicates the type of outcome indicator that has to be

chosen for each impact. This information is written in bold font and is mandatory (Clause 4.2). This column also provides some examples of

outcome indicators that can be used by the organization. (Clause 4.3)

The fourth column (Compare value of outcome indicator to a reference level) contains mandatory requirements for the measurement of the

current value of each outcome indicator and its comparison to a reference level (Clauses 5.1 – 5.2). The result of this comparison has to follow

the requirements indicated in the fifth column (Required result). (Clause 7.1).

The final column (Sustainable Development Goals) provides al linkage between each impact and the Sustainable Development Goals. This

linkage may be used for communication and marketing purposes. (Clause 9.2).

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY CONSERVATION

# Impact Outcome indicator requirements (mandatory requirements in bold)

Compare value of outcome indicator to a reference level

Required result Sustainable Development Goals

ES1.1 Restoration of natural forest cover

Within the first ten years following the start of implementation of management activities to restore natural forest cover:

Indicators to measure forest cover, for example:

Natural forest cover for the whole management

unit.

Forest area as a proportion of total land area

Compare present value with at least one prior measurement.

Trend is stable or improving.

Goal 15: Life on Land

15.1.1 Forest area as a proportion of total land area

15.3.1 Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area

AND:

Indicators of successful re-planting activities, for example:

Non-forest area with successfully established

native tree seedlings.

Compare present value with zero activity. Trend is improving.


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After ten years following the start of implementation of management activities to restore natural forest cover:

Indicators to measure forest cover, for example:

Natural forest cover for the whole management

unit.



Trend is improving.

AND:

Indicators of stand-level forest composition and structure as in ES1.6


Trend is improving.

ES1.2 Conservation of

intact forest

landscapes

Indicators of the extent of intact forest landscapes on the management unit, for example:

Area of intact forest landscapes.

Area of intact forest landscape cores.

Area of protected intact forest landscapes.





15.1.2 Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type


ES1.3 Maintenance of an

ecologically

sufficient

Indicators of the extent of conservation areas, including1:




1 Annex C of FSC-STD-60-004 contains relevant requirements for the sufficiency of the conservation area network.


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conservation area

network

Area of the conservation areas network within the management unit (including representative sample areas, conservation zones, protection areas, connectivity areas and High Conservation Value Areas).

Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type


ES1.4 Conservation of the

composition and

structure of native

ecosystems –

landscape level

Indicators of anthropogenic disturbance at the landscape level, for example:

Level of disturbance.

Road density.

Level of fragmentation.






AND

Compare present value with level of disturbance in adjacent areas.

Management unit has substantially less anthropogenic disturbance than adjacent areas.

AND

Indicators of landscape-level forest composition and structure for the whole management unit, for example:

Forest age class

Forest or ecosystem structure

Species assemblage

Forest density.

Compare present and at least one previous value with a natural reference area;

Present value on management unit is similar to reference value; similarity is stable or improving.

OR

Compare present value and at least one previous value with a scientifically credible description of a natural condition

ES1.5 Indicators of anthropogenic disturbance at the landscape level, for example:


Trend is improving.


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Restoration of the

composition and

structure of native

ecosystems –

landscape level

Level of disturbance.

Road density.

Level of fragmentation.

AND

Indicators of landscape-level forest composition and structure for the whole management unit, for example:

Forest age class

Forest or ecosystem structure

Native species assemblage

Forest density.

Compare present value and one previous value with a natural reference area;

Similarity is to reference value is improving.

OR

Compare present value and one previous value with a scientifically credible description of a natural condition

ES1.6 Maintenance / conservation of the composition and structure of native ecosystems – stand level

Indicators of stand-level forest composition and structure for the whole management unit, for example:

Incidence of natural habitat features associated

with native ecosystems.

Amount of standing & fallen deadwood.


Present value on management unit is similar to reference value; similarity is stable or improving.




OR


ES1.7 Restoration of the composition and structure of native ecosystems – stand level

Indicators of stand-level forest composition and structure for the whole management unit, for example:

Incidence of natural habitat features associated

with native ecosystems.

Amount of standing & fallen deadwood.


Similarity is to reference value is improving. OR


ES1.8 Conservation of the species diversity of native ecosystems

Indicators of native species diversity, for example:

Species assemblage (e.g. birds, mammals, trees,

fish, beetles)

Compare present value and at least one previous value with a natural reference area

Present value on management unit is similar to reference


OR


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Proportion of species classified as at risk

Proportion of native species within biologically

sustainable levels

Compare present value and at least one previous value with a scientifically credible description of a natural diversity

value; similarity is stable or improving.



15.5.1 Red List Index

ES1.9 Restoration of the species diversity of native ecosystems

Indicators of native species diversity, as in ES1.8. Compare present value and at least one previous value with a natural reference area

Similarity is to reference value is improving. OR

Compare present value and at least one previous value with a scientifically credible description of a natural diversity

ES1.10 Conservation of native species

For selected focal species or rare and threatened species, indicators of habitat availability within the management unit, for example:

Area of habitat.

Suitability of habitat.

Area of habitat protected.

Habitat connectivity

Area protected from illegal hunting and illegal

logging

Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and

freshwater biodiversity that are covered by

protected areas, by ecosystem type

Compare present value to at least one prior measurement


AND:


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For selected focal species, or rare and threatened species, indicators of population abundance, for example:

Abundance of selected species.

Availability of selected species for sustainable

traditional use.

Proportion of species within biologically

sustainable levels.

Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or

illicitly trafficked.

Compare present value to at least one prior measurement

Trend is stable or improving

OR:

Provide evidence that the management unit contains or contributes to the maintenance of a minimum viable population.

N/A N/A

ES1.11 Restoration of native species

For selected focal species or rare and threatened species, indicators of habitat availability within the management unit, for example:

Area of habitat.

Suitability of habitat.

Area of habitat protected.

Habitat connectivity

Area protected from illegal hunting and illegal

logging

Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and

freshwater biodiversity that are covered by

protected areas, by ecosystem type


Trend is improving.

AND:


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For selected focal species, or rare and threatened species indicators of population abundance, for example:


Availability of selected species for sustainable use.

Proportion of species within biologically

sustainable levels

Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or

illicitly trafficked


Trend is improving.


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CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND STORAGE

# Impact Measure outcome indicators at the present time Compare value of outcome indicator to a reference level


ES2.1 Conservation of forest carbon stocks

Direct indicators of carbon stocks, for example:

Forest carbon stocks quantified across the entire

management unit.

Forecast of forest carbon stocks across the entire

management unit.



OR

Compare with a regional reference level. Forest carbon stocks on management unit are higher than the reference level.

OR

Direct indicators of carbon flux, for example:

Flux of carbon stocks resulting from reduced

impact logging

Compare with a regional reference level

Losses of carbon are lower on the management unit compared to the reference level.



OR

Compare with a historical reference level of carbon flux from the management unit

ES2.2 Restoration of carbon stocks

Forest carbon stocks quantified across the entire management unit.


Forest carbon stocks on management unit are higher than the reference level.

OR

Compare with a regional reference level.


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WATERSHED SERVICES

# Impact Measure outcome indicators at the present time

Compare value of outcome indicator to a reference level or site


ES3.1 Maintenance of water quality

Indicators of water quality chosen based on the assessment of water quality and threats, for example:

Water turbidity.

Water temperature.

Dissolved oxygen.

Water pH.

Bio-indicators of stream health (macro-

invertebrates).

Pathogens (bacteria [e.g. E. coli], viruses) in

water.

Nutrients (phosphorous, nitrogen) in water

Total suspended solids.

Level of sedimentation/water sediment load

(grams per litre)

Perceived water quality (used as drinking

water, livestock drinking water, domestic

purposes, irrigation, swimming, and other

recreational purposes).

Compare present value with a relevant standard for the established uses of water.

Water quality meets reference levels or standards.

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services

6.3.2 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality




AND:

Indicators of watershed condition, for example:

Area of wetland/peatland coverage in the

relevant watershed.

Area of natural forest cover in the relevant

watershed.




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WATERSHED SERVICES




Percent of forest cover in the relevant

watershed in disturbed condition.

Proportion of land that is degraded over total

land area

Length of waterbody shoreline with protected

riparian zones.

Length of streambank restored with tree

plantings for the purpose of providing shade

and decreasing instream temperature.

Percentage of water sources protected (by

length of river or surface area of lakes)

Area of reforestation.

Surface water run-off

Percent of erosion-prone areas under

protection.

ES3.2 Enhancement of water quality

Indicators of water quality as in ES.3.1 Compare present value and at least one previous value with a relevant standard for the established uses of water

Trend is stable and showing progress toward the relevant standard.

AND:

Indicators of watershed condition as in ES3.1 Compare present value with at least one prior measurement.

Trend is improving.

ES3.3 Maintenance of water flow and availability




6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources

AND

Indicators of water flow and availability, for example:

Number of springs dried out monthly/annually

Compare present value with at least one prior measurement



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WATERSHED SERVICES




Water level

Base flow volume

Number and degree of floods

Water flow (/streamflow)

Dry season water flow and dry season rainfall

Groundwater level

Water scarcity

Availability of the water resources to local communities and Indigenous Peoples, both for economic activities (agriculture, livestock, fisheries, households, etc.) and recreational activities

Water provision (litres per year) from sources within the FMU

Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources



ES3.4 Restoration of water flow and availability


Trend is improving.

AND

Indicators of water flow and availability as in ES3.3

Compare present value with at least one prior measurement

Trend is stable increasing

ES3.6 Maintenance of the capacity of watersheds to purify and regulate water flow

Indicators of forest cover, for example:

Natural forest cover for the management unit

overlapping with the relevant watershed.



land area

Forest density.


Trend is stable or improving


6.3.2 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality

AND

Compare present value with natural forest cover adjacent to the management unit within the same relevant watershed.

Management unit overlapping the relevant watershed has substantially


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WATERSHED SERVICES




greater forest cover than adjacent areas.

6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources





AND



AND:

Compare present value with a natural reference area;

Present value on management unit is similar to reference value.

ES3.7 Restoration of the capacity of watersheds to purify and regulate water flow

Indicators of forest cover as in ES3.6 Compare present value with at least one prior measurement.


AND




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SOIL CONSERVATION # Impact Measure outcome indicators at the

present time Compare value of outcome indicator to a reference level


ES4.1 Maintenance of soil

condition.

Indicators to measure soil properties, for

example:

Thickness of layer of soil organic matter.

Organic matter content (%).

Nutrient (N,P) content of soil.

Soil macrofauna abundance.

Soil texture.

Soil stability.

Area and degree of soil compaction (roads

and harvest areas)

Compare present value and at least one previous value with a natural reference area;

Present value on management unit is similar to reference value; similarity is stable or improving

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

2.3.1 Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size




OR

Compare present value and at least one previous value with a relevant standard for soil condition

AND:

Indicators to measure soil condition, for

example:

Area of natural forest cover

Extent of land cover with forest canopy or

ground vegetation



land area.

Area of vulnerable/sensitive soils.

Area and percentage of damaged soil.

Area and degree of soil compaction (roads

and harvest areas).

Area of drained peatland.

Incidence of landslides.

Productivity (forest and agricultural) per unit

area




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Volume of production per labour unit by

classes of farming/pastoral/forestry

enterprise size

ES4.2 Restoration /

enhancement of soil

condition.

Indicators to measure soil properties as in ES4.1

Compare present value and at least one previous value with a natural reference area;

Trend is improving.

OR

Compare present value least one previous value with a relevant standard for soil condition

AND

Indicators to measure soil condition as in

ES4.1


Trend is improving.

ES4.3 Reduction of erosion

through increased forest

cover.

Indicators to measure forest cover on

vulnerable or high risk areas, for example:


land area

Forest cover on vulnerable or high risk areas

Survival rate of trees planted



Trend is improving. Goal 15: Life on Land



AND

Indicators to measure soil erosion, for

example:


Trend is improving.


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Area affected by wind and/or water erosion.

Amount of erosion (cubic metres, area

affected).

Soil erosion and sedimentation levels.

Time spent on removal / Costs of removal /

Impacts of sediment deposited by wind

and/or water erosion on nearby land or water

bodies.

Percentage of households within local

communities affected by landslide.


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RECREATIONAL SERVICES




ES51 Maintenance /

conservation of areas of

importance for recreation

and/or tourism.

Indicators to measure the extent of areas of

importance for recreation and/or tourism

that are protected, for example:

Area protected and accessible for nature-

based recreation.

Proportion of important sites for terrestrial

and freshwater biodiversity that are covered

by protected areas, by ecosystem type

Coverage by protected areas of important

sites for mountain biodiversity





15.4.1 Coverage by protected areas of important sites for mountain biodiversity

AND

Indicators to measure the visitor experience,

for example:

Visitor satisfaction.

Value/price rating of visitors.

Willingness to pay for ecotourism attributes.

Number of visitors.

Income generated from nature-based

recreation/tourism (e.g. through sales of

services to forest recreational users/tourists,

benefit-sharing scheme).


Satisfaction is stable or improving.

ES5.2 Restoration or

enhancement of areas of

importance for recreation

and/or tourism.

Same as in RS.1.1

Trend or satisfaction are improving.

ES5.3 For selected species of interest, indicators to measure evidence that the habitat is in



Goal 14: Life below Water


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RECREATIONAL SERVICES




Maintenance /

conservation of

populations of species of

interest for nature-based

tourism.

suitable condition and quantify the population of the species, for example:

Area of habitat of selected species protected.

Suitability of habitat for selected species.

Proportion of important sites for terrestrial

and freshwater biodiversity that are covered

by protected areas, by ecosystem type

14.4.1 Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels



15.5.1 Red List Index

15.7.1 Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked

AND:

For selected species of interest, indicators of population abundance:


Number of charismatic species sightings (e.g.

when bird-watching).

Proportion of traded wildlife that was

poached or illicitly trafficked



Or:

Provide evidence that the management unit contains or contributes to the maintenance of a minimum viable population.

N/A N/A

ES5.4 Restoration or enhancement of populations of species of interest for nature-based tourism.

Indicators of habitat suitability as in ES5.3 Compare present value with at least one prior measurement.

Trend is improving.

Indicators of population abundance as in ES5.3


Trend is improving.

FSC-PRO-30-006 V1-0 EN DEMONSTRATINGTHE IMPACT OF FOREST STEWARDSHIP ON ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

– 51 of 54 –

Annex C. Example of a completed theory of change

Example 1: Biological diversity conservation

MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

OUTPUTS

OUTCOMES

IMPACT

Activity 1

Retaining indigenous trees

diameter at breast height> 20 cm

as seed trees

Output 1 (linked to Activity 1)

X indigenous trees retained in

planting blocks A, B, C

Outcome 1 (linked to Output 1)

Availability of native tree species

seed source

Impact for Outcome 1 and Outcome 2. ………………… Restoration of natural forest cover

Activity 2

Enrichment planting in riverine

forest patches using native tree

species


XX ha replanted with native

species, including Red List

species S


Native tree species (X, Y, Z) cover

increased

Activity 3

Plant at least 10 per cent indigenous

tree species


XX ha (XX%) planted with

indigenous tree species (X, Y,

Z)

Example indicators to use with the theory of change above:

Number of native seed trees per hectare (Note: this is an example of an outcome indicator not included in Annex B, but proposed by the

organization)

Natural forest cover for the whole management unit.


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Example 3: Watershed services

MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

OUTPUTS

OUTCOMES

IMPACT

Activity 1

Construct natural fences to prevent

cattle from entering the river


XX meters of fence

constructed


Water body protected from cattle

Impact for Outcome 1 and Outcome 2. ………………… Enhancement of Water Quality

Activity 2

Replant areas on slopes, vulnerable soils and riverine areas with trees


X ha of area on slopes replanted, X ha of vulnerable soils area replanted and X ha of riverine area replanted


Reduced erosion and sedimentation

Example indicators to use with the theory of change above:

Percentage of water sources protected (by length of river) (Note: since in this theory of change only rivers are protected, the reference

to lakes has been removed in the indicator).

Nutrients (phosphorous, nitrogen) in water.

Level of sedimentation/water sediment load (grams per litre).


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Annex D. Information regarding financial sponsorships

Ecosystem services claims sponsorship form

Forest Management certificate holder information

Name of the organization:

Address:

Contact person:

Phone:

Email:

Sponsor information

Name of the organization:

Address:

Contact person:

Phone:

Email:

Ecosystem services claims associated with the sponsorship

Ecosystem service Ecosystem services claims (List claims and codes of verified ecosystem services impacts from Annex B)

( ) ES1 – Biological diversity conservation

( ) ES2 – Carbon sequestration and storage

( ) ES3 – Watershed services

( ) ES4 – Soil conservation

( ) ES5 – Recreational services

Extent of the management unit (MU) where management activities are contributing to the verified impact:

Address of the MU:

Coordinates of the MU:

Date of sponsorship:

Additional comments:

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