The Regional FSC Forest Stewardship Standard (RFSS) for Smallholders in Vietnam has now been approved by FSC. This standard is for use by smallholders who own or manage individual units of plantations that are smaller than 20 hectares in size in Vietnam. The standard applies to rough wood and non-timber forest products (NTFPs). The RFSS for Vietnam is an adaptation of the approved RFSS for Asia Pacific for Smallholders in India, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. The national adaptation for Vietnam has been developed and it is now published to pilot test the indicators developed for specific local circumstances. For more details on the scope, please refer to sections C and E of the standard.

Clearwater Paper Corporation released its 2022 environmental, social and governance (ESG) report. Along with a continued commitment to create sustainable paper products, the report also highlights a significant increase in company-wide priorities to meet several key sustainability benchmarks. These include emissions reductions, resource conservation and company representation, among others as part of revised, multi-year goals. In this year’s report, Clearwater Paper states their plans to achieve a 30% reduction of Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030; achieve female representation of 30% or greater of their salaried workforce through 2030; and include ESG targets, goals, and outcomes in executive compensation.

Irving Consumer Products, a member of the J. D. Irving Group of Companies, is continuing its commitment to the environment by introducing sustainability goals for its tissue manufacturing operations. While the environment has long been a core value of the company, this is the first time Irving Consumer Products will publicly release sustainability goals. Irving Consumer Products tissue manufacturing operations’ 2030 sustainability goals include: *a 25% reduction* in its water footprint by decreasing the fresh water required to make its products. *a 25% reduction* in its virgin plastic footprint in its product packaging. *diverting 90%* of its manufacturing waste from landfills by repurposing it for beneficial uses. *use of sustainably certified fibre in its products.

We pick out the positive moments of the recent COP27 climate conference in Egypt and look forward to the COP15 Biodiversity Summit. For many of the world’s environmental campaigners, global organisations, conservationists, NGOs, charities, academics, and press, this year’s COP27 climate conference offered a chance for action, an opportunity for world leaders to gather and agree on firm resolutions to reverse the increase in carbon emissions and global temperature rise. However, two weeks after the conference opened on November 6, there was a general feeling of disappointment and frustration as delegates packed their bags and left the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Many felt that the event was a failure in terms of reducing carbon dioxide, with many countries trying to pull out of the decision taken at COP26 in Glasgow to keep temperature increases to 1.5ºC, and the final text regarded as weak, without any significant progress made.

Sustana, the sustainable fiber and paper industry leader, has joined the United Nations (UN) Global Compact initiative. Sustana’s engagement in the UN Global Compact — a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible business practices – reflects its longstanding and continued adherence to sustainable practices and its ongoing support for the Ten Principles focused on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. “With this announcement, Sustana is proud to continue its commitment to developing solutions to move society toward a greener, more circular future,” said Fabian de Armas, Chief Executive Officer for Sustana.

America Recycles Day®, which is celebrated on Nov. 15, is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Keep America Beautiful. The EPA has developed a National Recycling Strategy that is a first step toward a circular economy for all. This strategy is aligned with and supports implementation of the national goal to increase the recycling rate to 50 percent by 2030. The strategy has five objectives to create a more resilient and cost-effective national recycling system: *Improve markets for recycling commodities. *Increase collection and improving materials management infrastructure. *Reduce contamination in the recycled materials stream. *Enhance policies to support recycling. *Standardize measurement and increasing data collection.

As more and more companies begin their transition from plastic packaging to fiber-based or paper packaging, we recognize the importance of sourcing these fibers as responsibly as possible to protect and conserve Ancient and Endangered Forests. At Seaman Paper, we believe that sustainable business leadership is a fundamental component of long-term transformation, which is why we are excited to officially be a Canopy Pack4Good partner. Canopy is an environmental non-profit organization working with hundreds of companies through robust sourcing policies to reduce the impact on the world’s Ancient and Endangered Forests – which are critical to biodiversity, carbon sequestration, clean drinking water, wildfire risk reduction, and the well-being of indigenous communities.

At the FSC General Assembly recently, members voted on a range of important issues. Organized into Social, Economic and Environmental Chambers, the diverse perspectives brought by FSC’s members is key to the system’s integrity and credibility. In particular, the membership voted to approve changes to the FSC Principles & Criteria that will support implementation of a new Policy to Address Conversion. This was the result of years of debate and stakeholder engagement, impacting millions of acres of forests, particularly in tropical countries. This change will bring FSC into forest restoration, to create market incentives to restore degraded and deforested lands.

RWE Supply & Trading and Koehler Paper have agreed on a long-term green power supply of up to 175,000 megawatt hours per year. The green power certificates come from the Dutch 54-megawatt Waddenwind wind farm in the Groningen region, which has been connected to the grid since the beginning of the year. RWE Supply & Trading combines the certificates of origin into a green power supply and integrates them into Koehler Paper's procurement portfolio. Thanks to this contract, production at Koehler Paper’s Kehl site is largely climate-neutral. “By taking this step, we are saving around 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. We are thus underlining our claim to carry the concept of sustainability through the entire value chain of our paper production,” says Dr. Stefan Karrer, Chief Operating Officer of the Koehler Group. The family-owned company has set itself the goal of producing in a climate-friendly manner and thus making a contribution to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. Koehler is sticking to these goals, despite the enormous unexpected challenges resulting from the current energy crisis. “We are pleased to support Koehler Paper in the realisation of its sustainability strategy,” says Dr Hendrik Niebaum, Head of Commodity Solutions at RWE Supply & Trading. “The demand for CO₂-free electricity supplies from renewable sources is growing strongly. The cooperation with Koehler Paper and Waddenwind shows the potential in the European market.” The contract has a term of ten years and is valid from 2023.

Georgia-Pacific is honored to be recognized with an Innovation in Sustainability award for Juno® Technology. The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) announced its Better Practices, Better Planet 2030 Sustainability Award winners, recognizing exemplary sustainability programs and initiatives in the paper and wood products manufacturing industry. “This is the first year we are presenting awards in alignment with our new Better Practices, Better Planet 2030 sustainability goals and statement of principles on diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said AF&PA President and CEO Heidi Brock. “It is exciting to see examples of these goals in action.” Juno Technology is Georgia-Pacific’s breakthrough solution to waste diversion and resource recovery. It is a proven economical and socially responsible solution that can increase recycling and recovery across the U.S. and around the globe. “At Georgia-Pacific, we prioritize the development of new technologies that help us use fewer resources, minimize waste, and improve the environmental performance of our products and processes,” said Christer Henriksson, President of Juno, at Georgia-Pacific.

Under the theme ”Das g’fallt dem Wald” (“The forest likes that“), PEFC Austria concluded their successful multimedia campaign, raising awareness for the role of sustainable forestry in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the contribution that each of us can make. The message was clear: the PEFC label assures consumers that wood-based products come from sustainably managed forests. Choosing products carrying the label means contributing to healthy forests and active climate protection. One of the highlights of the campaign was PEFC Austria’s participation in the "INITIATIVE2030 - live the goals" project. The voluntary, non-profit information initiative publicises and disseminates the core contents of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.