Forest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, non-profit, non-governmental membership association that promotes the responsible management of forests.
The name FSC emerged a meeting of timber users, traders and representatives of environmental and human rights organisations in California in 1990. The FSC Founding Assembly was held in Toronto, Canada in 1993 and the FSC was established as a legal entity in Mexico in February 1994. It relocated to Bonn, Germany in 2003.
FSC UK is legally and financially independent of FSC international. It promotes the FSC system, sets forest management standards for the UK and provides information, advisory and training services.
The mission of the FSC is to ‘…promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests.’
FSC certifies forests globally to ensure they meet the environmental and social standards (Forest Management certification). It also certifies the ‘chain of custody’, monitoring timber through the supply chain by tracking the invoicing process (Chain of Custody Certification). In addition, it offers Project Certification, Controlled Wood Certification and Multiple Site Chain of Custody Certification.
There are three types of FSC label: 100%, FSC Mix and FSC Recycled.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Ancient woodland.
- Cedar.
- Chain of custody.
- Confederation of Timber Industries.
- Environmental plan.
- European Union Timber Regulation.
- Facts about forestry.
- Forests.
- Forest ownership.
- Legal and sustainable timber.
- Legally harvested and traded timber.
- Lime wood.
- Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification.
- Sustainability.
- Sustainable materials.
- Sustainable timber.
- Sustainable Wood.
- Sustainably procuring tropical hardwood.
- Timber.
- Whole life carbon assessment of timber.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
Apprenticeships and the responsibility we share
Perspectives from the CIOB President as National Apprentice Week comes to a close.
The first line of defence against rain, wind and snow.
Building Safety recap January, 2026
What we missed at the end of last year, and at the start of this...
National Apprenticeship Week 2026, 9-15 Feb
Shining a light on the positive impacts for businesses, their apprentices and the wider economy alike.
Applications and benefits of acoustic flooring
From commercial to retail.
From solid to sprung and ribbed to raised.
Strengthening industry collaboration in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Institute of Construction and The Chartered Institute of Building sign Memorandum of Understanding.
A detailed description from the experts at Cornish Lime.
IHBC planning for growth with corporate plan development
Grow with the Institute by volunteering and CP25 consultation.
Connecting ambition and action for designers and specifiers.
Electrical skills gap deepens as apprenticeship starts fall despite surging demand says ECA.
Built environment bodies deepen joint action on EDI
B.E.Inclusive initiative agree next phase of joint equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) action plan.
Recognising culture as key to sustainable economic growth
Creative UK Provocation paper: Culture as Growth Infrastructure.
Futurebuild and UK Construction Week London Unite
Creating the UK’s Built Environment Super Event and over 25 other key partnerships.
Welsh and Scottish 2026 elections
Manifestos for the built environment for upcoming same May day elections.
Advancing BIM education with a competency framework
“We don’t need people who can just draw in 3D. We need people who can think in data.”