# 4. Safeguarding in terms of Environment and Social Aspects

Projects must submit a risk assessment that meets the requirements of NCS [3.7](https://standard.nature-value.org/readme/3-project-requirements/3.7-environmental-and-social-impacts).

Businesses with an officially approved management plan do not need a risk assessment (including an environmental impact assessment). Certifications according to a recognised standard such as **FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®)** or an equivalent procedure (e.g. **Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC)**) are considered evidence of the environmental and social compatibility of the project. If none of the aforementioned conditions are met, compliance with the spatial planning requirements (e.g. forest development plan in Switzerland) must be demonstrated.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://methodologies.nature-value.org/readme/4-es-safeguarding.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.