PEFC publishes ST 1004: certification body requirements for sustainable forest management

K’ómoks First Nation, in partnership with Qualicum First Nation, welcomed TimberWest, the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) to the K’ómoks First Nation Band Office to announce that they will pilot the SFI Small-Scale Forest Management Module for Indigenous Peoples, Families, and Communities. This is to be implemented on Rosewall Forest Tenure Holdings Ltd, the jointly managed working forest of K’ómoks First Nation and Qualicum First Nation. “K’ómoks has been actively managing its forests for a number of years, and we have recently started working with TimberWest on market access and other sustainability initiatives through our Memorandum of Understanding,” said Nicole Rempel, Chief of the K’ómoks First Nation. “When SFI approached us to consider this small-scale forest management certification, we knew it was something we wanted to implement, and we knew TimberWest could lend their expertise. Obtaining SFI certification is a good long-term decision for the benefit of our community and the future generations that will be managing the forests in the years to come.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Established by APRIL Group in 2013, RER is an ecosystem restoration programme that works to protect and restore ecologically important peatland forest within Indonesia’s Riau Province. Located on Sumatra’s eastern coastline, RER is comprised from five government ecosystem restoration licenses totalling 150,000 hectares of peatland forest, with 130,000 hectares located on the Kampar Peninsula and an additional 20,000 ha located on nearby Padang Island. The restoration area at Kampar Peninsula is twice the size of Singapore. Another notable highlight was the discovery of the restoration area’s 300th bird species. Known as the Blue-winged Pitta (Pitta Mollucensis), it joins several IUCN-listed endangered or rare species, and now means that representatives of 18 per cent of Indonesia’s bird species have found safe haven inside RER. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Bio Era Tour, introducing bioeconomy and its possibilities and innovations, is launched today on the International Environment Day in Helsinki, Finland. In the core of the tour is the Bio Era Truck exhibition, where visitors can learn of the latest innovations made of renewable raw materials in an interactive manner and get to innovate also themselves. UPM is a partner in the tour as part of its Biofore Share and Care programme where one focus area is boosting bioinnovations. As the project partner UPM wants to highlight the industry's new innovations, versatile operations in the circular economy and meet young people around Finland. UPM's expertise in renewable and recyclable materials, low-emission energy and resource efficiency is the key to developing new, sustainable businesses. Click Read More below for additional detail.