ABOUT

Pär Stenmark is the Forestry Coordinator for the IKEA International Corporation in Sweden. IKEA gives priority to FSC wood in making its products.

INTERVIEW

"There are challenges, but FSC is something that can make our world more sustainable."

I was familiar with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) because I own a small forest with my father. When I started working at IKEA I became more interested in FSC, and now I am very dedicated to it. There are challenges, but FSC is something that can make our world more sustainable.

In the 1970's and the beginning of 1980's, the environmental movement and forest companies were at odds with each other, and it created negative publicity for companies. In the late 1980's, forest companies started to employ ecologists and it marked the beginning of a new era.

FSC was established in Toronto in 1993. At the same time, in Sweden there began to be talk about creating a standard for certification. There was a very optimistic feeling.

"They saw the advantage of going into a certification scheme that included social and environmental stakeholders."

The negotiations with forest companies were difficult, but the companies were dedicated to going towards FSC. They saw the advantage of going into a certification scheme that included social and environmental stakeholders.

Once FSC was established and the standard development came along in 1996, the Swedish standard was endorsed in 1998. Two or three years after the endorsement, the certified forest that exists today in Sweden was established.

A less expensive group certification was also established for small forest owners, who otherwise could not afford certification. Direct certification is more expensive and is more suitable for big companies.

We have two certification schemes present in Sweden. One is FSC, and the other is Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC). It would be good to find a solution on the national level where all forest owners could go with FSC, but for the time being, because of political reasons, it is difficult.

"Companies also have to make considerations in regards to indigenous people and social issues."

In Sweden the major non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that support FSC are: the World Wildlife Fund, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and the Swedish Ornithological Society. There are biologists in the working group. The economic chamber of forest industries which have the bulk of certified area is also involved. The Sveaskog (the Swedish national timber company) which is a group certification scheme. The Swedish church.

Some of the dioceses are very supportive of FSC, and one of the foresters of a diocese is sitting in the board of the International FSC. The social stakeholders include the Forest and Trade Union, the Swedish Sami people, and the Swedish hunter association. It is difficult to say which group is the main supporter. The WWF has largely been responsible for promoting FSC not only in Sweden but in other countries.

Companies also have to make considerations in regards to indigenous people and social issues. It is a difficult issue in Sweden. In the tropics the social issues are more acute. In Sweden you have a high standard of living, and the laws are functioning, and so the social issues are different, and it is more difficult to know how to deal with them. We have to some extent dealt with environmental issues and now we need to focus on social issues.

"I would say that indirectly the government support is for FSC."

The governmental support is not direct. Because there are two different schemes present, it is politically difficult. When they talk about certification, they talk about both schemes and try to be impartial. The state forest is FSC. I would say that indirectly the government support is for FSC.

We have not done any surveys in Sweden about consumers' level of awareness. The two product groups in Sweden which are FSC certified are garden furniture and charcoal. If you go to the UK, Netherlands, or Germany you will find a whole range of FSC products. There are more opportunities to market and promote FSC in these countries.

We are not a consumer market to the same extent as in other countries. We export a lot of our wood to UK, Germany, and therefore, our companies are more focused on promotion in other countries than promotion here.

"FSC is influencing, indirectly, the other certification systems."

FSC matters because it balances the concerns of a range of stakeholders: the environmental, economic and social stakeholders. It is with the support of these groups that we can guarantee that our forests are managed responsibly. If you have a scheme without the support of these three legs, the chair will fall, the credibility will fall. I encourage consumers to buy products that have the support of these three stakeholder groups, and for the time being only FSC has that.

FSC is influencing, indirectly, the other certification systems. Within FSC we promote our own scheme, and do not criticize others. Our stakeholders, however, operate differently. The environmental NGO's in Sweden criticize other schemes and by criticizing them they are pushing them to become more credible.

Certification is difficult to explain to the common man on the street. But common man will understand that a system which has the support of environmental, social and economic stakeholders is a fairly good consensus and decision making body and will probably be credible. .

Certification is so new, so of course we have a lot of things to learn and we need to be open to changes. FSC has, again through these three stakeholder groups, the opportunity of listening and changing to become better, more credible and so forth.

"FSC International is trying to decentralize so that national initiatives could have more of an impact in what is happening and how FSC is governed."

FSC is changing all the time. At the General Assembly, there were so many motions and a lot of them had to do with how the FSC system could improve itself. That is good. It shows that we are not perfect and we can change and have to change in some instances.

The FSC annual meeting this year will be in Bonn. It is important that FSC international should not only put its focus on Europe but also not forget about FSC US, Canada and Asia. That is why we have these regional offices in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

FSC International is trying to decentralize so that national initiatives could have more of an impact in what is happening and how FSC is governed. That is important. The coordinators of national initiatives meet here in Europe twice a year, and that is a very positive experience because all these people are very dedicated and believe in what FSC can do.