Canadian Producers of Forest Products – Showing Leadership on Sustainability Issues

ON MAY 18, 2010, an historic conservation Agreement was announced, setting Canada’s forest
products industry apart from the rest of the world. The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and nine leading environmental organizations, unveiled an unprecedented Agreement
that applies to 72 million hectares - more than three times the size of Great Britain - of public forests licensed to FPAC members.

The Agreement, when fully implemented, will conserve significant areas of Canada’s
Boreal Forest, protect threatened woodland caribou and provide a competitive market edge
for participating companies. “The importance of this agreement cannot be overstated,” says Mr. Lazar President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada. “It’s gratifying to see nearly a decade of industry transformation and hard work greening our operations is culminating in a process that will set a forestry standard that will be the envy of the world.” The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement delivers a “whole cloth” approach to managing the interwoven issues related to environment and the economy.

Canada is a world leader in sustainable while ensuring that the highest standard of sustainable forest management is met. forest management and is home to 40 percent of the world’s certified forest with 149 million hectares. Three respected programs are used in Canada – the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). All promote sustainable forest management by requiring that harvested areas are reforested; laws are obeyed; biological diversity is conserved; wildlife habitat, soils and water resources are maintained; and timber harvesting is sustainable. In 2005, the CSA and SFI programs were endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

One of the biggest issues facing the world today is illegal logging and deforestation. An estimated 10 percent of global wood supply comes from illegal sources that, combined with deforestation, not only depresses the economic viability of sustainable forest management practices but has an extremely negative impact on social and environmental practices. In fact global greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation is estimated at close to 20 percent. Canada has 90 percent of its original forest cover, and a deforestation rate of virtually zero. A small amount of Canada’s forestland has been converted to uses such as farming, ranching and urban development. When lands are harvested, they are returned to forest.

Additionally, Canada has some of the toughest forest laws on earth, and enforces them. And, its high third-party forest certification rate, with programs requiring that companies meet all relevant laws and avoid fibre from illegal or controversial sources, provides another level of assurance. Canada is also part of international efforts to oppose illegal logging and trade in illegal forest products.

When choosing sources of forest products, buyers should look to responsible producers that:

• harvest legally
• regenerate harvested lands promptly
• reduce waste and promote paper recovery and recycling
• reduce greenhouse gases and help fight climate change
• welcome independent scrutiny of how they manage their forest lands.

“It is time for the planet to choose the right future; a future that considers environmental
responsibility as the standard for economic, environmental and social prosperity. The Canadian forest products industry has already embraced this standard and is working hard to make that future as green as possible” says Mr. Lazar.

For more information, please visit www.feel-good.ca and www. canadianborealforestagreement.com