Arlington Swifty Printing Joins Two Sides

Forest Stewardship Council, the world’s most trusted forest certification system, announced its 2019 FSC Leadership Awards in a celebration held in conjunction with Greenbuild 2019. Recognizing enduring commitment to forest conservation, the Awards highlight uncommon excellence that advances responsible forest management. “From biodiversity and carbon storage to a sustainable supply of wood and fiber, people are waking up to the importance of responsibly managed forests to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges,” said Corey Brinkema, president of the Forest Stewardship Council U.S. “This year’s FSC Leadership Award winners demonstrate that we can conserve forests, fight climate change and protect wildlife habitat, even as we use forest products every day,” he added. FSC Leadership Awards celebrate forest owners, builders, architects, retailers, paper mills, manufacturers, environmental organizations and many others who contribute to the movement toward responsible sourcing and forest management.

Smurfit Kappa has today announced ambitious new sustainability targets in a number of different areas. The new targets focus on a further reduction of its environmental footprint, increased support for the communities in which it operates and further enhancement to the lives of its employees. These targets build upon the company’s well-established sustainability record, on which it has been reporting since 2005, and are contained in the Better Planet 2050 commitments. Better Planet 2050 quantifies Smurfit Kappa’s continued commitment to sustainability, targeting environmental and social sustainability in areas where it believes it can have the greatest impact. These include delivering sustainable packaging to customers, reducing its environmental footprint in water usage, waste and carbon emissions and supporting its communities, promoting inclusion and diversity as well as health and safety. The targets identified are specific, measurable and provide a roadmap to deliver results in the short, medium and longer timeframes.

Forest Stewardship Council United States (FSC US) announced the appointment of Sarah Billig as its new President following a comprehensive internal and external search. Billig steps into the role succeeding Stuart Hale, Forestry Program Manager for the US and Canada Carbon Markets Team at The Nature Conservancy, who has been serving as Interim President while also Co-Chairing the Board of Directors. With nearly 25 years of expertise in forestry and natural resources management, Billig brings a wealth of experience to her new position. In her previous role as Stewardship Director at the Mendocino Companies, she was key in expanding sustainability initiatives, enhancing certified lands, and spearheading entry into new markets including carbon sequestration. “Sarah is coming to us with years of experience working with FSC, including previously Co-Chairing the FSC US Board and serving on multiple committees and working groups,” said Hale. “In addition, her experiences as someone working on and managing lands within the FSC system provide Sarah with valuable perspectives on the opportunities and challenges we face in achieving our strategic goals.”