PIB Summary- 14th December, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme

Context
Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has launched the Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme.

Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme: Fostering Sustainable Practices

• Objective and Scope:
  The Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme is a national initiative promoting sustainable forest management and agroforestry through voluntary third-party certification.
• Certification Components:
  The scheme encompasses three key certifications: forest management certification, tree outside forest management certification, and chain of custody certification.
• Market Incentives:
  Entities adhering to responsible forest management and agroforestry practices can benefit from market incentives through this certification scheme.
• Stakeholders Involved:
  Participants include state forest departments, individual farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations engaged in agroforestry, and wood-based industries across the value chain.
• Forest Management Standards:
  Forest Management certification adheres to the Indian Forest Management Standard, featuring 8 criteria, 69 indicators, and 254 verifiers, integrated into the National Working Plan Code 2023.
• Trees outside Forests Standard:
  A separate standard for Trees outside Forests is introduced to address specific aspects.
• Oversight and Governance:
  The Indian Forest and Wood Certification Council, serving as a multistakeholder advisory body, oversees the implementation of the certification scheme.
• Council Representation:
  Members of the council include representatives from institutions such as the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Forest Survey of India, Quality Council of India, Indian Institute of Forest Management, along with involvement from Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Operational Agency:
  The Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, acts as the scheme operating agency, responsible for the overall management of the certification initiative.
• Accreditation Process:
  The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies, under the Quality Council of India, accredits certification bodies conducting independent audits to assess entities’ adherence to scheme standards.

Asian Development Bank

Context
The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed agreement for availing of a $200 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), to improve the quality, efficiency, and reliability of power supply in the state of Uttarakhand.

About Asian Development Bank (ADB):

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966 to promote social and economic development in Asia.
• It is headquartered in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
• The ADB was modelled closely on the World Bank and an official United Nations Observer.
• Japan holds the largest proportion of shares in ADB followed by the USA, and it has a weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions (just like the World Bank).
• The bank admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE) and non-regional developed countries.
• ADB defines itself as a social development organization that is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
• ADB aids in reducing poverty through investments in the form of loans, grants and information sharing (in infrastructure, health care services, financial and public administration systems), helping nations prepare for the impact of climate change or better manage their natural resources, as well as other areas.