Every year hundreds of companies from all over the world undergo audits for compliance with the applicable requirements of voluntary forest certification standards. Today, it is an integral part of the life of enterprises that sell their products in the environmentally sensitive markets of Europe, the USA and parts of the Asian markets. Certification according to international standards is mandatory if the company plans to sell its products as certified.
Forest management certification - enterprises that are tenants or private owners who are owners are certified by the management system at the forest site to demonstrate that products from these sites are harvested in accordance with the criteria of sustainable development, in which meeting the needs of the current generation does not deprive future generations of such opportunities. The most important elements of sustainability are the balance of environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Certification of chain of custody - path that products take from the forest area to the final consumer, including all processing and sales.
Why do companies certify their forest management units (FMUs) and chains of custody?
- Customer requirement;
- For advertising purposes;
- The desire to improve the efficiency of the company;
- Participation in the legalization and normalization of the market.
What forest certification systems exist today?
There are two international structures for voluntary forest certification. Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, or PEFC and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Both certification systems are international, but there are certain differences between them. National certification systems are also used in different countries, each of which sets its own rules and restrictions. More detailed information about the requirements of each of the systems can be found on the official websites.
How do to get a certificate?
You can get a certificate only after an audit by one of the accredited certification bodies.
As a first approximation, the process of obtaining a certificate looks like this:
- The company is being prepared for the audit;
- The company enters into an audit contract with one of the accredited certification bodies;
- The dates of the main audit evaluation are being coordinated;
- The company is being audited in accordance with applicable regulations;
- If the audit does not reveal major inconsistencies that prevent the issuance of a certificate, then a report is prepared within 1-3 months, the report is reviewed internally and externally, and only after approval a certificate is issued for a period of 5 years.
- The company is audited annually to confirm compliance with the requirements.
The most frequent questions that arise from enterprises that plan to receive a certificate
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Question
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Answer
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How quickly can a company get a forest management certificate?
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One of the most common questions. Depending on the scale of production activities, the presence/absence of MLT forest plots within the boundaries of the lease (applicable only to FSC), or other high environmental values, the number of personnel, the process of preparing for the audit may take from one to six months or more. The audit and preparation of the report can take from two to four months. In total, the preparation and process of the audit assessment can take from three to nine months.
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How quickly can a company get a chain of custody certificate?
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The chain of custody standard contains many fewer indicators for verification, but as in the case of forest management certification, the time for preparation and audit depends on the scale of the company's activities and the number of sites. Small enterprises can expect to receive a certificate within a month, large enterprises should focus on two months from the start of preparation to the issuance of the certificate.
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How much does it cost to prepare for an audit assessment?
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Everything is individual, depending on the scale of the company's activities. The list of FSC certification consultants can be found on the website of the Russian FSC Office.
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Why use the services of consultants?
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Forest certification is a new service for the market. If an enterprise is faced with the task of certification for the first time, it is recommended to hire consultants to conduct staff training, assess risks and reduce possible costs associated with ignorance of the implementation of individual indicators in order to speed up the process of preparing for the main audit.
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How much does an audit evaluation cost?
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As in the case of consultation, depending on the scale of the company's activities, the cost of the audit assessment will be different. The list of accredited certification bodies can be found on the website of the Russian Certification System Office.
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What risks can certification carry for the company?
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Certification is one of the ways to improve the work of the enterprise. Often, most enterprises note the positive effects of certification.
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Is the payment for consulting and audit services a guarantee for the issuance of a certificate?
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The presence of a consultant at the enterprise is not a guarantee that the company will receive a certificate in the shortest possible time. There are a large number of factors that can hinder the preparation process, but with an experienced consultant it will be much easier to solve all the necessary tasks on the way to the cherished goal
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Why choose BiomassConsult as a consultant
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Our consulting team has experience in solving the most difficult tasks that other consulting companies have refused.
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There are enterprises that are ready for certification by 70 percent or more and do not know it. They only have to prepare separate procedures and conduct staff training.
With rare exceptions, it is possible to meet enterprises that for various reasons cannot receive a certificate, but such enterprises are found on the market in isolated cases.
