FSCmerkinnät

FSCmerkinnät are the designation marks issued by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to indicate that a product or material complies with FSC’s sustainability standards. The FSC is an international non‑governmental organization founded in 1993 to promote responsible forest management. Its certification scheme consists of a set of criteria covering ecological, social, and economic aspects of forest operations, and it is applied through audits, traceability and labelling procedures.

When a forest, forest product, or finished commodity meets the FSC requirements, it may receive one of several distinct marks. The most common are the single‑ring FSC label and the double‑ring FSC label. The single‑ring mark is used when the entire product, from tree to finished item, originates from FSC‑certified forests. The double‑ring mark is employed when the product is traceable to FSC forests but contains components or materials that are not guaranteed to be fully FSC sourced. In addition to these, the FSC container symbol indicates that a container or packaging is recycled FSC material, and the FSC product symbol identifies product types such as wood, paper, pulp, or furniture that carry the certification.

FSCmerkinnät are used across Europe and worldwide, especially in the Nordic countries where forest resources and timber industries are a major part of the economy. The marks enable consumers, businesses and governments to make informed choices and support responsible forest practices. They also help companies demonstrate compliance with environmental regulations and corporate sustainability goals. Because the FSC’s criteria are regularly updated, the marks have a fixed validity period and require periodic re‑audit to maintain certification. The FSC certification system is widely regarded as one of the most rigorous and transparent mechanisms for ensuring that forest exploitation does not compromise ecological integrity or social welfare.