The development of a coherent system of criteria and indicators (C&I) requires collaboration and communication among scientists, government, the public, certifying organizations, and the forest industry. It also demands the integration of knowledge from many fields of study, which is foreign to the disciplinary nature of most forestry research. There needs to be greater effort to link groups of indicators and to favour those that are assimilative in nature. Modelling tools adapted to a multi-disciplinary approach and collaborative development will help to integrate knowledge from various fields and institutions. Specific challenges for implementation of C&I have been identified, including: leadership and vision in the evolution towards sustainable forest management (SFM); linking of grass-roots and higher level C&I initiatives; streamlining and co-ordinating different certification initiatives and agencies; technology transfer; and collaboration among disciplines.