Extension to Transition Period for SBP Standards v2.0

The SBP Standards v2.0 became effective on 10 August 2023. Initially, it was envisaged that a period of 15 months would be sufficient for all Certificate Holders to transition from v1.0 to v2.0. In the light of a number of factors, including feedback received from stakeholders, it has been decided to extend the transition period by a further 12 months, to 9 November 2025. At the end of the transition period, SBP Standards v1.0 will be retired and all Certificate Holders must be compliant with SBP Standards v2.0.

The SBP Standards Committee approved the proposal to extend the transition period at its November meeting, after giving full consideration to the following:

1. the complex nature of the ongoing reviews of the SBP-endorsed Regional Risk Assessments (RRAs), and the development of new RRAs;
2. delays with approvals by regulatory authorities in key jurisdictions;
3. the later than anticipated publication of the framework for benchmarking and recognising other certification schemes and, in particular, the evaluations of FSC^® and PEFC^TM;
4. the time required for Certification Bodies to update their internal systems in line with v2.0, and for our Accreditation Body, ANAB, to approve those scope extensions; and
5. the time required for Certificate Holders to update their internal systems, and the need for access to the full set of documents supporting v2.0, specifically those concerned with risk mitigation, for example, RRAs, benchmarking/recognition.

Extending the transition period to 9 November 2025 will give Certificate Holders and Certification Bodies sufficient time to undertake the necessary actions to implement v2.0, while removing the risk of a cliff-edge that would see certificates cancelled due to non-compliance with v2.0.

The extension of the transition period should in no way be seen as an opportunity to delay implementation efforts. SBP encourages its Certificate Holders and Certification Bodies to work towards full implementation of v2.0 as soon as possible, and will continue to support all parties through the transition.