By Abdullahi Lukman
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has approved a new Interim Forest Stewardship Standard (IFSS) for Sierra Leone to guide responsible forest management and sustainable sourcing of forest products across the country.
The standard, endorsed on October 2, 2025, will come into force on March 15, 2026, providing a nationally aligned framework for forest managers, businesses and other stakeholders to improve forest governance and sustainability practices.
The approval comes as Sierra Leone steps up efforts to protect its forests and biodiversity.
The IFSS is designed to complement the government’s Protect Sierra Leone Programme, led by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, which was launched in early 2025 to support biodiversity conservation, climate-resilient livelihoods, habitat restoration and the development of green economies.
The programme also aligns with the Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30×30 target to protect 30 per cent of land and ocean areas by 2030.
The new standard is expected to support Sierra Leone’s international environmental commitments, including its pledge under the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) to restore 700,000 hectares of degraded land by 2030.
It also aligns with the country’s climate targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 10 per cent by 2030 and 25 per cent by 2050, compared with 2005 levels.
Sierra Leone has lost about 2.17 million hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2024, representing a 39 per cent decline since 2000.
With forest cover currently estimated at 14.7 per cent, alongside 61.1 per cent classified as other wooded land, the IFSS is seen as a key tool to strengthen protection for ecosystems such as rainforests, mangroves, swamp forests and regenerating woodlands.
Beyond conservation, the standard is expected to improve employment opportunities linked to sustainably managed forest products and enhance access to ecosystem services.
It also provides independent verification of responsible forest management while promoting continuous improvement in biodiversity conservation and the protection of community land rights.
Patrick Epie, FSC coordinator for the Congo Basin and West Africa, said the approval marks a significant step for sustainable forest governance in Sierra Leone and reinforces broader regional efforts to align forest management with global sustainability goals.
