2011: International Year of Forests
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. Click here to find events that were held, and web tools and resources.
The Canadian Forestry Industry – A Good News Story
Our newsprint comes from legal, certified, Canadian sources.
Canada has no illegal logging and the largest area of third-party certified forests in the world. More than 75% (23.5 million hectares) of Canada’s protected forest and other wooded land are considered strictly protected (no resource extraction is allowed)—an increase of 78% since 1990. (Natural Resources Canada)
Canada is a responsible source of wood, pulp and paper products that meet the highest environmental credentials. Canada’s tough forest regulations ensure that harvested areas are regenerated.
Canada’s forest products sector is globally recognized for its environmental leadership, including efficient fibre use, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and the use of clean energy. Canada’s forest industry is pledging to become carbon neutral through the life cycle of its products by 2015, without purchasing carbon offset credits. (Forest Products Association of Canada)
Canadian Forest Industry Signs the World’s Largest Conservation Agreement
In an effort to protect the boreal forests of Canada, the Canadian forest industry (21 members of the Forest Product Association of Canada [FPAC]) and nine Environmental Groups (ENGOs) signed the world’s largest conservation agreement on May 18, 2010. This agreement protects more than 72 million hectares of public forests licensed to FPAC members, from the provinces of British Columbia to Newfoundland.
Under the Agreement, FPAC members, who manage two-thirds of all certified forest land in Canada, commit to the highest environmental standards of forest management within an area twice the size of Germany. Conservation groups commit to global recognition and support for FPAC-member efforts. http://www.fpac.ca/index.php/en/press-releases-full/440/
Trees: Renewable and Sustainable
DID YOU KNOW? Wood is the most abundant renewable material on earth. Paper is renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and sustainable.
Trees remove or sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and return oxygen back to the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide remains in the tree, even after it has been harvested. It is released only if the tree or wood or paper product produced from that tree burns or decomposes.
When trees are harvested worldwide, their wood is used mostly for heating and cooking, and to produce close to 5,000 products, including homes and furniture.
Canada still has 90% of its original forest cover (CCFM 2006b, WRI 2007); land for roads, agriculture, urban development and other non-forestry purposes makes up the remaining 10%. Since 1990, Canada’s rate of deforestation is virtually zero (NRCan 2008a).
19 times more forest area was defoliated/killed by insects than was harvested in Canada in 2008. Less than a million hectares was harvested in 2008 compared to 13.7 million hectares killed. (Canada’s Forest – Statistics Canadian Forest Service NRCan)
More than twice as much forest area was burned in forest fires than was harvested in Canada in 2008. Less than a million hectares was harvested in 2008 compared to 1.7 million hectares burned. (Canada’s Forest – Statistics Canadian Forest Service NRC)
More than 600 million seedlings are planted annually to help forests regenerate. Canada has the largest area of certified forest in the world – about 150 million hectares, double the size of Alberta (see following page).
Sawmill residues and recycled paper now provide 87% of the fibre used to make new paper and paperboard. Sawmill residue that is not suitable for making paper is used as biomass energy.
Canada’s pulp and paper firms have raised their production levels by 8% while reducing absolute greenhouse emissions by 57% below 1990 – 10 times Kyoto targets. For more information, click here.
The Canadian forestry industry – a good news story
- Solid wood becomes lumber
- The Canadian Forest Industry uses 98% of every tree
- Residues from the making of lumber such as the sides of logs, are made into chips
- Wood chips are processed in pulp and paper mills to make paper
- Sawdust, shavings and other residues, like bark, become composite products and bio-energy. Bio-energy is an abundant, clean & carbon-neutral energy source. It is widely used by the forest products industry to power its mills and processes and contributes to its low carbon footprint.
Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
Canada: Most Certified Forest in the World
Our newsprint suppliers are subject to rigorous, independent, third-party scrutiny and verification of their sustainable forest management practices. In most cases, Canadian newspapers’ procurement policies require sourcing from certified suppliers.
What is Forest Certification?
Forest management certification is a voluntary tool available to forestry organizations who want to demonstrate corporate responsibility by having their forest management planning and practices independently certified against a sustainable forest management standard. These standards set high thresholds that forest companies must clear – above and beyond Canada’s tough regulatory requirements.
What forest certification tells us
Third-party certification provides assurance that a forest company is operating legally and sustainably and in compliance with world-recognized standards for sustainable forest management. Forest certification has different benefits for different groups:
- Consumers can consider certification as a factor in their buying decisions.
- Certification can help companies demonstrate that they are responsible forest managers.
- The public can value certification for its role in improving forest practices around the world.
– Natural Resources Canada
2010 SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION
STATUS IN CANADA – 149,838,198 HECTARES!
|
Standard Used • Canadian Standards Association (CAN/CSA-Z809) • Forest Stewardship Council • Sustainable Forestry Initiative |
Acronym • CSA • FSC • SFI |
Area Certified (hectares) • 62,537,236 • 40,600,808 • 40,600,808 |
Total Certified for all SFM Combined: (some areas double counted): 153,268,800
Total Area Certified: (double counting removed): 149,838,198
– Certification Canada