A coalition of environmental and social NGOs has released an investigation exposing the failings of forest-industry-controlled certification worldwide. The On the Ground report details 21 case studies from eight different countries, including Finland and Sweden.

The Swedish forestry model has been claimed across Europe as an example of a sustainable way to cultivate forests; in particular through the certification system FSC. In reality though, the Swedish forestry has caused a devastating impact on forest diversity since the 1950´s when the clear cutting period started.

»Under the terms of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Sweden and Finland have made a commitment to protect biodiversity and to use natural resources sustainably. To achieve this, signatory countries to the CBD have decided on a goal to establish comprehensive, effective networks of protected areas for terrestial ecosystems by 2010. In the programme [...]

Swedish Society for Nature Conservation reports about a breakdown in the forest protection of Sweden. Large and very valuable areas with forests in Sweden are totally unprotected and many are critically endangered by logging.

  Finnish forest industry has actively sought to produce FSC controlled wood since 2006. Lack of transparency in their risk assessment and subsequent audits has made it very difficult for the civil society to gain access to the process. Some certifying bodies have carried out their audits without any consultation with environmental NGOs or indigenous organisations. [...]

– An assesment of the revised standards of the Finnish forest certification system Read the report ”Finland’s forests are among the most intensively managed in the world. Over 50 million cubic metres of wood are harvested every year from the country’s 20 million hectares of commercial forests. The Finnish forest management model has resulted in the rapid conversion of [...]