FSC Forest Certification Pilot in Bhutan

The FSC forest certification pilot is Bhutan's first attempt to bring its commercial forestry under internationally recognised certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Led by the Department of Forests and Park Services with the Bhutan Ecological Society as technical consultant, the pilot was launched with an inception workshop on 26 May 2026 and is financed with about Nu 400 million (~USD 4.6 million) under the World Bank-supported Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) Jobs Project.^[1]

The aim is market access: certification would let Bhutanese timber and forest products enter global markets that require chain-of-custody assurance, and command premium prices. For a country with over 70 per cent forest cover but a marginal timber export industry, certification is pitched as the bridge between a conservation-first forest estate and a commercially viable forestry sector — a gap the World Bank's Bhutan Forest Note had earlier identified, estimating that sustainable management could raise forestry's contribution to the economy well above its historically low share.^[3]

Design and first customers

The pilot begins in selected forest management units, with the programme expected to expand gradually to other areas as certification systems and experience mature. The Bhutan Ecological Society, a Thimphu-based environmental research organisation, provides consultancy and technical support under an agreement with the RNR Jobs Project.^[2] An early anchor demand already exists at home: Bhutan Shingzo Limited is to supply timber from certified forests — together with timber from scientific thinning operations across the country — for major construction under the Gelephu Mindfulness City initiative.^[1]

Challenges

Officials have been candid about the risks: FSC standards are stringent, and although Bhutan's forest management practices are already strong by regional standards, meeting the certification bar — and financing the recurring audit and compliance costs sustainably — is not assured.^[1] The pilot sits within a broader national forestry framework governed by the Forest and Nature Conservation Act 2023 and Bhutan's constitutional mandate to maintain at least 60 per cent forest cover in perpetuity.^[1]

See also

• Department of Forests and Park Services
• Forest and Nature Conservation Act 2023
• Forest policy of Bhutan
• Gelephu Mindfulness City

References

1. Bhutan moves towards international forest certification, expects improved global timber market access — BBS, 2026
2. Bhutan Ecological Society — official website
3. Bhutan Forest Note: Pathways for Sustainable Forest Management and Socio-equitable Economic Development — World Bank