FSC certify your construction project

An FSC project certificate documents the volume of FSC certified timber used for your construction project and demonstrates your commitment to forest-friendly building.

Timber is increasingly popular in construction, and for good reasons: Being renewable, it is inherently climate-friendly and fits perfectly into green building strategies. Not to mention all the fascinating architectural possibilities with modern technology.

Developers also increasingly want to know that the material originates in responsible forest management. FSC project certification helps you to demonstrate this.

There are two options for FSC project certification:

One-time project certification: project certification for a single project
Continuous project certification: project certifications that allows organisations to continuously obtain FSC project certification for several projects

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Key steps

To begin your process and receive a service quote, fill in our service request form or contact us. We will guide you on the scope of certification that best fits your needs and company set-up.

The process normally entails the following steps:

	Scope of your certificate: We will help you identify the scope that is ideal for you. Once you have accepted our offer, we will assign a Preferred by Nature contact person for your organisation.
	Prepare for certification: You develop procedures for all project members (which will often include subcontractors). You also provide written procedures and train all project members to follow them.
	Initial audit: At project outset, we conduct an on-site assessment to check your compliance with the FSC CoC requirements. This is done through direct observations, document reviews and staff interviews. If you pass the initial audit, you may use the FSC trademarks throughout the project's duration. Completion audit (in case of One-time project certification): Once the construction project is completed, we conduct a final audit to verify the project's compliance with the FSC requirements. Annual audit (in case of continuous project certification): Every year we conduct an audit to verify the organisation's compliance with the FSC requirements and a sample of the completed projects.
	Certification: Based on a positive outcome, we issue your FSC project certificate(s). If you have major non-conformities, you will need to make further changes to address them and undergo a verification audit. Certification provides access to using the FSC trademarks in conjunction with the project(s) indefinitely. If this is a continuous project certification your FSC certificate remains valid for five years, providing that you pass annual audits. Once the validity period ends, you need to undergo re-assessment to renew your certificate.

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Your options

The scope of your certificate

We can help you identify the type and scope of certification that best matches your needs. Here are some of the key choices available regarding the scope of an FSC project certificate:

One-time project certification: Project certification for a single project.
Continuous project certification: Project certifications that allows organisations to continuously obtain FSC project certification for several projects
Full project certification: Demonstrates that all wood-based material used for the construction project is either FSC certified, post-consumer reclaimed material or pre-consumer reclaimed paper.
FSC claims on specific components of a project: When full project certification is not an option, this possibility allows the organisation to make claims about the use of certified timber for specific parts of the construction, such as doors or windows.
Percentage claims: When full project certification is not an option, this possibility allows the organisation to make claims about the share of certified timber used in the project.

Complementary services

You may wish to consider the following services to complement or support your certification process:

FSC certification training: Our short FSC Intro Course brings you up-to-speed on all the FSC requirements. Or you can join our comprehensive FSC-endorsed FSC Expert Course, where you will learn to think like an FSC auditor and acquire more comprehensive knowledge and skillsets in FSC certification.
FSC Trademark Course: Our trademark user training for FSC certificate holders helps you to get grips with the rules for using the FSC trademarks. Be more effective by understanding the full range of constraints and options available to you.
PEFC project certification: If you wish to obtain dual FSC and PEFC chain of custody certification, you can save resources by engaging in both types of certification at the same time. We can conduct FSC and PEFC assessments in a single process.

Our experience

Our credentials

Expertise: We have worked with sustainable forestry and the FSC system for 25 years, providing auditing and training services. Our current FSC portfolio totals over 66 million hectares and we cater to over 3500 FSC certified companies worldwide. We draw on our expertise in developing collaborative projects to make the FSC system more accessible to business and credible to stakeholders.
Focus on customer experience. Our aim is to provide you with a positive experience throughout your certification process. Our professional services are delivered on time and in consistently high quality. We maintain a series of client tools to help you manage and profit from your certification. And we keep you up to date with the rapidly evolving certification requirements through our newsletter and regular client updates.
Industry insight. We cater to FSC-certified enterprises of all sizes and from all business sectors along the timber supply chain. Many of our customers are suppliers to the construction industry.
Local presence, global reach. With staff located in 40 countries across the globe and backed by an extensive global network of experts, we cater to companies worldwide.

Additional value of engaging with us

Wide service choice. You can choose additional services that support your sustainability efforts. For example, enlist in training that helps you to prepare for and manage your FSC certification. We can also help you to meet timber regulations and cut your carbon emissions.
The non-profit factor. We are mission-driven. This is reflected in our focus on quality, information sharing and capacity building. We are actively engaged in the FSC system, where we advocate credibility and impact as well as solutions that enhance the cost-effectiveness and accessibility of FSC certification.

Your benefits

Seven benefits of choosing FSC project certification

	Enhanced access to new markets and customers. Responsible timber is increasingly used for construction purposes. FSC is amongst the world's most successful forestry eco-labelling schemes, as documented in FSC's annual market surveys.
	Enhanced visibility and branding opportunities based on your access to using the FSC trademarks and joining unique marketing platforms, campaigns and events.
	Public trust. Viewed by many as the gold standard for responsible forestry, FSC enjoys broad support from leading NGOs such as WWF and Greenpeace.
	Enhanced investor relations. Sustainability performance is increasingly viewed as a key factor in investment decisions.
	Green is cool, but greenwashing is not. Boost your brand based on a real commitment. FSC certification enables you to make strong and safe claims backed by third-party verification to a credible scheme.
	Improved quality and management systems. Many certified companies find that the certification process itself brings unexpected benefits such as cost savings.
	You will be doing the right thing. Independent studies confirm that FSC forest certification brings benefits for forest workers, local communities and forest wildlife. By choosing FSC certified timber for your project, you are supporting FSC forest certification.