Since introducing the FSC credit and percentage system, certificate holders have shown interest in developing methods to expand the application of their FSC input volumes within multi-site certificates. This has included the idea of exchanging FSC input volumes between sites and across borders without physically transferring material. Presently, this practice is only permitted in cases where all sites are located within the same country or in the Eurozone (FSC-STD-40-004 v3-1 Clauses 10.4 c) and 11.3 c)*).
In 2021, FSC’s Performance and Standards Unit (PSU) launched a pilot project to assess the social, environmental, and economic impacts of a cross-border credit/percentage system operated by a multi-site certificate holder, allowing for FSC input volumes to be shared across the US/Canadian border. Four (4) companies from the US and Canada participated in the project (see Annex). The results of the pilot project recorded positive impacts for Certificate Holders (CHs), including better logistics and resource planning, more efficient use of FSC credits, and a broadening of the FSC-certified products available in the marketplace.
To gather comprehensive feedback and solidify our decision, we are conducting a survey to understand stakeholders' opinions on implementing a cross-border credit/percentage system between the US and Canada.
Your participation in this survey is crucial. We value your insights and experiences, which will help shape the future of FSC certification standards.
Deadline: September 30, 2024
*Clauses 10.4 and 11.3 of <FSC-STD-40-004 v3-1 Chain of Custody Certification>
10.4 When the percentage system is applied at the level of multiple physical sites, the percentage shall be calculated based on an average FSC% of the inputs received by all sites. The conditions for the application of the percentage system at the level of multiple physical sites are the following:
a) the percentage calculation shall only be applied to products within the same product group;
b) all sites shall be within the scope of a single or multi-site certificate with a common ownership structure;
c) all sites shall be located within the same country or the Eurozone;
d) all sites shall use the same integrated management software;
e) each site participating in a cross-site percentage calculation shall have an FSC percentage (FSC%) of at least 50%.
11.3 The credit system may be applied at the level of a single or multiple physical sites. The conditions for the establishment of a centralized credit account covering multiple sites are the following:
a) credits shall be shared within the same product group;
b) all sites shall be within the scope of a single or multi-site certificate with a common ownership structure;
c) all sites shall be located within the same country or the Eurozone;
d) all sites shall use the same integrated management software;
e) each site participating in a cross-site credit account shall contribute at least 10% of the input credits used by its own site in a 12-month period.
