FSC and the 178 Million Acre Boreal Forest Agreement
Agreement Has Big Implications for U.S. Forest Products Marketplace |
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May 24, 2010 Dear FSC Community, News from Canada last week rocked the conservation world to its core, as that nation’s largest timber companies and nine environmental groups agreed to comprehensive ecosystem-based land use planning for 178 million acres of boreal forest, home to the woodland caribou and other threatened species, and the earth’s single largest carbon storehouse. In the agreement, the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) committed to “the highest environmental standards of forest management,” setting “on-the-ground application of the existing Forest Stewardship Council National Boreal Standards” as the benchmark for ecosystem-based forest management. The historic Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement effectively ends a long-running standoff between the forest products industry and environmentalists over logging and conservation in the vast Canadian boreal. If ultimately successful, given the significance of the agreement, I am writing to offer an initial analysis of what this agreement means to FSC and FSC certificate holders: - When it comes to protecting forest health, there is no comparison. FSC is the gold standard. FSC’s Boreal Standard is the only reference point in the agreement which aims to establish an ecosystem based management approach, provide a network of protected areas, recover species at risk, and improve the prosperity of forest dependent communities and the forestry sector. We believe the agreement demonstrates both the spirit and intent of FSC’s mission to “promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.”
- The agreement has the potential to significantly increase the supply of FSC-certified fiber in the U.S. market. Canada is the world’s largest exporter of forest products, valued at $23 billion, and two-thirds of its exports go to the United States. Through this agreement, it’s likely that many if not most FPAC members will ultimately seek FSC certification to gain consumer recognition for their improved forest management practices. New certificates will bring large volumes of FSC-certified supply into the United States, particularly building materials and pulp and paper products, at a time when domestic demand for the FSC label is exploding.
- The agreement elevates the status quo for forest management worldwide. With the agreement, FPAC members are essentially saying they are moving toward the highest environmental standards in forest management — as a compelling business strategy and to manage conflict and their reputational risk. Such widespread adoption of FSC certification in Canada will provide a healthy competitive challenge to some U.S. and Canadian forestland managers who continue to employ conventional and sub-standard practices.
- The U.S. Green Building Council should draw support from this agreement for its definition of “exemplary forestry” in the LEED certified wood credit. Industry and environmentalists have reached an accord, and the FPAC sees the value — both financial and reputational — of reaching for the highest environmental standards in forest management. The USGBC should not back away from an insistence on the highest, performance-based standards in the LEED benchmark and certified wood credit.
“The importance of this Agreement cannot be overstated,” said Avrim Lazar, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), which represented the forest products companies. Mr. Lazar should be saluted for his vision, leadership, and diplomacy during negotiations that spanned nearly two years. Many others contributed to this remarkable pact, including the 21 FPAC member companies, two foundations (Pew Charitable Trusts’ Environment Group and the Ivey Foundation), and the environmental organizations, several of which accrued much of their bargaining power through “do not buy” marketplace campaigning against FPAC members and companies who purchased fiber from them. This agreement has the potential to become a watershed moment in the history of forest conservation. It may also be remembered as a tipping point for FSC’s world-leading standards for forest management. In this pact, the 21 members of the FPAC acknowledge both the need and capacity to do much better for the health of our forests. They also recognize the importance of leadership forest management standards and the global market’s increasing and more sophisticated demand for environmental stewardship. As the agreement is implemented, Mr. Lazar is unequivocal in stating that Canada’s forest management should become “the envy of the world.” As the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement moves into a new and challenging implementation phase, we at FSC-US would like to extend congratulations to our history-making neighbors up north. To learn more about the agreement: http://www.canadianborealforestagreement.com/. Sincerely, Corey Brinkema
President, FSC-US Recent headlines: | |
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