New Zealand’s FSC Risk Assessment has been substantially overhauled and is now open for public consultation, with certificate holders sourcing from non-certified forests in the country facing significantly tightened due diligence requirements once the revised document is finalised. That is according to FSC Australia and New Zealand, which is inviting stakeholders to submit feedback via the FSC Consultation Platform until 13 May 2026.
The revision, prepared by consulting firm PT Hijau Daun in collaboration with FSC, expands the assessment from five to twelve risk categories and from 32 to 64 indicators, with seven indicators addressing entirely new areas of risk. Of the 18 indicators now carrying non-negligible risk — compared to just one in the previous assessment — only three apply nationwide, whilst the remaining 15 are limited to very high-risk erosion zones as defined by New Zealand’s National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry. Certificate holders sourcing from those areas will face the heaviest compliance burden once the new framework takes effect.
FSC ANZ has been clear that the quality of submissions will determine how much the final document moves. “All comments should be supported by objective, verifiable, and reliable evidence,” the organisation said in its consultation notice, adding that professional opinions alone would not be sufficient. Following the close of consultation, PT Hijau Daun will review all submissions and amend the assessment accordingly, with a publicly available Stakeholder Feedback Report to follow. Anonymity is available on request via the platform.
- Stakeholders with process questions can contact Stefan Jensen, Senior Policy Manager at FSC ANZ, at [email protected], whilst technical queries on the revision itself should be directed to Jules Crawshaw of PT Hijau Daun at [email protected].
