COP 15 reaches an agreement on the biodiversity framework to protect nature

“Pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and wood products are interwoven through our every-day lives in undeniable ways. They and the devoted employees who manufacture them deserve a center-stage seat during National Forest Products Week – the annual celebration of our industry and its valuable contributions to society and the American economy. “In rural and urban communities across 45 states, our companies provide family-wage jobs to approximately 900,000 men and women and our industry accounts for four percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP. Paper and wood products manufacturers rank among the top 10 employers and utilize renewable, recyclable materials in innovative and highly-efficient processes to make products we rely on today and will need tomorrow. Click Read More below for additional information.

The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) released its biennial Sustainability Progress Report which demonstrates progress in seven key areas of sustainability. The 2021 report also highlights the forest products sector’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key progress on ICFPA’s sustainability performance indicators include: *In 2019, 52.6 percent of procured wood fibre came from third-party certified sustainably-managed forests, a 41 percentage point increase from the 2000 baseline year. *Greenhouse gas emission intensity decreased 21 percent from the 2004/2005 baseline year. *The energy share of biomass and other renewable fuels increased to 64.9 percent, a 12 percentage point increase since 2004/2005. *Sulphur dioxide emission intensity from on-site combustion sources decreased 77 percent from the 2004/2005 baseline year and 38 percent from the previous report. *Water use intensity decreased 12.5 percent from the baseline year. *Investment in health and safety interventions yielded a 30 percent reduction in the global recordable incident rate from the 2006/2007 baseline with the number of recordable incidents falling to 2.88 per 100 employees annually. *In 2019, 59.1 percent of paper and paperboard consumed globally was used by mills to make new products, marking a 12.6 percentage point increase in the global recycling rate since the year 2000.

"We are seeing companies step up to help protect forests, even as we all use forest products every day," said Corey Brinkema, president of the Forest Stewardship Council US. "This momentum comes not a moment too soon, as climate change puts the need for forest conservation front and center," he added. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, all transportation accounts for 14 percent of global carbon emissions, while experts estimate deforestation and forest degradation to contribute up to 15 percent. Healthy forests currently offer the best way to pull carbon out of the atmosphere. Recent research in the US Pacific Northwest finds FSC-certified forest management stores at least 45 percent more carbon than standard forestry. Click Read More below for more of the story.