Public consultation: Canadian forest certification system
Give your feedback on the Canadian Forest Certification System. Deadline for comments is 28 March 2024.
Public consultation: Canadian forest certification system
30 January 2024 PEFC system news
Stakeholders from around the world are invited to give feedback on the Canadian Forest Certification System. Deadline for comments is 28 March.
PEFC Canada revised their forest certification system to ensure its forest management standard is up-to-date and continues to meet stakeholder demands and expectations.
See all system assessment details
The Canadian system was submitted to PEFC after being revised in line with PEFC requirements. The system is now undergoing the PEFC assessment process, carried out by an independent PEFC Registered Assessor. It must pass this assessment to maintain its PEFC endorsement.
An important aspect of the assessment process is the public consultation. Over the sixty-day consultation, stakeholders from around the world can give their comments and provide feedback on any aspect of the system. The Registered Assessor will use the information received from this consultation in their assessment of the system.
Need more information?
To provide you with additional information about this revised system, we held a webinar on 29 January at 16:00 CET. Watch the webinar recording:
PEFC in Canada
PEFC Canada joined the PEFC alliance in January 2001, and its national system first achieved endorsement in March 2005. The system has been re-endorsed a further two times, in 2011 and 2018. There are over 11.7 million hectares of forests certified against this national standard in the country.
The SFI forest certification system, as a regional North American system, is also operational in Canada. The SFI system was last re-endorsed in December 2021.
Maintaining endorsements
For a national system to maintain its endorsement, it must meet a series of endorsement milestones. These milestones are linked to the national periodic review of the system and the sustainable forest management standard.
National systems go through a periodic review five years after their national approval (first endorsement milestone). The periodic review includes a gap analysis, public consultation and consideration of feedback received while the standard is in force.
National approval of the Canadian forest certification standard: 12 September 2023
Find out more about PEFC ensures national standards continue to meet expectations.