CLIMATE MITIGATION – FOREST MANAGEMENT

1.1) Covers a min. period of 10 years and is continuously updated 1.1. The activity takes place on area that is subject to a forest management plan or an equivalent instrument, as set out in national law or, where national law does not define a forest management plan or equivalent instrument, as referred to in the FAO definition of ‘forest area with long-term forest management plan’(40). The forest management plan or equivalent instrument covers a period of 10 years or more and is continuously updated

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

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.

Indicator 3. Certified Organizations shall document how their adaptation plan objectives and strategies fit within broader regional climate adaptation strategies and plans, where they exist.

1.2) Management goals, including major constraints* 1.2. Information is provided on the following points that are not already documented in the forest management plan or equivalent system: a. management goals, including major constraints(41);

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1.3) General strategies and activities planned to reach the management goals, including expected operations over the whole forest cycle 1.2. b. general strategies and activities planned to reach the management goals, including expected operations over the whole forest cycle;

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1.4) Definition of the forest habitat context, including main existing and intended forest tree species, and their extent and distribution 1.2. c. definition of the forest habitat context, including main existing and intended forest tree species, and their extent and distribution;

1.5) Definition of the area according to its gazetting in the land registry 1.2. d. definition of the area according to its gazetting in the land registry;

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1.6) Compartments, roads, rights of way and other public access, physical features including waterways, areas under legal and other restrictions 1.2. e. compartments, roads, rights of way and other public access, physical features including waterways, areas under legal and other restrictions;

1.7) Measures deployed to maintain the good condition of forest ecosystems 1.2. f. measures deployed to maintain the good condition of forest ecosystems;

1.8) Consideration of societal issues (including preservation of landscape, consultation of stakeholders in accordance with the terms and conditions laid down in national law) 1.2. g. consideration of societal issues (including preservation of landscape, consultation of stakeholders in accordance with the terms and conditions laid down in national law);

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

Indicator 6. Assessment of the local or regional social, environmental, and economic effects of forest management operations contained in the forest management plan.

Performance Measure 8.1. Certified Organizations shall recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

1.9) Assessment of forest related risks, including forest fires, and pests and diseases outbreaks, with the aim of preventing, reducing and controlling the risks and measures deployed to ensure protection and adaptation against residual risks 1.2. h. assessment of forest related risks, including forest fires, and pests and diseases outbreaks, with the aim of preventing, reducing and controlling the risks and measures deployed to ensure protection and adaptation against residual risks;

1.10) All DNSH criteria relevant for forest management 1.2. i. all DNSH criteria relevant for forest management.

See DNSH criteria

1.11) Definition of SFM matches (choose) 1.3. The sustainability of the forest management systems, as documented in the plan referred to in point 1.1, is ensured by choosing the most ambitious of the following approaches: a. the forest management matches the applicable national definition of sustainable forest management; b. the forest management matches the Forest Europe definition(42) of sustainable forest management, and complies with the Pan-European Operational Level Guidelines for Sustainable Forest Management(43); c. the management system in place shows compliance with the forest sustainability criteria set out in Article 29(6) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001, and as of the date of its application with the implementing act on operational guidance for energy from forest biomass adopted under Article 29(8) of that Directive.

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

SFI Section 14 - Definitions Sustainable forestry: To meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs by practicing a land stewardship ethic that integrates reforestation and the managing, growing, nurturing, and harvesting of trees for useful products and ecosystem services such as the conservation of soil, air and water quality, carbon, biological diversity, wildlife and aquatic habitats, recreation, and aesthetics.

1.12) The activity does not involve the degradation of land with high carbon stock 1.4. The activity does not involve the degradation of land with high carbon stock(44)

Performance Measure 1.2 Certified Organizations shall not convert one forest cover type to another forest cover type unless an assessment has been conducted to determine ecological impacts and provide appropriate justification.

Performance Measure 2.1 Certified Organizations shall promptly reforest after final harvest.

Performance Measure 4.2 Certified Organizations shall protect threatened and endangered species, critically imperiled and imperiled species (Forests with Exceptional Conservation Values), and natural communities, and old-growth forests.

Performance Measure 4.3 Certified Organizations shall manage to protect ecologically important sites in a manner that takes into account their unique qualities.

1.13) The management system associated with the activity in place complies with the due diligence obligation and legality requirements laid down in Regulation(EU) No 995/2010* 1.5. The management system associated with the activity in place complies with the due diligence obligation and legality requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) No 995/2010.

Performance Measure 11.1. Certified Organizations shall comply with applicable federal, provincial, state, and local forestry and environmental laws and regulations.

Performance Measure 11.2. Certified Organizations shall comply with all applicable social laws at the federal, provincial, state, and local levels in the country in which the Certified Organization operates.

1.14) The forest management plan or equivalent instrument provides for monitoring which ensures the correctness of the information contained in the plan, in particular as regards the data relating to the involved area 1.6. The forest management plan or equivalent instrument provides for monitoring which ensures the correctness of the information contained in the plan, in particular as regards the data relating to the involved area.

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.

2.2) Proof of alignment with Article 29(7), point (b), of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 2.1. b. long-term climate benefits are considered demonstrated by proof of alignment with Article 29(7), point (b), of Directive (EU) 2018/2001

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.

2.3) Net balance of GHG emissions/removals over projected long-term period, between 100 years and entire forest cycle 2.2. b. the projected long-term average net GHG balance of the activity is lower than the long-term average GHG balance projected for the baseline, referred to in point 2.2, where long term corresponds to the longer duration between 100 years and the duration of an entire forest cycle.

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.

3.1) Forest status is guaranteed by classification (chose) 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: a. the area is classified in the permanent forest estate as defined by the FAO(46); b. the area is classified as a protected area; c. the area is the subject of any legal or contractual guarantee ensuring that it will remain a forest.

Performance Measure 1.3. Certified Organizations shall not have within the scope of their certification to this SFI Standard, forest lands that have been converted to non-forest land use.

3.2) Commitment on future updates to the forest management and to compensate any reduction in the climate benefit 3.2. In accordance with national law, the operator of the activity commits that future updates to the 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.

The SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard does require long-term sustainable management of forests, but it cannot account for future disposition of forest lands to a new owner. They can be no way to guarantee ongoing financing of the climate benefits after a change in ownership.

4.1) Audit (third-party certifier or by national authorities) 4. Within two years after the beginning of the activity and every 10 years thereafter, the compliance of the activity the substantial contribution to climate change mitigation criteria and the DNSH criteria is verified by either of the following: a. the relevant national competent authorities; b. an independent third-party certifier, at the request of national authorities or the operator of the activity. In order to reduce costs, audits may be performed together with any forest certification, climate certification or other audit.

Conformance is demonstrated with annual audits to the requirements of Objective 9.

5.1) Alignment of criteria on group holding or forest sourcing area 5. 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(47) 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 has three standards that address forest sustainability and therefore address climate change mitigation.

-SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard -SFI Small Lands Group Certification Module -SFI Small Scale Forest Management Module for Indigenous Peoples and Families

DNSH2 - Climate Adaptation The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix A to this Annex The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix A to this Annex.

PM 9.1 supports all of the criteria in appendix A and is equally as broad.

DNSH3 - Water The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix B to this Annex The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix B to this Annex. Detailed information referred to in point 1.2. (i) includes provisions to comply with the criteria set out in Appendix B to this Annex.

Performance Measure 3.1. Certified Organizations shall meet or exceed all applicable federal, provincial, state and local water quality laws and meet or exceed best management practices.

Performance Measure 3.2. Certified Organizations shall implement water, wetland, and riparian protection programs based on climate, soil type, terrain, vegetation, ecological function, harvesting system, state best management practices (BMPs), provincial guidelines and other applicable factors.

DNSH4 - Circular Economy The silvicultural change induced by the activity on the area covered by the activity is not likely to result in a significant reduction of sustainable supply of primary forest biomass suitable for the manufacturing of wood-based products with long-term circularity potential; this criterion may be demonstrated through the climate benefits analysis referred to in point (2) The silvicultural change induced by the activity on the area covered by the activity is not likely to result in a significant reduction of sustainable supply of primary forest biomass suitable for the manufacturing of wood-based products with long-term circularity potential. This criterion may be demonstrated through the climate benefits analysis referred to in point (2).

Performance Measure 2.2. Certified Organizations shall have a program to minimize chemical use required to achieve management objectives while protecting employees, neighbors, the public and the environment, including wildlife and aquatic habitats.

Performance Measure 11.1 Certified Organizations shall comply with applicable federal, provincial, state, and local forestry and environmental laws and regulations.

Performance Measure 2.2. Certified Organizations shall have a program to minimize chemical use required to achieve management objectives while protecting employees, neighbors, the public and the environment, including wildlife and aquatic habitats.

Indicator 5. The World Health Organization (WHO) type 1A and 1B pesticides shall be prohibited, except where no other viable alternative is available.

DNSH5 (3) - Pollution Prevention Pollution of water and soil is prevented and cleaning up measures are undertaken when pollution occurs. Pollution of water and soil is prevented and cleaning up measures are undertaken when pollution occurs.

DNSH6 (1) - Biodiversity In areas designated by the national competent authority for conservation or in habitats that are protected, the activity is in accordance with the conservation objectives for those areas; There is no conversion of habitats specifically sensitive to biodiversity loss or with high conservation value, or of areas set aside for the restoration of such habitats in accordance with national law In areas designated by the national competent authority for conservation or in habitats that are protected, the activity is in accordance with the conservation objectives for those areas. There is no conversion of habitats specifically sensitive to biodiversity loss or with high conservation value, or of areas set aside for the restoration of such habitats in accordance with national law.

Performance Measure 11.2. Certified Organizations shall comply with all applicable social laws at the federal, provincial, state, and local levels in the country in which the Certified Organization operates.