SVLK flawed: An independent evaluation of Indonesias timber legality certification system

The report finds that Indonesia's SVLK certification system is fundamentally flawed, failing to guarantee that certified timber is legal or sustainable. It identifies systemic weaknesses in audit design, a lack of transparency, and the certification of companies involved in corruption, human rights abuses, and illegal deforestation of protected habitats and peatlands.

• The SVLK standard has been repeatedly weakened since its inception, with audit and scoring systems designed to make it nearly impossible for companies to fail certification.
• SVLK certification does not exclude timber derived from licenses obtained through corrupt practices; the report identifies 12 certified concessions in Riau linked to government officials convicted of graft.
• The system fails to prevent the certification of operations that cause severe environmental damage, including the clearance of natural forests in endangered species habitats and the drainage of deep peatlands.
• There is a critical lack of 'chain of custody' and 'association policy' verification, meaning certified processed products like pulp or paper may be sourced from illegal or unsustainable operations.
• SVLK certification is granted to companies despite ongoing serious human rights violations and land tenure conflicts with local communities.
• The auditing process lacks transparency and effective independent monitoring, as civil society 'watchdogs' are denied access to field verification and essential data.
• GIS analysis of certified concessions in Sumatra and Kalimantan revealed widespread non-compliance, including deforestation in protected zones and overlaps with mining and oil palm licenses.
• Audit results are inconsistent, as demonstrated by a case where one accredited auditor graded a company as 'POOR' while another graded the same company as 'FAIR' within three months.

APA

WWF International (2014). SVLK flawed: An independent evaluation of Indonesias timber legality certification system. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/748/96kn5rmryn_Indonesia_timber_report_March_2014_SVLK.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. SVLK flawed: An independent evaluation of Indonesias timber legality certification system. 2014. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/748/96kn5rmryn_Indonesia_timber_report_March_2014_SVLK.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=SVLK flawed: An independent evaluation of Indonesias timber legality certification system |date=18 March 2014 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/748/96kn5rmryn_Indonesia_timber_report_March_2014_SVLK.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2014svlk, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{SVLK flawed: An independent evaluation of Indonesias timber legality certification system}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2014}, month = mar, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/748/96kn5rmryn_Indonesia_timber_report_March_2014_SVLK.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }