Advancing sustainability with the new Urban and Community Forest standard

We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in urban and community forestry – the launch of the new SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard as part of our Environmental Management Systems accreditation scheme.  

The Standards Council of Canada is now the only Canadian accreditation body offering this new standard. This groundbreaking standard, unveiled at the International Society of Arboriculture 2023 Annual International Conference, helps advance sustainability through collaborative forest-focused efforts. 

The standard is the world’s first forest standard for communities and is suitable for organizations that manage urban and community forests, such as governmental entities and Indigenous Peoples, healthcare organizations, universities, corporate campuses, and more. It promotes nature-based solutions and resilience to climate change, outlines 16 objectives for urban and community forest certification and helps maintain and enhance the many values of urban trees.

Urban forests provide numerous social, economic, and environmental benefits, including improved health and well-being, reduced air pollution, and climate change resilience. 
Contact accreditation@scc-ccn.ca to find a certification body offering this standard, or to express interest in becoming accredited to certify urban and community forest management.

We look forward to contributing to a greener and healthier future by expanding our environmental management scheme to include this standard. We are proud to offer solutions that will benefit communities and help ensure the effective maintenance of our urban canopies.

- Elias Rafoul, SCC Vice-President, Accreditation Services Branch.