ASI issues SCS Global with Non-Conformances over HVP Audit
ASI - The auditing accreditation body for the FSC have published a report into the audit of SCS Global, the body accredited to ensure HVP are adhering to the FSC standards.
SCS Global - HVP's auditor of choice, were tasked with investigating the Gippsland Forest Guardians' complaint that HVP were not compliant with the FSC standards.
We were so unimpressed by the way SCS Global conducted their audit and their failure to find obvious non-conformances with HVP operations that we referred this to ASI.
ASI have found major problems with SCS Global's auditing. Alarmingly SCS Global did not find non-conformances with HVP when they should have. Not good enough...if they had have been doing their job our precious rainforests and threatened species may not have been damaged as they have.
This raises serious concerns with the FSC auditing system as the community expects FSC auditors to uncover breaches of the standards when brought to their attention and not to look the other way.
ASI have issued SCS Global with one major non-conformance and two minor non conformances. ASI has found that SCS Global did not adequately audit HVP to the standard required.
ASI have allowed them to keep their accreditation but we don't think SCS Global are capable of doing this important task and should lose their accreditation. We don't know why this serious lapse happened at SCS Global and will be asking ASI and the FSC why they think SCS Global should be entrusted to safeguard our forests knowing that SCS Global have been allowing HVP to operate in breach of the standards for years.
In the major non-compliance the Lead Auditor says:
"These failures have persisted over several years and undermine the integrity of the FSC system."
* Note: ASI are owned by the FSC
The full report can be read here - ASI report detail
Below is our summary of the Major non-conformance.
Major Non-Conformity – ASI Assessment of HVP
•The Major NCR relates to SGS Global failing to detect HVP non-conformities with the FSC National Forest Stewardship Standard (FSC-STD-AUS-01-2018).
Key non-conformities missed by SCS Global audits:
•Inadequate environmental impact assessments in complex gullied terrain, particularly in Strzelecki Ranges.
•Failure to identify and protect Threatened Ecological Communities (Cool Temperate Rainforest) and Critically Endangered species (e.g., Slender Tree-fern).
•Use of inappropriate definitions and tools for rainforest identification; reliance on drone surveys instead of on-ground assessments.
•Failure to use Best Available Information provided by stakeholders, ecologists, and local authorities.
•Lack of consultation with affected stakeholders and regional experts during planning and HCV management strategy development.
•Non-compliance with FSC indicators: 6.2.3, 6.3.3, 6.4.2, 6.5.1, 7.5.2, 7.6.3, 9.1.2, 9.2.3.
The Gippsland Forest Guardians believe this Major Non-conformance demonstrates that SCS Global's audit process was insufficient to ensure HVP met FSC standards and SCS Global have failed to identify long-standing non-conformities affecting the integrity of FSC certification.