Amended UKWAS 5 released

The United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) is pleased to announce that PEFC International has endorsed an amended UKWAS 5.1.

The amendment relates solely to Requirement 4.10.1 which addresses game rearing and release.

The decision to make an amendment followed concerns raised by woodland managers about the practicality of implementing Requirement 4.10.1 in UKWAS 5.0, and its potential negative economic impacts.

The effective date for the amended version of the standard is 1^st October 2026, and PEFC certificate holders will need to transition from UKWAS 5.0 to UKWAS 5.1 prior to 1^st October 2027. This is likely to be achievable during a certificate holder’s next annual certification body audit.

UKWAS 5.1 documentation is available here. An MS Word version is also available on request.

UKWAS chair, Ben Gunneberg, said:

“This amendment demonstrates the UKWAS consensus-building process working as it should. We listened to the concerns raised by woodland owners and managers, brought together the different interests involved and consulted widely to find a practical way forward while maintaining the conservation objectives of the Standard. I would like to thank everyone who contributed constructively to the process”.

PEFC UK Director, John Kirkby, said:

“We are delighted that PEFC International has endorsed UKWAS 5.1. The fact that the assessor did not raise any issues with the revised wording of Requirement 4.10.1 is testament to the work of the UKWAS Revision Working Group who have managed to make the requirement more flexible and practicable, whilst still maintaining conformance to the relevant PEFC benchmarks. We now look forward to supporting certificate holders with their transition to the amended standard”.

The FSC approval process for UKWAS 5 is ongoing. Until such time as the process is completed, FSC certificate holders will continue to be audited to UKWAS 4. The amended 4.10.1 text is included in the draft FSC documentation.

Both PEFC UK and FSC UK have reiterated their commitment to the UKWAS process and to the development of a joint standard for the UK.

PEFC UK (John Kirkby) and FSC UK (Andy Sharkey) are both happy to discuss any queries or concerns you may have and advice can also be sought from your Group Scheme Manager or Certification Body.

Full documentation is available here:

• Consultation Report
• Annex 1 (Consultation responses)
• Annex 2 (4.10.1 revised text)
• UKWAS 5.1 Master Copy