The Indian Forest Certification System was endorsed in 2018. The new NCCF Trees outside Forests Certification System was endorsed in July 2022.

Trees outside forests certification system documentation

Endorsement milestones

To maintain its PEFC endorsement, the TOF system must meet specific endorsement milestones. The first milestone is the start of the periodic review within five years of the national approval of the TOF standard.

• National approval date: 10 August 2019
• Review date: 10 August 2024
  

Trees outside forests certification system assessment

• Status: Assessment finished, standard endorsed
• Type: Endorsement of a new trees outside forests certification system
• Assessment Report
• Assessor: TJConsulting
• Standard submitted for assessment: 27 January 2020
• Consultation: 27 September - 25 November 2021

Watch the recording of the webinar to find out more about this national standard.

Sustainable forest management system documentation (2017)

Endorsement milestones

To maintain its PEFC endorsement, the system must meet specific endorsement milestones. The first milestone is the start of the periodic review within five years of the national approval of the sustainable forest management standard.

• National approval date: 9 September 2017
• Review date: 9 September 2022

System history

• TOF standard endorsed: 25 July 2022
• System endorsed: 27 February 2019
• Public consultation: 4 July - 2 September 2018
• Consultation webinar: 17 August 2018 - Watch the recording
• System submitted for assessment: November 2017
• Joined PEFC: 17 August 2015

NCCF

History before PEFC 

Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF), a non-profit multi stakeholder organisation registered as a Society, came into existence in January 2015 to have a globally aligned certification program developed within India.

NCCF is working towards developing national sustainability certification standards in diverse areas of natural resource management, majorly forestry, trees outside forests, protected areas and wetlands, non-wood forest products, quality planting material, ecotourism, biofuels, sustainable mining and water quality etc. and is also engaged in policy advocacy and diverse conservation activities.

What are the benefits of being part of the PEFC alliance?

NCCF became a member of the PEFC Council in August 2015. We have benefited from the PEFC Alliance in different ways. The technical support and guidance of the standard development, as well as sharing experiences with the other member countries has helped us in refining our standards, improving stakeholder engagement and marketing our initiatives. 

The PEFC Alliance provides us with an internationally benchmarked sustainability standard setting process enabling the development of a nation specific standard complying to the International Sustainability benchmarks. Further, NCCF has been actively seeking guidance and technical support from other member countries (such as CFCC for NWFP Certification) within the alliance. This gave us a holistic view for our respective initiatives. The Asia Marketing Hub again is an opportunity to understand the South Asian marketing strategies, ongoing efforts and incorporate the findings of the same within our marketing framework.

Furthermore, the endless support and cooperation from the PEFC Council to our process is a default yet imperative part of the whole collaboration.