Benchmarking sustainable forest management performance through voluntary certification systems

Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) certification systems have been developed to provide assurance to customers and the public that forest resources are being managed in a responsible and sustainable manner. The credibility of SFM certification systems will depend to a large extent on the ability of forest owners and managers to develop performance indicators that are meaningful at local, regional and global levels. Verification of SFM systems and performance will be equally important. Selected certification systems are discussed with regard to performance measurement and audit requirements. The application of basic auditing principles to the verification of SFM systems is discussed. In contrast with the rigor of the audit process, the challenges faced by Weldwood of Canada Limited in developing meaningful, and auditable, SFM performance measures are also discussed.