High Conservation Value (HCV)
IUCN supports the High Conservation Value (HCV) concept which was originally divised in the context of forest certification (High Conservation Value Forests of HCVF), but is also applicable to all kinds of ecosystems and habitats. The HCV concept has proven to be a flexible concept promoting sustainable use of natural resources. High Conservation Value Areas (HCVA) can be identified on the site-level and landscape level, it can assist in land-use planning and in identifying conservation priorities, in a multi-stakeholder setting.
The High Conservation Values Areas are based on six principles:
- Areas containing globally, regionally or nationally significant concentrations of biodiversity values (e.g. endemism, endangered species, refugia).
- Globally, regionally or nationally significant large landscape-level areas where viable populations of most if not all naturally occurring species exist in natural patterns of distribution and abundance.
- Areas that are in or contain rare, threatened or endangered ecosystems.
- Areas that provide basic ecosystem services in critical situations (e.g. watershed protection, erosion control).
- Areas fundamental to meeting basic needs of local communisties (e.g. subsistence, health).
- Areas critical to local communities' traditional cultural identity (areas of cultural, ecological, economic or religious significance identified in cooperation with such local communities).
HCVs and sustainability standards for commodities
The HCV concept is now also used in standard setting for sustainability schemes for various commodities: i.e. the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO); the Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels (RSB), the Dutch Cramer Principles for sustainable biomass and they are considered to be used by the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS). IUCN NL actively promotes the HCV concepts and is committed to safeguarding the HCV approach in the implementation of these standards.
