In Sweden, FSC certificate holders conduct forest management in the same area used by the Sámi—Indigenous Peoples in Sweden—for their traditional reindeer herding activities. FSC Sweden’s national forest stewardship standard (NFSS), which is based on the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), plays a key role in facilitating landscape sharing between the two parties. Assurance Services International (ASI) conducted an investigation into the effectiveness of the NFSS in fostering dialogue and preventing disputes between Sami reindeer herders and FSC forest management certificate holders in northern and central Sweden. FSC initiated this investigation because of an increase in complaints and incidents ASI recorded since 2016 regarding disputes between Sámi reindeer herders and FSC forest managers. Stakeholders have voiced their concerns about the impact of forest management (FM) activities like timber harvesting and road building on the reindeer herding activities of the Sámi. Through this investigation, ASI and FSC sought to understand if the normative changes in the latest version of Sweden’s NFSS, effective from 2020, have improved the dialogue between the Sámi reindeer herders and FSC certificate holders, thereby resulting in a sustained reduction in disputes between the two parties.

SCA, a leading global hygiene and forest products company, has joined the Circular Economy 100 (CE100), an Ellen MacArthur Foundation program established to enable organizations to develop new circular opportunities. The transition to a circular economy – powered by renewable energy and in which resources and energy are used as effectively as possible – is the core of any low-carbon society. The CE100 membership will help accelerate SCA’s circular economy ambitions and further enhance SCA’s ability to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and Goal 13: Climate Change. click Read More below for additional detail

What’s the main purpose of the Trend Tracker survey? The purpose of the survey is to understand changing consumer preferences, perceptions and attitudes towards print, paper, paper-based packaging and tissue products, revealing challenges and opportunities for the industry. What value does it have for the paper and packaging industry? We see the survey as great value for our industry as it directly reports on consumer opinions on a number of areas within our sector. Covering a wide range of topics from forest growth and recycling rates to reading habits, packaging preferences and thoughts on mail versus digital communication, the consumer data will help to inform the industry on what’s working and what needs improving.