• Driver of nature change: Land/freshwater/ ocean-use change

    Total spatial footprint (C1.0)

    Total spatial footprint (km2) (sum of):

    • Total surface area controlled/ managed by the organisation, where the organisation has control (km2);
    • Total disturbed area (km2); and
    • Total rehabilitated/restored area (km2).

    For the purposes of the core global disclosure metric:

    • Sustainably managed refers to the UN FAO definition of sustainable forest management (see glossary);
    • An organisation may provide information additional to the GET to define the type of ecosystem, such as regional or local classifications;
    • An organisation should provide additional detail on the type of forest, where applicable (e.g. semi-natural forests); and
    • Business activity refers to core business activities/stages of the value chain. A forest sector company should follow the same approach as defined in the FSG Nature Positive Roadmap: forest production, processing and manufacturing, downstream.

    No further guidance.

    OBJECTIVE 1. FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANNING

    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 1. Forest management planning at a level appropriate to the size and scale of the operation, including: b. a periodic or ongoing forest inventory; c. a land classification system; e. soils inventory and maps, where available; g. up-to-date maps or a geographic information system (GIS);

    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.

    Indicator 1. Certified Organizations shall not convert one forest cover type to another forest cover type, unless the conversion: a. does not convert native forest cover types that are rare, ecologically important, or that put any native forest cover types at risk of becoming rare; and

    b. does not create significant adverse impacts on Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, old growth forests, forest critical to threatened and endangered species, or special sites or ecologically important non-forest eco-systems; and c. includes objectives for long-term outcomes that support maintaining native forest cover types and ecological function; and d. is in compliance with relevant national and regional policy and legislation related to land use and forest management.

    Indicator 2. A proposed conversion deemed appropriate per 1.2.1, and which has considered impacts relative to scale, may be implemented subject to a landscape assessment that considers: a. a response to address forest health issues such as pests or pathogens, or proactive consideration of anticipated impacts of fire or climate change, reforestation challenges, or riparian protection needs, provided that such justification is supported by the best scientific information. b. site productivity, economics, and/or stand quality. c. ecological impacts of the conversion at the site and landscape scale, as well as consideration for any appropriate mitigation measures; and d. appropriate consultation with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and other stakeholders who could be affected by such activities.

    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.

    Indicator 1. Forest lands converted to other land uses shall not be certified to this SFI standard. This does not apply to forest lands used for forest and wildlife management such as wildlife food plots or infrastructure such as forest roads, log processing areas, trails, etc.

  • Driver of nature change: Land/freshwater/ ocean-use change

    Extent of land/freshwater/ ocean-use change (C1.1)

    Extent of land/freshwater/ocean ecosystem use change (km2) by:

    • Type of ecosystem;76 and
    • Type of business activity.

    Land-use change to report under the core global disclosure metric includes:

    • Conversion of primary forests, naturally regenerated secondary forests and any other areas of high biodiversity value/carbon stock that are not currently managed for productive purposes regardless of the future forest management plans (e.g. conversion of primary forests into plantation forests or other non-forest land- uses).

    For the purposes of the core global disclosure metric:

    • Extent of land-use change should be measured relative to the land cover type present at an established cut-off date (no later than 2020);
    • Business activity refers to core business activities/ stages of the value chain. A forest sector company should follow the same approach as defined in the Forest Sector Group (FSG) Nature Positive  Roadmap: forest production, processing and manufacturing, downstream; and
    • An organisation may provide information additional to the Replace with Global Ecosystem Typology (GET) to define the type of ecosystem, such as regional or local classifications.

    FSC (2023); Afi (2019); WBCSD- FSG (2021)

    76 When disclosing on ecosystem types, refer to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Global Ecosystem Typology.

    OBJECTIVE 1. FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANNING

    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.

    Indicator 1. Certified Organizations shall not convert one forest cover type to another forest cover type, unless the conversion: a. does not convert native forest cover types that are rare, ecologically important, or that put any native forest cover types at risk of becoming rare;and b. does not create significant adverse impacts on Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, old growth forests, forest critical to threatened and endangered species, or special sites or ecologically important non-forest eco-systems; and c. includes objectives for long-term outcomes that support maintaining native forest cover types and ecological function; and d. is in compliance with relevant national and regional policy and legislation related to land use and forest management.

    Indicator 2. A proposed conversion deemed appropriate per 1.2.1, and which has considered impacts relative to scale, may be implemented subject to a landscape assessment that considers: a. a response to address forest health issues such as pests or pathogens, or proactive consideration of anticipated impacts of fire or climate change, reforestation challenges, or riparian protection needs, provided that such justification is supported by the best scientific information. b. site productivity, economics, and/or stand quality. c. ecological impacts of the conversion at the site and landscape scale, as well as consideration for any appropriate mitigation measures; and d. appropriate consultation with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and other stakeholders who could be affected by such activities.

    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.

    Indicator 1. Forest lands converted to other land uses shall not be certified to this SFI standard. This does not apply to forest lands used for forest and wildlife management such as wildlife food plots or infrastructure such as forest roads, log processing areas, trails, etc.

    Performance Measure 1.4. Certified Organizations shall not afforest in locations which negatively impact ecologically important natural communities, threatened and endangered species, or native natural communities which could be at risk of becoming rare.

  • Driver of nature change: Land/freshwater/ ocean-use change

    Extent of land/freshwater/ ocean-use change (C1.1)

    Extent of land/freshwater/ocean ecosystem that is sustainably managed (km2) by:

    • Type of ecosystem; and
    • Type of business activity.

    This metric applies only to land owned/managed/ leased by the organisation.

    For the purposes of the core global disclosure metric: • Sustainably managed refers to the UN FAO definition of sustainable forest management (see glossary); • An organisation may provide information additional to the GET to define the type of ecosystem, such as regional or local classifications; • An organisation should provide additional detail on the type of forest, where applicable (e.g. semi-natural forests); and • Business activity refers to core business activities/stages of the value chain. A forest sector company should follow the same approach as defined in the FSG Nature Positive Roadmap: forest production, processing and manufacturing, downstream.

    WBCSD- FSG (2021)

    77 When disclosing on ecosystem types, refer to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Global Ecosystem Typology.

    OBJECTIVE 1. FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANNING;

    OBJECTIVE 2. FOREST HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY

    OBJECTIVE 5. MANAGEMENT OF VISUAL QUALITY AND RECREATIONAL BENEFITS

    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 1. Forest management planning at a level appropriate to the size and scale of the operation, including: b. a periodic or ongoing forest inventory; c. a land classification system; e. soils inventory and maps, where available; g. up-to-date maps or a geographic information system (GIS);

    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 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.

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

    Indicator 1. Documented reforestation plans, including designation of all harvest areas for either natural, planted, or direct seeded regeneration and prompt reforestation, unless delayed for site-specific environmental or forest health considerations or legal requirements, through planting within two years or two planting seasons, or by planned natural regeneration methods within five years.

    Performance Measure 5.2. Certified Organizations shall manage the size, shape, and placement of clearcut harvests.

    Indicator 1. Average size of clearcut harvest areas does not exceed 120 acres (50 hectares), except when necessary to meet regulatory requirements, achieve ecological objectives or to respond to forest health emergencies or other natural catastrophes.

    Indicator 2. Documentation through internal records of clearcut size and the process for calculating average size.

  • Driver of nature change: Resource use/replenishment

    Quantity of high-risk natural commodities sourced from land/ocean/ freshwater (C3.1)

    Quantity of high-risk natural commodities82 (tonnes) sourced from land/ocean/freshwater, split into types, including proportion of total natural commodities.

    For forestry and paper sector organisations reporting the core global metric:

    • This metric only applies to procured volumes;
    • High-risk natural commodities refers to certified and non- certified materials sourced. These should be broken down by regions classified as high risk and low risk according to the company risk assessment. This includes both from natural ecosystems and established plantations; and
    • For wood products, types refers to biomass, pulp or wood;

    In reporting the core global metric, an organisation should:

    • Provide information on the organisation’s traceability and due diligence systems.

    TNFD 80 Water consumption is equal to water withdrawal less water discharge. Reference: GRI (2018) GRI 303-5. 81 Surface water; groundwater; seawater; produced water; third-party water. Reference: GRI (2018) GRI 303-3. 82 Users should refer to the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) High Impact Commodity List (HICL) and indicate what proportion of these commodities represent threatened and CITES listed species.

    OBJECTIVE 1. FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANNING

    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 1. Forest management planning at a level appropriate to the size and scale of the operation, including: a. a long-term resources analysis; b. a periodic or ongoing forest inventory; c. a land classification system; d. biodiversity at landscape scales; e. soils inventory and maps, where available; f. access to and use of growth-and-yield modeling capabilities; g. up-to-date maps or a geographic information system (GIS); h. recommended sustainable harvest levels for areas available for harvest; and i. consideration of non-timber issues such as recreation, tourism, pilot projects and economic incentive programs to promote water protection,

    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.

    Indicator 1. Certified Organizations shall not convert one forest cover type to another forest cover type, unless the conversion: a. does not convert native forest cover types that are rare, ecologically important, or that put any native forest cover types at risk of becoming rare; and b. does not create significant adverse impacts on Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, old growth forests, forest critical to threatened and endangered species, or special sites or ecologically important non-forest eco-systems; and c. includes objectives for long-term outcomes that support maintaining native forest cover types and ecological function; and d. is in compliance with relevant national and regional policy and legislation related to land use and forest management.

    Indicator 2. A proposed conversion deemed appropriate per 1.2.1, and which has considered impacts relative to scale, may be implemented subject to a landscape assessment that considers: a. a response to address forest health issues such as pests or pathogens, or proactive consideration of anticipated impacts of fire or climate change, reforestation challenges, or riparian protection needs, provided that such justification is supported by the best scientific information. b. site productivity, economics, and/or stand quality. c. ecological impacts of the conversion at the site and landscape scale, as well as consideration for any appropriate mitigation measures; and d. appropriate consultation with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and other stakeholders who could be affected by such activities.

    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.

    Indicator 1. Forest lands converted to other land uses shall not be certified to this SFI standard. This does not apply to forest lands used for forest and wildlife management such as wildlife food plots or infrastructure such as forest roads, log processing areas, trails, etc.

    Performance Measure 1.4. Certified Organizations shall not afforest in locations which negatively impact ecologically important natural communities, threatened and endangered species, or native natural communities which could be at risk of becoming rare.

  • Driver of nature change: Resource use/replenishment

    Quantity of high-risk natural commodities sourced from land/ocean/ freshwater (C3.1)

    Quantity of high-risk natural commodities83 (tonnes) sourced under a sustainable management plan or certification programme, including proportion of total high- risk natural commodities.

    In reporting the core global metric, an organisation should:

    • Note that this metric only applies to procured volumes;
    • Provide information on the forest management conditions for the wood or fibre, such as whether these are certified by a broadly recognised third party certification system with a global presence, such as the Forest Stewardship  Council (FSC), Programme  for the Endorsement of Forest  Certification (PEFC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative  (SFI). “Controlled Wood”, “Controlled Sources” or “SFI Fiber Sourcing” are excluded from this definition;
    • Refer to the FAO definition of sustainable forest management (see glossary).

    TNFD 83 Users should refer to the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) High Impact Commodity List (HICL) and indicate what proportion of these commodities represent threatened and CITES listed species.

    OBJECTIVE 1. FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANNING

    See Fiber Sourcing Standard; See COC Standard

    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 1. Forest management planning at a level appropriate to the size and scale of the operation, including: a. a long-term resources analysis; b. a periodic or ongoing forest inventory; c. a land classification system; d. biodiversity at landscape scales; e. soils inventory and maps, where available; f. access to and use of growth-and-yield modeling capabilities; g. up-to-date maps or a geographic information system (GIS); h. recommended sustainable harvest levels for areas available for harvest; and i. consideration of non-timber issues such as recreation, tourism, pilot projects and economic incentive programs to promote water protection,

    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.

    Indicator 1. Certified Organizations shall not convert one forest cover type to another forest cover type, unless the conversion: a. does not convert native forest cover types that are rare, ecologically important, or that put any native forest cover types at risk of becoming rare; and b. does not create significant adverse impacts on Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, old growth forests, forest critical to threatened and endangered species, or special sites or ecologically important non-forest eco-systems; and c. includes objectives for long-term outcomes that support maintaining native forest cover types and ecological function; and d. is in compliance with relevant national and regional policy and legislation related to land use and forest management.

    Indicator 2. A proposed conversion deemed appropriate per 1.2.1, and which has considered impacts relative to scale, may be implemented subject to a landscape assessment that considers: a. a response to address forest health issues such as pests or pathogens, or proactive consideration of anticipated impacts of fire or climate change, reforestation challenges, or riparian protection needs, provided that such justification is supported by the best scientific information. b. site productivity, economics, and/or stand quality. c. ecological impacts of the conversion at the site and landscape scale, as well as consideration for any appropriate mitigation measures; and d. appropriate consultation with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and other stakeholders who could be affected by such activities.

    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.

    Indicator 1. Forest lands converted to other land uses shall not be certified to this SFI standard. This does not apply to forest lands used for forest and wildlife management such as wildlife food plots or infrastructure such as forest roads, log processing areas, trails, etc.

    Performance Measure 1.4. Certified Organizations shall not afforest in locations which negatively impact ecologically important natural communities, threatened and endangered species, or native natural communities which could be at risk of becoming rare.

  • Driver of nature change: Invasive alien species and other

    Placeholder indicator: Measures against unintentional introduction of invasive alien species (IAS)84 (C4.0)

    Proportion of high-risk activities operated under appropriate measures to prevent unintentional introduction of IAS, or low-risk designed activities.

    No further guidance.

    84 Due to the measurement of levels of invasive species for organisations being a developing area, the chosen indicator focuses on whether an appropriate management response is in place for the organisation. The additional sets of metrics contain measurement of the level of invasive species within an area. The TNFD intends to do further work with experts to define ‘high-risk activities’ and ‘low-risk designed activities’.

    OBJECTIVE 2. FOREST HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY

    OBJECTIVE 4. CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

    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 1. Forest management planning at a level appropriate to the size and scale of the operation, including: a. a long-term resources analysis; b. a periodic or ongoing forest inventory; c. a land classification system; d. biodiversity at landscape scales; e. soils inventory and maps, where available; f. access to and use of growth-and-yield modeling capabilities; g. up-to-date maps or a geographic information system (GIS); h. recommended sustainable harvest levels for areas available for harvest; and i. consideration of non-timber issues such as recreation, tourism, pilot projects and economic incentive programs to promote water protection.

    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.

    Indicator 1. Certified Organizations shall not convert one forest cover type to another forest cover type, unless the conversion: a. does not convert native forest cover types that are rare, ecologically important, or that put any native forest cover types at risk of becoming rare; and b. does not create significant adverse impacts on Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, old growth forests, forest critical to threatened and endangered species, or special sites or ecologically important non-forest eco-systems; and c. includes objectives for long-term outcomes that support maintaining native forest cover types and ecological function; and d. is in compliance with relevant national and regional policy and legislation related to land use and forest management.

    Indicator 2. A proposed conversion deemed appropriate per 1.2.1, and which has considered impacts relative to scale, may be implemented subject to a landscape assessment that considers: a. a response to address forest health issues such as pests or pathogens, or proactive consideration of anticipated impacts of fire or climate change, reforestation challenges, or riparian protection needs, provided that such justification is supported by the best scientific information. b. site productivity, economics, and/or stand quality. c. ecological impacts of the conversion at the site and landscape scale, as well as consideration for any appropriate mitigation measures; and d. appropriate consultation with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and other stakeholders who could be affected by such activities.

    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.

    Indicator 1. Forest lands converted to other land uses shall not be certified to this SFI standard. This does not apply to forest lands used for forest and wildlife management such as wildlife food plots or infrastructure such as forest roads, log processing areas, trails, etc.

    Performance Measure 1.4. Certified Organizations shall not afforest in locations which negatively impact ecologically important natural communities, threatened and endangered species, or native natural communities which could be at risk of becoming rare.

  • State of nature

    Placeholder indicator: Ecosystem condition (C5.0)

    No further guidance.

    OBJECTIVE 2. FOREST HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY

    OBJECTIVE 4. CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

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

    Indicator 3. Plantings of native or non-invasive naturalized tree species are preferred. In exceptional circumstances where exotic tree species are being planted, they should not increase risk to native ecosystems.

    Performance Measure 4.1. Certified Organizations shall conserve biological diversity.

    Indicator 1. Program to incorporate the conservation of biological diversity, including native species, wildlife habitats and ecological community types at stand and landscape levels, through the use of best scientific information including the incorporation of research results.

    Indicator 2. Development of criteria and implementation of practices, as guided by regionally based best scientific information, to retain stand-level wildlife habitat elements such as snags, stumps, mast trees, down woody debris, den trees and nest trees.

    Indicator 3. Program to individually and/or through cooperative efforts such as SFI Implementation Committees, support diversity of native forest cover types and age or size classes that enhance biological diversity, by incorporating the results of analysis of documented diversity at landscape and ownership/tenure levels, to ensure the contribution of the managed area to the diversity of conditions that promote biodiversity.

    Indicator 4. Certified Organizations shall individually and/or through cooperative efforts such as SFI Implementation Committees, participate in or incorporate the results of credible, relevant state, provincial, or regional conservation planning and priority-setting efforts to conserve biological diversity and incorporate the results of these efforts in forest management planning. Credible priority-setting efforts include state and provincial wildlife action plans, state forest action plans, relevant habitat conservation plans, provincial wildlife recovery plans, Indigenous planning processes or ecoregional plans.

    Indicator 5. Program to address conservation of ecologically important species and natural communities.

    Indicator 6. Identification and protection of non-forested wetlands, including bogs, peatlands, fens and marshes, and vernal pools that are ecologically important.

    Indicator 7. Participation in programs and demonstration of activities as appropriate to limit the introduction, spread and impact of invasive species that directly threaten or are likely to threaten native plant and animal communities.

    Indicator 8. Consider the role of natural disturbances, including opening size, structural retention, the use of prescribed or natural fire where appropriate, and forest health threats in relation to biological diversity when developing forest management plans.

    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.

    Indicator 1. Program to protect threatened and endangered species.

    Indicator 2. Program to locate and protect known sites of flora and fauna associated with viable occurrences of critically imperiled and imperiled species and ecological communities, defined as Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value. Programs for protection may be developed independently and/or through cooperative efforts involving SFI Implementation Committees and may include Certified Organization managers, cooperation with other stakeholders, or use of easements, conservation land sales, exchanges, or other conservation strategies.

    Indicator 3. Support of and participation in programs for the conservation of old-growth forests in the region of ownership or forest tenure.

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

    Indicator 1. Use of information such as existing NatureServe or natural heritage data or expert advice in identifying or selecting ecologically important sites for protection.

    Indicator 2. Appropriate mapping, cataloging and management of identified ecologically important sites.

  • State of nature

    Placeholder indicator: Species extinction risk (C5.0)

    For those organisations that choose to report on state of nature metrics, the TNFD encourages them to report the following indicators, and to refer to the TNFD additional guidance on measurement of the state of nature in Annex 2 of the LEAP approach:

    • Level of ecosystem condition by type of ecosystem and business activity;
    • Species extinction risk.

    There are a number of different measurement options for these indicators. The TNFD does not currently specify one metric as there is no single metric that will capture all relevant dimensions of changes to the state of nature and a consensus is still developing. The TNFD will continue to work with knowledge partners.

    No further guidance.

    OBJECTIVE 4. CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

    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.

    Indicator 1. Program to protect threatened and endangered species.