FSC Global Consumer Recognition Study

A new global study commissioned by FSC with Ipsos is one of the largest of its kind, surveying 26,800 consumers in 33 countries. It provides new insights into what consumers are concerned about, who they trust to address these concerns, and how they’re acting individually through their purchases to affect change.

Ongoing global economic instability and conflict appear to have shifted consumer priorities. While climate change ranked second after health during the pandemic, top concerns for consumers are now economic hardships, and wars, conflicts and terrorism. Yet issues relating to the environment haven’t fallen off the radar. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and deforestation remain key forestry issues of concern around the world.

When asked about forests in particular, the connection to biodiversity is strong – often stronger than climate. Biodiversity loss is a top forest concern for consumers in most of the countries sampled in Europe and the Americas. Europeans regard climate change as nearly equally concerning, while the top concern for the Germans is the loss of tropical rainforests and wildfires for the Spaniards.

Some countries experience local forestry issues; concerns about these are reflected in the results. For example, illegal logging in Romania or deforestation in Brazil. This reflects the fact that the impacts of climate change are increasingly being felt directly in the ground like flooding in Indonesia or wildfires in Spain and the USA.

One of the ways in which consumers are addressing their forest concerns is through their purchasing decisions. Nearly three quarters (71%) claim they would rather choose products that do not damage plants and animals while nearly two thirds (63%) try to buy products packaged with renewable materials. Almost as many (59%) prefer to choose products that do not contribute to the climate crisis.

When it comes to protecting forests, consumers currently put the highest trust in independent and credible certification systems and environmental NGOs. Most consumers have high or moderate confidence in certification labels to ensure that forests are protected. But they feel strongly that sustainability certifications must also be verified. Almost two thirds of consumers (64%) expect sustainability information to be certified by an independent organization. China (86%) and Kenya (78%) have the highest demand from consumers globally for independent certification of forest-based products.
more at: https://fsc.org/en/fsc-global-consumer-recognition-study

Related Posts

Old Town paper mill spills 30,000 gallons of pulping chemicals into Penobscot River (bangordailynews.com)

More than 30,000 gallons of pulping chemicals from the ND Paper mill in Old Town leaked into the Penobscot River earlier this month, violating state and federal laws, according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The mill suspended production after discovering that chemicals were spilling into the river through a ruptured underground sewer line and a failed floor drain on Oct. 7. It appears the spill happened periodically over a six-day span, said Brian Kavanah, director of the state agency’s bureau of water quality. The mill reported the leak to the Department of Environmental Protection, which helped with the spill cleanup and repairs to the infrastructure the following day.

Plans drawn up for World’s tallest Wooden Skyscraper

Sumitomo Forestry, a Japanese company is planning to build the world's tallest wooden skyscraper to mark its 350th anniversary in 2041. Only 10% of the 70-storey W350 tower would be steel, combined with about 180,000 cubic metres of indigenous wood which will make up for 90% of the building. This will limit the carbon footprint of the building as the wood will store the carbon instead of emitting it into the atmosphere. There will be about 8,000 homes, with trees and foliage on balconies at every level, creating a pleasant space for plants and living organisms and in turn contributing to the biodiversity of the city. In doing so, the company will be on track to meet its wider objective to create environmentally-friendly and timber utilising cities and maintain the livelihood of the forest ecosystem. Click Read More below for additional information.

Circular Economy Principles Bring Materials Back Around at Kingsport Mill

Construction is underway on the Kingsport Mill’s old corrugated container warehouse. The project is yet another example of circular economy principles in action. When the former paper mill’s conversion into Domtar’s first 100 percent-recycled packaging facility is complete late next year, the warehouse will be an important part of its central nervous system. Each year, approximately 660,000 tons of recycled boxes and other kinds of mixed recycled paper used to produce new recycled packaging products will pass through the warehouse. Every aspect of the warehouse was planned with sustainability and circular economy principles in mind, including its location (close to the intersection of Interstate 26 and Interstate 81), the highly efficient industrial vehicles patrolling its interior, and the very concrete on which it is being built.
Back To Top
×Close search
Search