Paper Clips

Official 2016 emissions data has just been released and the downward trend in emissions from the sector has continued. 2016 emissions are 3.4% lower than those in 2015, and an impressive 48.5% lower than in 2008. While some of this reduction can be attributed to lower production, the great majority has been delivered by investment in new power generation, switching to lower carbon fuels, and a continued focus on energy efficiency. After allowing for changes in production levels, the figures show that the amount of EU ETS-reported carbon dioxide emitted by UK paper mills (per tonne of production) has fallen by almost a third in just nine years. click Read More below for additional detail

The Regional State Administrative Agency has granted the environmental permit for Finnpulp's bioproduct plant, which is to be built in Sorsasalo, Kuopio, and the wastewater treatment facility connected to the plant. The environmental permit defines the terms for the pulp plant's operation in the production phase, as well as for pipeline installation work and changes made to the shore line during the construction phase. Production is planned to start in 2020, and the plant's annual production capacity will be 1.2 million tons of softwood pulp. Additionally, the plant will produce other bioproducts, including 60,000 tons of tall oil and 1.5 TWh of bioelectricity per year. 1 TWh of the electricity will be fed into the national grid.

The Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) and Two Sides North America, co-sponsors of the annual Positively Print recognition program, announce the award program is now open for nominations. In its eighth year, the Positively Print program is designed to recognize print advocacy campaigns that promote the enduring power and sustainability of print in today's multi-channel media mix. "Two Sides is pleased to recognize through the Positively Print program organizations that focus on the unique attributes, effectiveness and sustainability of print and paper, which so effectively aligns with our mission," states Phil Riebel, President, Two Sides North America, Inc.

Most people know that wood fiber—one of the most recyclable and renewable natural resources on the planet—is the principle raw material used in making paper and paper-based packaging. But that’s just one branch (if you’ll forgive the terrible pun) on the tree. Over decades of research and development, the forest products industry has innovated ways to use those same natural resources in literally hundreds of other products, including many you’d never suspect.

If you haven’t yet submitted your proposal to the 2017 PEFC Collaboration Fund make sure you do so soon – the deadline is just two days away on 31 March 2017. PEFC members and other non-profit organizations are all invited to submit proposals for new and innovative projects. Make sure you check out our Call for Proposals and then send us your application form.

Robert Glowinski, President and CEO, AWC: “Despite claims of energy flexibility intended under the Clean Power Plan, EPA actually limited the types of renewable energy states can use, which included our industry’s production and use of carbon neutral biomass energy. The Clean Air Act did not give EPA the authority to impose such sweeping restrictions on existing electric utility generating utilities. The wood products industry plays an important and unique role in reducing greenhouse gases by converting manufacturing biomass residuals to energy needed to power our mills. AWC supports this Executive Order and will continue to seek clarity on EPA’s treatment of biomass to ensure it is recognized as a critical component of clean energy.” Donna Harman, President and CEO, AF&PA: “We welcome the Energy Independence Executive Order to provide states and ratepayers, including paper and wood products manufacturers, long-overdue relief from harmful regulatory overreach. The nation deserves affordable, reliable electricity, not rate hikes and competitive harm that can stem from onerous regulation such as the Clean Power Plan. On average, our industry meets about two-thirds of its energy demand through carbon neutral renewable biomass and is able to sell some energy to the grid. We plan to continue working with policy makers to provide an effective solution that recognizes the carbon benefits of biomass energy in paper and wood products manufacturing facilities.” click Read More below for additional detail

PEFC invites all interested parties to give their comments on our revised Standard Setting standard - PEFC ST 1001:201X. Give your feedback now! Deadline for comments is 29 May 2017. This standard contains the rules that national standardizing bodies have to follow when they develop and revise their sustainable forest management standards. Core principles of the standard development are stakeholder engagement, balance representation of different interests, consensus building, continuous improvement and transparency. click Read More below for additional detail

Sustainability in Chile’s construction sector got a boost as the Chile Green Building Council signed a collaboration agreement with CertforChile, our national member in the country. On 3 March 2017, the Chile Green Building Council (GBC Chile) signed three collaboration agreements that seek to promote sustainability in the construction sector. One of them is with CertforChile. “We are extremely proud to announce this agreement for collaboration and promotion with the Chile Green Building Council,” said André Laroze, National Secretary of CertforChile. click Read More below for additional detail

In the budget tabled by Finance Minister Bill Morneau today, he earmarked: •$1.8 billion to support clean technology. It is critical that the forest products sector is central to the government’s clean tech strategy. These investments will help our sector develop environmentally friendly products in areas of bio-fuels and bio-materials while helping to reduce carbon in the atmosphere. •$40 million over 4 years – starting next year – to support projects to increase the use of wood in buildings and infrastructure. This is an important program to support the use of sustainably sourced Canadian wood and since wood stores carbon, this a great way to further address climate change. click Read More below for additional detail

Dressed in wellington boots and rain jackets, the dedicated Tree Planting Team from Sappi Europe, including Berry Wiersum CEO, once again braved the Brussels weather to plant a further 1,250 saplings in the Forêt des Soignes. They were rewarded with rays of sunshine, and the feeling of satisfaction after a hard day’s work. The initiative has resulted in 16,250 trees planted since it started 7 years ago. Sappi’s employee-led tree planting initiative started in Spring 2010 in association with ANB (Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos), the equivalent of the Department of Forestry. This organisation is responsible for the planting of approximately 30,000 trees in the Forêt de Soignes every year as part of the National Forest Management Plan (Belgium). click Read More below for more of the story

March 21st is International Day of Forests and this year’s theme is Forests and Energy. Climate change, caused by increasing levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere is a key challenge due to changes in global temperatures and precipitation patterns that affect regions and countries around the world. There is growing awareness of the potential for a wider use of the forest industry to store carbon and lower GHG emissions. This is due to the recent 2015 Paris Agreement that recognizes the mitigation potential of forests to meet the challenges of climate change. For countries covered by the Kyoto protocol, GHG emission accounting for forest management has also become mandatory and recent changes in IPCC guidelines allows for accounting of carbon storage in harvested wood products. click Read More below for more of the story

Recycling paper was one of the earliest and most important actions individuals and companies took to treat our natural world more gently. But despite great advances in paper recycling, we don’t have enough recycled paper fiber to go around. So, if we cannot make every new product from recycled paper, which products should be made from recycled and which should use sustainably grown new fiber? A new tool is being developed to help answer that question. But first, let’s explain why we need it in the first place. A record-high 66.8 percent of all paper used in the United States was recovered for recycling in 2015, nearly double the rate of 33.5 percent in 1990, according to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). This is great news, and it makes paper one of the most recycled products on the planet. click Read More below for additional detail

UPS announced plans to build an additional six compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations and add 390 new CNG tractors and terminal trucks and 50 liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicles to its alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet. UPS further cements its leadership in the alternative fuel market while continuing to reduce its environmental footprint with this more than $90 million investment in natural gas. “With more than 4,400 natural gas vehicles and a network of fueling stations, UPS has had great results using natural gas as an alternative fuel in our fleet,” said Mark Wallace, UPS senior vice president global engineering and sustainability. “We know the importance of investing in natural gas globally for our fleet and the alternative fuel market. In 2016, we used more than 61 million gallons of natural gas in our ground fleet, which included 4.6 million gallons of renewable natural gas. This helped us to avoid the use of conventional gas and diesel, and decreased CO2 emissions by 100,000 metric tons.” click Read More below for additional detail

In North America, it takes less than 2 seconds to grow the fiber needed for a standard #10 envelope (on 100 acres of managed forests). For many years, International Paper's "Go Paper. Grow Trees." campaign and "Print Grows Trees" operated by the Printing & Graphics Association MidAtlantic have been promoting the vital link between paper / print and the long-term retention of privately-owned (including family-owned) forest lands. In short, a strong market for pulp, paper, lumber and other forest products, does grow trees. In North America we grow many more trees than we harvest. Forest area in the U.S. increased by 5,800 NFL football fields per day between 2007 and 2012, or a total of 14 million acres.[ii] In Canada, the forest cover has remained stable over the last two decades and, in recent years, Canada’s actual harvest has been 44% of annual growth.[iii] click Read More below for more of the story

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is now on the fourth year of a plan to transform its business model through its Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) and become a leader in responsible production. The company today highlighted its ongoing commitment to the four key principles of the FCP: halting all natural forest clearances; best practice in peatland management; partnership with local communities; and responsible global supply chain management. The report published today looks back at progress in 2016 and confirms the company is on track in implementing its zero-deforestation commitments. Commenting on the progress report, APP’s Managing Director Aida Greenbury said: “APP’s transformation process is now integrated into the fabric of the company. The report that we publish today and the verification that has been undertaken to review our FCP in the past 12 months confirms that as a business we remain on the right path. We are now entering the fifth year of relying exclusively on fibre sourced from responsibly managed plantations throughout our supply chain. This is a journey which has no end, because no one is perfect and we will constantly seek to improve and protect the landscapes oh which we depend, while improving the livelihood of the communities who depend on us.” click Read More below for additional detail

Lars Strömberg, Director of Sustainable and Environmental Affairs at Holmen, shares his sustainability highlights from 2016. What would you highlight in terms of sustainability in the past year? A recognition of all the hard work we have put into sustainability was Holmen being ranked 21st on the Global 100 list of the world's most sustainable companies. Holmen was also ranked highly for its climate work in the annual survey carried out by CDP. But most of all I would like to highlight the way that Holmen's operations bring major climate benefits by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by over two million tonnes per year. This can be seen as one step on the way towards meeting the commitments made in the global climate agreement. click Read More below for additional detail

The main changes are proposed in the following areas: Improving the stakeholder engagement during the international consultation: This could for example be achieved through webinars to introduce the applicant system before the consultation begins. Aligning the endorsement process with the national standard setting process: In line with developments in Working Group 3 on standard setting, the endorsement process should reflect the national process. The endorsement validity should take into account that a national review/revision process will start five years after the national approval of a standard. Streamlining the assessment of already endorsed systems: Endorsed systems will be reviewed at national level after five years. If this review leads to a revision of a limited number of requirements, the international assessment should only focus on those changes. This approach would recognize the previous assessment results of the unchanged requirements. click Read More below for additional detail

The Nature Conservancy and WestRock Foundation announced a partnership for two conservation projects in Southeast Virginia and along the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. Aligning with The Nature Conservancy, whose mission is to conserve lands and water for people today and for future generations, further demonstrates WestRock’s commitment to sustainable forestry and environmental stewardship. “The Nature Conservancy thanks the WestRock Foundation for their generous support of our goal to restore longleaf pine forest in Virginia,” said Bill Kittrell, acting Director of The Nature Conservancy in Virginia. “This gift will allow us to expand the Big Woods Conservation Area and protect vital floodplain forest along the Nottaway river, which will preserve water quality, support rare species like the red-cockaded woodpecker, and one day be home to the returning longleaf pine tree.” click Read More below for additional detail

Representatives of the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), Northwest Pulp & Paper Association (NWPPA) and Oregon Forest & Industries Council (OFIC) are partnering to host today’s Forest Products Advocacy Day in Salem, Oregon. In meetings with legislators, they plan to highlight industry sustainability successes, including current greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions and the recently-announced goal, and discuss upcoming legislation. Following the success of GHG emission reductions by member companies, AF&PA has announced its new GHG reduction goal of 20 percent by the year 2020. In 2014, sustainable manufacturing practices under the association’s Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 initiative led to a 16 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by member facilities, surpassing the previous 15 percent reduction goal ahead of schedule. In meetings with Oregon state lawmakers, they will discuss how any legislation to regulate or tax GHG emissions should account for industry leadership on emissions reductions. click Read More below for additional detail

Using wood in innovative and beautiful ways to bring new life to the Lakeside at Black Butte Ranch — an iconic Oregon resort community near Sisters, Oregon — has earned Portland-based architects Hacker an award from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). The SFI Certified Wood Award is part of the North American Wood Design and Building Awards program. Hacker was presented with the award at the Wood WORKS! BC Wood Design Awards in Vancouver on March 6. The ranch sits at the gateway to Oregon’s high desert. First planned in the early 1970s, the ranch is a vacation destination for many, and a year-round home for some. The new lakeside complex, complete with Sierra Pacific windows and other wood features certified to the SFI Standard, replaces the well-worn main pool facility and revives the heart of the ranch. click Read More below for more of the story

Amazon today announced a new initiative to generate clean energy by installing solar panels on its fulfillment facilities around the world. The company plans to deploy large-scale solar systems on rooftops of more than 15 fulfillment and sortation centers in the U.S. this year and is planning to deploy solar systems on 50 fulfillment and sortation centers globally by 2020. For high-resolution imagery of the project, visit www.amazon.com/about. “As our fulfillment network continues to expand, we want to help generate more renewable energy at both existing and new facilities around the world in partnership with community and business leaders,” said Dave Clark, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations. “We are putting our scale and inventive culture to work on sustainability—this is good for the environment, our business and our customers. By diversifying our energy portfolio, we can keep business costs low and pass along further savings to customers. It’s a win-win.” click Read More below for additional detail

Double A, a major pulp and paper producer in Thailand, has been accepted by PEFC as an International Stakeholder member. “It is wonderful to welcome Double A into the PEFC alliance,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. “Double A are doing fantastic work with smallholders in their country, as well as playing a vital support role in the development of a Thai national forest certification system.” “In PEFC, Double A has found the right organization through which we can promote our trees outside forests based agroforestry, as well as be part of a global system where constant knowledge can be gained through appropriate networking and deliberation,” said Mr. Thirawit Leetavorn, Senior Executive Vice President of Double A. click Read More below for additional detail

Mossberg & Company Inc. has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print and paper. “We are thrilled with the work that Two Sides does for the good of our industry. Mossberg & Company strives to be a resource of information to our customers, and Two Sides provides us with information and tools that enable valuable customer dialog, for the benefit of our Company and for our industry,” says James Hillman, President & CEO.

Those of you who read The Daily Telegraph may have spotted a familiar name in the Letters to the Editor section on Saturday. Two Sides wrote to the Editor in response to a previous article in the paper about the BBC’s decision to replace paper scripts with digital scripts as part of their ‘green measures’. Here’s an extract from the original article that we, and many of our members and stakeholders, had a particular issue with; Shows such as Casualty have already halved the paper they use from scripts as part of their green measures, estimating they have saved the equivalent of 90 trees. Two Sides works hard to tackle misconceptions about the print and paper industry. Statements claiming that saving paper saves trees are unsubstantiated, misleading and can have a lasting effect on people’s perceptions of paper. click Read More below for additional detail

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced five conservation grants today. SFI is bringing together a diverse range of people from 37 organizations to support research that directly influences future forests. This year’s grants focus on the connection between sustainable supply chains and natural resource issues we all care about — like carbon storage, wildlife habitat, species at risk and forests with exceptional conservation value. These organizations include leading conservation groups like NatureServe, GreenBlue, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Manomet, the American Bird Conservancy and the Florida Natural Areas Inventory. They are collaborating with government officials from Georgia, Saskatchewan and the Canadian Forest Service, SFI Program Participants, the Forest Products Association of Canada as well as the University of Alberta, UBC and Université Laval. click Read More below for additional detail

Accreditation bodies are the safeguard for credible certification. They ensure the impartiality and competence of the organizations responsible for certifying forest owners and companies – the certification bodies. Given their importance within the whole PEFC system, it is vital that they are kept up-to-date on all the latest developments at PEFC. In January, program managers and technical experts from 11 countries travelled to Geneva for an intensive training program, focused specifically on chain of custody. “While we have been training accreditation bodies for several years, in the past it has always been done through webinars,” said Michael Berger, Head of Technical Unit at PEFC International. click Read More below for additional detail

More than a decade ago, Walmart’s then CEO set us on a journey to dig deeper into our business to find ways to provide products that are better for both people and the planet. Fast-forward to last November, and our current Walmart CEO Doug McMillon issued a new challenge: ensuring that our business can continue delivering sustainable products for generations to come. He laid out our leadership position in the fight against climate change through a commitment to set science-based targets, and Walmart became the first retailer to have its goals approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. Why is setting science-based targets important to Walmart? We know global climate change can pose a threat to our country’s economy and global supply chains — threats such as lower crop yields, increased health costs and disaster-caused property losses. Walmart and other retailers would face a number of challenges if our complex supply chains were weakened by climate-related issues. Addressing climate change is a win-win: good for society and good for Walmart. click Read More below for more of the story

After setting and meeting two successive Scope 1 and Scope 2 absolute reduction goals for greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)1, HP Inc. announces a new target to reduce the GHG emissions from its global operations by 25 percent by 2025, compared to 2015. The new target is a significant milestone for HP as it accelerates its commitment to reduce the company’s total carbon footprint in accordance with what climate science indicates is required to help keep global warming below 2° Celsius. In 2016, the company announced a goal to reduce the GHG emissions intensity of its product portfolio by 25 percent by 2020, compared to 20102, and committed to source 100 percent renewable electricity in its global operations with an interim goal of 40 percent renewable by 2020. click Read More below for additional detail

Smurfit Kappa today announces that it has achieved 90% chain of custody certification by FSC®, PEFC™ or SFI™ for the packaging it sells to customers, demonstrating its long-standing commitment to sustainability. The certification is a new milestone in promoting sustainable forests, providing end-to-end transparency across the supply chain and an assurance of the sustainable origin of raw materials used. Smurfit Kappa is dedicated to creating sustainable value for its customers and helping them to meet their own sustainability and environmental targets. click Read More below for additional detail

With two major projects at its Cabano plant supported by the Quebec government, Cascades will significantly decrease its heavy-fuel oil consumption. These investments will result in an annual reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) equivalent to taking 4,000 light duty vehicles off the road! Ministers Pierre Arcand and Jean D'Amour, and Cascades President and Chief Executive Officer Mario Plourde, have confirmed that the two energy efficiency projects represent a total investment of $11 .3 million in the Cascades Containerboard Packaging–Cabano plant. The government of Quebec will contribute financial aid in the amount of $5 .2 million for the two projects, while Cascades will invest $6 .1 million. The projects consist in modifying two residual forest biomass boilers. click Read More below for additional detail

Asia Pulp & Paper releases survey results about sustainable and safe paper usage in Hong Kong Promoting industry collaboration to offer eco-products. Gold East Trading (Hong Kong) Company Limited, a subsidiary of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), today announced the results of the “Sustainable and Safe Paper Usage in Hong Kong” survey which revealed that nearly 70 per cent of Hong Kong consumers are willing to pay an additional 5 per cent or more to purchase paper products from sustainable sources. Additionally, more than 70 per cent of respondents prefer to visit restaurants which use safe food packaging. click Read More below for additional detail

Mosaico Specialty Papers expands its range of PEFCTM (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certif. Scheme) certified papers obtaining the certification for the paper mills of Chiampo (VI), Lugo (VI) and Carbonera (TV). The PEFCTM label guarantees that paper is produced using fibers from legal and sustainable sources, that is managed in accordance with internationally accepted environmental, social and economic standards. The Chain of Custody (CoC) actually requires traceability of all steps: from the forest to the finished product. With this new and important result the Group has strengthened its commitment to sustainable development: currently all Burgo and Mosaico paper mills are PEFCTM and FSC® certified.

Looking for a little roadster made from wood? Your wait is over, with the award-winning Setsuna concept car by Toyota. Built almost entirely from Japanese cedar, which came exclusively from an SGEC-certified forest owned and managed by Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd., the car will last for generations. SGEC – the Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council – is the PEFC endorsed national forest certification system for Japan. “It is wonderful to see such a beautifully designed car with serious environmental credentials, and we are delighted with their choice to use wood from an SGEC-certified forest,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. “The use of wood in construction is becoming increasingly relevant. Wood materials not only offer unique construction solutions, but if sourced sustainably from a certified forest, can also help prevent the overexploitation and degradation of the world’s forests.” click Read More below for more of the story

UPS announced plans to significantly escalate its investment in solar energy as an owner/operator of solar assets starting with at least eight of its facilities in the U.S. The installations will be completed by the end of 2017. The estimated $18 million investment will provide a nearly five-fold increase in the amount of power generated from solar at UPS facilities today. With more than 2,580 UPS facilities worldwide, UPS is ideally positioned to expand its investment in renewable energy. UPS expects additional solar deployments to occur over the next several years as it identifies suitable opportunities. The completion of these projects will expand UPS’s owned solar power generating capacity by almost 10 megawatts. The combined power produced from these projects is equivalent to providing electricity to approximately 1,200 homes annually. The expanded solar portfolio is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 8,200 metric tonnes per year. click Read More below for additional detail

From COP22 to Davos, the past few months have drawn global attention to the role of forests in achieving carbon mitigation targets. Yet beyond emissions, forests and the natural capital within them — water, air and biodiversity, provide environmental services that support the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat — making investment in the landscape so important. For too long this value has been disregarded. According to the WRI, between 2000 and 2012 Indonesia lost more than 6 million hectares of primary forest — an area almost half the size of the state of New York. Before moving forward, we need to look back. Forest loss is the result of a complex mixture of socio-economic reasons including deforestation, land degradation and low living standards. Poor practices have lead the assumption that economic gains by people come at the expense of the forests — this is a combination that can’t continue. click Read More below for more of the story

A story started making the rounds last week about French energy regulators asking companies to cut back on email in order to save energy. It sort of sounds like a satirical piece — it did, in fact, end up in Reddit’s “Not the Onion” subsection — but the suggestion really does come from the French regulator RTE. Which got us thinking: How do our tech habits affect how much power we use and the environment? Finding an answer is harder than you may think. After all, the energy you use at your desk writing a typical email isn’t all the energy that an email uses. As the French warning indicates, there’s a whole infrastructure behind every message, which includes not only the electricity you use but also the energy it takes to store and transmit that information through data centers. Many researchers have looked into the carbon footprint of these types of technology — meaning the amount of greenhouse gas produced to support the activity — to measure the impact they have on the environment. This is commonly expressed in the volume of carbon dioxide. Using more energy tends to produce a larger greenhouse gas emission, but using alternative forms of energy that don't burn greenhouse gasses can also reduce a technology's carbon footprint. click Read More below for more of the story

Stora Enso has been identified as a global leader for its actions and strategies in response to global warming. The group has been awarded a position on the Supplier Climate A List by CDP, the international not-for-profit that drives sustainable economies. Stora Enso is among 3% of corporations participating in CDP’s supply chain program to be awarded a position on the Supplier Climate A List. Over 4 300 companies submitted annual supply chain climate change disclosures to CDP for independent assessment against its scoring methodology. click Read More below for additional detail

The Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organisation with a mission to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods, and Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) are currently engaged in a collaboration to examine and address fundamental ways in which APRIL can improve its forest and community operations in Indonesia at the field level. This collaboration is in line with APRIL’s implementation of its Sustainable Forest Management Policy 2.0. The Rainforest Alliance’s role is focused on providing advisory support and does not include audit for certification or other purposes.

Humans are driving an unprecedented loss of flora and fauna, prompting fears that we are in the midst of a sixth great extinction event, with one third of all species in the wild facing threat of extinction. Speaking at the World Economic Forum today, Aida Greenbury, Chief of Sustainability of Asia Pulp and Paper Group (APP), made the case for why global leaders need to see people as the solution rather than as the problem, and work together to empower communities to build a sustainable economy that will help to safeguard the environment and biodiversity at the same time. She was speaking alongside Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International; Patrick Brown, Founder and CEO of Impossible Foods; and Dominic Waughray, Head of Public-Private Partnership and Member of the Executive Committee of the WEF, at an event looking at the prospect of the Sixth Great Extinction. click Read More below for additional detail

If we are to manage our forests wisely for the benefit of current and future generations, we need to understand the situation of the world’s forests and ongoing trends. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has gathered data from 234 countries and territories to provide an up-to-date report on about 88% of the world’s forests. The most recent Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) showed that from 1990 to 2015, global forested area declined by 129 million hectares (ha) or 0.31% of the world’s forests. Keep in mind, however, that from 1990 to 2015 human populations grew from 5.3 to 7 billion people (a 30% increase) and the demand for food and land increased significantly. (Note: 1 hectare = 2.47 acres). The largest forest area loss occurred in the tropics, particularly in South America and Africa, while in Asia and Europe there was a net forest gain. North and Central America showed little net change on average. click Read More below for additional detail

The global public consultation for the Macedonia national forest certification system is now open. Stakeholders globally are invited to comment on its compliance with PEFC International's Sustainability Benchmarks by 18 March 2017. The Council for Sustainable Forest Management in the Republic of Macedonia is one of our newest national members after joining last November during the General Assembly. This means it’s the first time the national system has been submitted for endorsement. click Read More below for additional detail

In a report issued today, Cargill presented progress on its efforts to meet its commitment to eliminate deforestation from its supply chains. The first Cargill Report on Forests covers on-the-ground actions within six priority supply chains and global collaborations to advance sustainable agriculture. Cargill worked with numerous global partners to engage more than 148,000 farmers and established a baseline for measuring tree cover loss by mapping the sourcing areas of nearly 2,000 locations across 14 countries. In the lead up to the 2017 World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Cargill's inaugural report is intended to spark broader discussion of the issues driving deforestation and the policies and practices that can prevent it. "Ending deforestation is critical to curb climate change," said Cargill CEO and Chairman David MacLennan. "Today, we are at an important crossroads as we work to nourish the world and protect the planet. Sustainable agriculture must be a part of the solution." click Read More below for additional detail

Wetlands and waterfowl in Canada’s boreal forest will be the beneficiaries of a new program launched by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and forestry sector leaders. The partnership is a visionary approach to sharing knowledge and resources to advance sustainable forest management and wetland stewardship in the boreal forest, an area that offers one of the greatest conservation opportunities in the world. Under the ‘Forest Management and Wetland Stewardship Initiative’, the partners will work collaboratively on priority projects that integrate wetland and waterfowl conservation into ongoing forest management planning and field operations. The coalition will establish wetland conservation guiding principles and best management practices. These will support companies in achieving their forest management objectives and help them meet the criteria for forest certification programs. click Read More below for additional detail

We, European paper manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers, consumer organisations and environmental NGOs, are writing to share our concerns about the possible removal of a number of EU Ecolabel product groups[1] which we understand the Commission is considering. In our view, such a unilateral and unexpected consideration would be premature, given the ongoing Fitness Check of the EU Ecolabel Regulation, and we urge the Commission to reconsider the possible discontinuation of these product groups. The Commission has recognised the EU Ecolabel as an “incentive scheme in favour of the market” which can benefit consumers and boost job creation[2]. This voluntary, market-based instrument is also consistent with, and complementary to, other EU policies concerning the circular economy and sustainable development[3]. The Commission has suggested discontinuing some product groups that include two relatively successful EU Ecolabel paper-related products (tissue and newsprint). click Read More below for additional detail

The devotion of Mark Leech, a guardian of Tasmania’s scarce but value-rich specialty timbers industry, was rewarded last year with the 2016 Richard Stanton Memorial Award for Excellence in Forest Management. Alongside his award and trophy, Mark also received an AU$2000 bursary to assist him in future work in sustainable forest management. Mark is the driving force behind Fine Timber Tasmania, a sustainability-focused, non-profit association which represents the state’s specialty timber supply chain – growers, processors, design makers and retailers – and promotes Australian Forestry Standard certified products. For more than a decade, Mark has played a pivotal role in the development, and now strong uptake, of AFS chain of custody certification in Tasmania. AFS, the Australian Forestry Standard, is the PEFC endorsed national forest certification system in Australia. click Read More below for more of the story