Business View Oceania - Mar 2024

New Zealand. FSC ANZ fulfill their responsibilities by developing best practice standards for forest managers and businesses associated with the forestry industry and defines their mission as: “To promote the environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.” CEO of FSC ANZ, Damian Paull is incredibly proud of what FSC ANZ has achieved to date, and gladly offers his unique insight into the organisation’s core values, key priorities, member benefits, and plans for the future. “We help forests remain thriving environments for the generations to come and assist consumers in making ethical and responsible choices when they buy forest products. I think one of the unique things about FSC as an organisation is the way that we strive to bring people together through the care of our land and the many lives it supports.” FSCANZ provides independent certification to forests and forest managers, processors, manufacturers, and other forestry-related businesses that ensures all wood and wood-based products come from a responsible source. The organisation’s certification scheme has two connected key components: forest management and chain of custody certification. This certification, highlighted by the FSC logo on products, advertisement, equipment, and product packaging, requires forest managers to preserve their forests’ natural habitat,maintain biodiversity, and protect the ecosystems both within and attached to forests of all kinds. Standards are supported by a framework that ensures they are transparent, independent, and free of bias, accessible, and participatory for all people of Australia. In order to become certified to the FSC Forest Management Standard, forest managers and associated businesses must meet extensive criteria. FSC’s 10 Principles and Criteria are listed as: Compliance with Laws; Workers Rights and Employment Conditions; Indigenous Peoples’ Rights; Community Relations; Benefits from the Forest; Environmental Values and Impacts; Management Planning; Monitoring and Assessment; High Conservation Values; and, Implementation of Management Activities. Mr. Paull shares,“Our system runs in a top-down fashion where our standards are 85 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 06, ISSUE 03 FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCI L AUSTRAL IA AND NEW ZEALAND