Controlled Wood Chain of Custody certification

Include Controlled Wood Chain of Custody certification within your FSC chain of custody certification if you source Controlled Wood to use in your FSC certified products. Doing so allows you to use the FSC Mix label on your products.

Controlled Wood Chain of Custody certification is an option you can add on to your FSC Chain of Custody certification.

CW CoC Audit To fulfil the criteria, you will need to:

Define the supply area you source wood from;
Evaluate the risk that you may source wood in violation with five unacceptable categories given in the controlled wood standard as well the risk of mixing in the supply chain;
Implement control measures to mitigate any risk that you have sourced unacceptable wood.

Adding Controlled Wood Chain of Custody certification to your FSC Chain of Custody certification enables you to accept non-certified wood as FSC Controlled Wood, which enables you to use the FSC Mix label on your products and/or to sell the wood as FSC Controlled Wood to other FSC-certified organisations.

For information on Controlled Wood forest certification see here.

Restrictions on Controlled Wood claims

Note that the options for promoting your Controlled Wood certification are limited. It is not permitted to use Controlled Wood claims in the public space nor on-product labels.

Instead, what you may do is tell other businesses about your Controlled Wood chain of custody certification. In addition, all Controlled Wood Chain of Custody certificates can be found in the FSC database.

Get started

As you are probably aware, the FSC has updated its Controlled Wood Standard (FSC-STD-40-005 V3-1). As a result, any organisation with a verification programme for Controlled Wood has been re-audited in accordance with the new standard.

We are among the first organisations that have been accredited to audit companies against the new Controlled Wood Standard and have been working with FSC certification for over 25 years now.

To meet the updated standard requires the following steps:

You need to make sure you understand the new standard and update your system to meet all applicable requirements. We have written some guidelines on what you need to do to set up a due diligence system. Download them here.
We recommend that you consider a pre-assessment if you are sourcing from specified risk areas or if you have a complex supply chain. We will use the pre-assessment to identify any major gaps in your system and evaluate your readiness for full certification. This step is optional, but we know from experience that a pre-assessment often greatly helps organisations to know the key issues that need to be addressed.
As a part of the process, we are required to consult with stakeholders, such as NGOs, local authorities and experts. The consultation includes a summary of your due diligence system. We are obliged to give such stakeholders at least six weeks to respond to us.
Prior to the onsite audit we will carry out a desk review of your procedures. This help us to prepare the onsite audit and inform you about gaps in the procedures that you can address in advance of our visit. To do the audit, we suggest you fill out:

A Controlled Wood assessment form.

- If you source material from ‘specified risk’ (i.e. high risk) areas, use the Controlled Wood DDS summary form (Specified risk).

- If you only source material from low risk areas, use the Controlled Wood DDS summary form (Low risk).

- If you don’t know which category your source material falls into, please speak to your Preferred by Nature auditor.

A supply chain management template. This is a list of all the companies you source material from, and who they source their material from, all the way back to the forest. Use the Supply chain management template.
During the on-site visit, will evaluate how your system is implement in practice by looking into your records, interviewing key staff and seeing how you evaluate whether your supply meets the requirements. The audit usually includes visit to the forest and to your suppliers.
If we find gaps in your system, we will issue minor or major corrective action requests. You will need to address any major corrective actions we identify before you can be certified. You have more time to address minor corrective actions.
When all major non-conformances have been addressed, we issue you with a Controlled Wood certificate. We publish a summary of your due diligence system and the audit results on the FSC website in accordance with FSC requirements. You can find examples of public summaries by using the certificate search function in the FSC public database and entering the Country/Area of interest and checking the box for “CW Risk Assessment”.

Your options

Online support

1. Webinars: Risk management – the key to effective compliance with the new FSC Controlled Wood Standard

Webinar 1: Introduction to the new Controlled Wood Standard
Webinar 2: Controlling the risk
Webinar 3: Working with suppliers

2. Training materials on Controlled Wood Chain of Custody (English)

3. Training materials on Controlled Wood Chain of Custody (Russian)

Please come back to this section later as information and materials will be available soon.

Our experience

Our credentials

Expertise. For 25 years, we have worked extensively within sustainable forestry and the FSC system, not just in assessing companies for certification but in training them as well. Our current FSC portfolio totals over 66 million hectares and over 3500 companies, with the majority located in Canada and Russia.
Focus on customer experience. We keep you up to speed on the sometimes rapidly evolving certification requirements, and we take pride in providing clear and full answers to your questions. Our client guides provide clarity on complex topics. And we are constantly looking for ways to enhance our customers' experience throughout all points of their engagement with us.
Industry insight. We cater to FSC-certified enterprises of all sizes and from all business sectors along the timber supply chain. Whatever your line of business and company set-up, we possess insight into the specific options and challenges of FSC certification that apply to your organisation.
Local presence, global reach. With staff located in over 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 choice of service. We can help you to demonstrate legality when supplying to regulated markets, such as the EU, US and Australia, and to cut your carbon emissions through carbon footprint management training and certification.
The non-profit factor. We are a not-for-profit, mission-driven organisation, which is reflected in our focus on quality, information sharing and capacity building. We are actively engaged in the FSC system, where we advocate for credibility, impact and the cost-effectiveness and accessibility of FSC certification.

Your benefits

Benefits of choosing Controlled Wood Chain of Custody certification

	Access to FSC-certified buyers. Controlled Wood is important in the FSC system because it can make up a limited part of the input material for FSC certified 'Mix' products. In many cases, limited supplies of FSC-certified wood have created a demand for FSC Controlled Wood.
	Illegal harvesting risk mitigation. Timber legality assurance is an increasingly important market driver. Since minimising the risk of illegal harvesting is one of the five key Controlled Wood criteria, using Controlled Wood can be part of your company's due diligence strategy that helps you ensure you meet laws such as the EU Timber Regulation.
	Pathway to FSC certification. Controlled Wood Chain of Custody certification requires you to conduct due diligence to ensure your timber supply meets minimum criteria. This forms a good basis for developing your system and practices further to comply with the full range of FSC requirements.
	Reputational risk management and stakeholder dialogue. You will gain independent assurance that you are minimising your risk of sourcing material from forests managed in an unacceptable way. This helps you to adhere to minimum standards across your enterprise and to communicate this in a credible way.
	Improved quality and management systems. Many certified companies find that there are hidden benefits such as cost savings to be gained from establishing the procedures required for Chain of Custody certification.