Sustainable Forest Management for Australia and New Zealand
Responsible Wood (RW) is a national forest certification system for forest owners and managers in Australia and New Zealand to demonstrate sustainable forest management and show commitment to economic, social, and environmental responsibility. The certification recognizes forest practices that minimize greenhouse emissions, ensuring sustainability and adaptability amongst the impacts of climate change. It also focuses on community and local industry support, as well as protection of Indigenous people’s values.
This certification is designed for forests in the region that want to sell responsibly and ethically sourced products in the forest products supply chain. With endorsement from the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), Responsible Wood certificate holders gain global entry to markets for certified wood products. Forests that achieve certification can also benefit from improved forest management practices, risk reduction, increased market access, and enhanced reputation.
The certification process entails a third-party assessment including an on-site evaluation of forest practices, stakeholder consultations, reviews of documentation and procedures, and conformance to the AS/NZS 4708 Standard. With SCS Global Services, you’ll also have access to auditors with forest management expertise who are local to your region.
SCS offers both stand alone and bundled Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and Responsible Wood audits, allowing you to cost-effectively maintain both certifications with only one audit per year. Dual FSC and Responsible Wood certification further amplifies your commitment to responsible forest management and demonstrates to your supply chain that they are purchasing certified wood, backed by the most stringent standards.
SCS offers Responsible Wood certification under the Australian Standard (AS 4708) and the New Zealand Standard (NZS AS 4708) to all types and sizes of forest operations including private companies, government forestry agencies, timberland investment management organizations, and community forests, as well as individual and groups of small landowners.
Forest Management for Single-site or Multi-site: A forest management entity with one or several sites operating under a single forest management plan.
Group Certification: Certification protocols for multiple landowners or forest managers seeking certification under one certificate, under the direction of a group manager.
In addition to Responsible Wood Certification, SCS provides certification to the FSC Forest Management, FSC Chain of Custody, and PEFC Chain of Custody standards, as well as timber legality, carbon footprint, and forest carbon offset verifications. Contact us to find out which certification best suits your organization.
Getting certified under Responsible Wood helps organizations:
Apply for Certification
Representatives of your forest management operation fill out an application.
Audit Proposal
SCS evaluates the application and prepares a proposal, including the costs and a timeline for the evaluation process. The applicant then authorizes a work order and the certification process begins.
On-Site Audit – Stage 1
The assessment team conducts an on-site preliminary audit to review the applicant’s management system, processes, procedures, and stakeholder information to determine the readiness of the applicant for the stage 2 audit.
On-Site Audit – Stage 2
The SCS team evaluates the implementation, including effectiveness, of the applicant’s management system. The SCS team assesses forest conditions and conducts stakeholder consultations to acquire outside input regarding the applicant’s management performance throughout the certification cycle. Upon completion of all audits, a report is produced that details the results of the evaluation.
Certification Decision
The SCS certification committee reviews the assessment report and decides whether or not to approve certification. If granted, a certificate is issued for a three-year period, subject to annual surveillance audits.
View a list of Responsible Wood certified clients here.
You can see all Forest Management certificate holders by selecting “Sustainable Forest Management” under Certification Category.
Then once you click “Go”, it lists all the certificate data including the Certification Body.
| File Name | Document |
|---|---|
| Application - Forest Conservation Program | English |
| Australian Standard | Visit Site |
| Australian Standard -- AS 4707:2014 | English |
| New Zealand Standard | Visit Site |
| Responsible Wood - Australian Standard | Visit Site |
| Responsible Wood - New Zealand Standard | Visit Site |
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