CLIMATE MITIGATION – AFFORESTATION

3.1.          In accordance with national law, the forest status of the area in which the activity takes place is guaranteed by one of the following measures:

3.1 (a)      the area is classified in the permanent forest estate as defined by the FAO (11);

Afforested lands become part of an organization's forest inventory and are managed in accordance with all the requirements of the SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard.

3.1 (b)      the area is classified as a protected area;

Afforested lands become part of an organization's forest inventory and are managed in accordance with all the requirements of the SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard.

3.1 (c)      the area is the subject of any legal or contractual guarantee ensuring that it will remain a forest.

Afforested lands become part of an organization's forest inventory and are managed in accordance with all the requirements of the SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard.

3.2. In accordance with national law, the operator of the activity commits that future updates to the afford­ estation plan and the subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument, beyond the activity that is financed, will continue to seek the climate benefits as determined in point 2. Besides, the operator of the activity commits to compensate any reduction in the climate benefit determined in point 2 with an equivalent climate benefit resulting from the conduct of an activity that corresponds to one of the forestry activities defined in this Regulation.

Afforested lands become part of an organization's forest inventory and are managed in accordance with all the requirements of the SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard.

3.2 Within two years after the beginning of the activity and every 10 years thereafter, the compliance of the activity with the substantial contribution to climate change mitigation criteria and the DNSH criteria are verified by either of the following:

3.2 (a)      the relevant national competent authorities;

N/A

3.2 (b)      an independent third-party certifier, at the request of national authorities or the operator of the activity.

SFI carried forests are subject to an annual external third-party audits as per SFI Section 10

3.2 In order to reduce costs, audits may be performed together with any forest certification, climate certification or other audit.

N/A

3.2 The independent third-party certifier may not have any conflict of interest with the owner or the funder, and may not be involved in the development or operation of the activity.

Auditor conflict of interest addressed in SFI Section 10 and ISO 17021 which is a normative reference for SFI Section 10.

3.2 The compliance with the criteria for substantial contribution to climate change mitigation and with DNSH criteria may be checked: (a) at the level of the forest sourcing area (12) as defined in Article 2, point (30), of Directive (EU) 2018/2001; (b) at the level of a group of holdings sufficiently homogeneous to evaluate the risk of the sustainability of the forest activity, provided that all those holdings have a durable relationship between them and participate in the activity and the group of those holdings remains the same for all subsequent audits.

SFI requirements for group certification are addressed in SFI Section 10, Appendix 2

Climate change adaptation. The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix A to this Annex.

Performance Measure 9.1 Certified Organizations shall individually and/or through cooperative efforts involving SFI Implementation Committees or other partners identify and address the climate change risks to forests and forest operations and develop appropriate adaptation objectives and strategies. Strategies are based on best scientific information.

Performance Measure 9.2 Certified Organizations shall individually and/or through cooperative efforts involving SFI Implementation Committees or other partners identify and address opportunities to mitigate the effects associated with its forest operations on climate change.