Next door is the United Nations. The view from your office window is the beautiful Rhine river. The trees in the park that surrounds you still carry leaves. Welcome to your new workplace: The Forest Stewardship Council. (FSC). About career opportunities at FSC told us Matthias Fecht (Program Manager Human Resources) and Chris Henschel (Program Manager Ecosystem Services)
Immigrant Spirit: Matthias, the goal of FSC is to maintain the world’s forests. Can you tell us more?
Matthias Fecht: FSC is a mission driven non-governmental and not-for-profit organization. Our goal is to help people, indigenous peoples, local communities, workers and businesses to use the benefits of the forest, but at the same time: To make sure this does not put at risk the long term survival of the forest ecosystem including all its plants and animals.
Chris Henschel: In addition to its original focus FSC now wants to become the global leader in the certification of forest eco system services. What does that mean? Eco system services are the benefits that nature provides to society: Clean water, clean air, carbon storage, places to go for a walk and so on.
This are services that are not valued by traditional economy. So we are trying to create an alternative system that rewards forest managers for protecting these benefits.
Immigrant Spirit: How do you do this?
Chris Henschel: The role of FSC is to create confidence in this system, by saying: These managers, these companies manage the forests in such a way, that they will continue to provide the services of nature to society. In short: We provide accountability and trust.
Immigrant Spirit: Why is this goal so important? And which solution do you offer to reach this goal?
Chris Henschel: You should care about forests and nature. Forests are being lost and degraded around the world. Forests must be managed for their inherent values, – but also for the use values that forests offer to us. We have traditionally focused on telling customers of forest products that forests are well-managed. We are now developing an approach to provide confidence that clean water, soil, biodiversity and carbon storage are maintained on FSC-certified forests.
Immigrant Spirit: What makes it so effective in achieving this goal?
Chris Henschel: FSC is so effective because it brings diverse voices to work together.
Matthias Fecht: FSC is a membership organization. Each member belongs either to the social chamber, the environmental chamber or the economic chamber. They make up the governmental body of FSC, the General Assembly. Decisions are taken in a democratic process. No single chamber can achieve its goals without the other two. That’s to me one of the most valuable factors of FSC. We bring together different interests to work together to achieve one global objective.
Immigrant Spirit Would you say that this affects also how you work inside the company?
Chris Henschel: Take for example this position (Policy Manager Ecosystem Services). It will be your daily experience trying to bring together this three different points of view. To come up with solutions that work for the environment, the people and the companies as well.
Immigrant Spirit: Of the successes that you have achieved as FSC. Which one makes you most proud?
Chris Henschel: One interesting thing is that we were one of the first sustainability standards. Now there are hundreds in the world. We were one of the first organizations to see the potential of this standards.
Immigrant Spirit: How did FSC get started?
Chris Henschel: FSC was set up at the beginning of the 1990’s by major environmental, economic and social organizations in response to ongoing and growing criticism on irresponsible and destructive exploitation of the world’s forests. FSC was set up as a non-governmental not-for-profit global organization to tackle this situation. I went to my first FSC assembly in September. It was the most vibrant form of democracy I have ever seen. That’s really what our strengths is: To bring diverse people together to solve problems.
Immigrant Spirit: Can you think of a success story?
Chris Henschel: I recently moved here from Canada. There is an FSC certified company. They have agreements with aboriginal communities about the forests that are unprecedented in terms of collaboration for the benefit of both sides.
They also have an approach to protecting woodland caribou. Which is an iconic species in Canada, threatened everywhere by industrial development. They are the only company who has that plan – and it’s because they embraced FSC values.
Immigrant Spirit: Which brings us to the professionals that you want to join your organization.
Matthias Fecht: We want people who can identify themselves with our mission. People who live our values in their daily life.
Immigrant Spirit: Right now, you are looking for a Policy Manager Ecosystem Services. Tell us about this position.
Chris Henschel: If you work in our team, you will help to develop the certification system. So that FSC can move into the new economic area of ecosystem services, thereby opening new markets and incentives for FSC certificate holders to preserve the forest.
Immigrant Spirit: You already experienced professionals in this position. What are the key criteria to be successful in this role?
Chris Henschel: They need to build on knowledge of this field, ideally forests. They need to think outside the box and come up with new ideas. And they need to draw upon the ideas that others have. This area is so new and innovative that nobody has the recipe yet on how to do this.
So we need someone with a background of knowledge, but also the creative and critical thinking to come up with new solutions – plus the ability to draw out the best ideas out of others.
Immigrant Spirit: Thank you for this interview.
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