Each year during the holiday season people begin decorating and buying gifts. For those that celebrate Christmas, an important decision is choosing a tree. This includes deciding if it will be a real or artificial Christmas tree. How does your decision impact the environment? Cost, convenience, and personal preference are all important considerations, but so too is the environmental impact. Research has shown that locally-sourced natural trees have less environmental impact than artificial ones. An independent Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study released by the Montreal firm Elliposos determined that real trees have less overall impact in terms of distribution, disposal, and average carbon emissions than their artificial counterparts. The LCA method allows for evaluation of potential environmental impacts of a product (or service) over its entire life cycle and takes raw material processing, manufacturing, transportation, distribution, use, reuse, recycling and disposal impacts into consideration.

The team at our Cedar Springs, Georgia, mill believes not only in being a good neighbor, but also a responsible environmental steward. In fact, the Wildlife Habitat Council recently certified the mill as a Wildlife at Work property, a distinction designed to recognize outstanding habitat management on industrial lands. Wildlife at Work certifications aren’t easy to come by, but for Cedar Springs, the recognition is well-deserved. The employees working at the nearly 5,000-acre site go out of their way to minimize disruptions to wildlife living in the area. For example, the team has carefully relocated a dozen gopher tortoises over the years to ensure the animals are not harmed when a mill expansion or construction project occurs. Other species the team is working to increase include bluebirds, purple martins, bats, and insect pollinators, and it protects endangered mussels living in the Sawhatchee Creek, which runs through the property. The team is also planning to replant longleaf pine trees on 300 acres of the site, a move which will benefit a multitude of indigenous creatures, including the gopher tortoise.

eiko Epson has developed what it believes to be the world’s first*1 compact office papermaking system capable of producing new paper from securely shredded waste paper*2 without the use of water*3. Epson plans to put the new “PaperLab” into commercial production in Japan in 2016, with sales in other regions to be decided at a later date. Businesses and government offices that install a PaperLab in a backyard area will be able to produce paper of various sizes, thicknesses and types, from office paper and business card paper to paper that is colored and scented. A developmental prototype of the PaperLab will be demonstrated at the Epson booth at Eco-Products 2015, an environmental exhibition that will take place at the Tokyo Big Sight from Dec. 10-12.

This increased commitment to Riau Ecosystem Restoration (RER) is believed to be the biggest investment by a private sector company in a single eco-restoration project in Indonesia, covering assessment, restoration and protection, and management and partnerships. "This commitment illustrates how private sector organizations can support climate goals not just in terms of pledges but by going beyond them and actually putting resources on the table," said Tony Wenas, Managing Director, APRIL Group Indonesia Operations.

“We need a global agreement at COP 21 with clear actions and firm commitments, outlining effective pathways to address climate change,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International ahead of the upcoming PEFC Forest Certification Week. “These commitments must recognize the multiple benefits of forests and encourage policies that promote sustainable forest management and the use of certified forest products. This will enable PEFC as the world's leading forest certification system to further enhance its contribution to tackling climate change, safeguarding forest ecosystems and sustainable livelihoods."

Stora Enso’s Global Responsibility Performance Report 2014 has won four awards in the independent annual sustainability report review, commissioned by FIBS, Finland’s leading non-profit corporate responsibility network. The four awards include the best sustainability report, best reporting on Human Rights and on Tax Footprint and the top choice of a consortium of Finnish corporate sustainability students. In FIBS’ review Stora Enso’s report was particularly acknowledged for its extensive and transparent sustainability reporting, with a special focus on reporting related to the target-oriented management of human rights.

Several years ago, GDUSA began to spotlight the good works of design firms active in “green” design. In the early days, the focus was well-meaning but narrow: how designers used and sourced specific products or services — good examples being recycled papers or vegetable inks — to reduce waste. Then, over time, a more holistic notion of “sustainability” arose that encompassed papers, products and services, yes, but also took into account broader concerns such as energy and emissions, forest stewardship and conservation, third party certifications and sourcing, media alternatives and relative footprints, shipping and distribution, internal studio procedures — all now seen as integral factors in sustainable design.

Two Sides, the global initiative to promote the sustainability of print and paper, has reported a 70% success rate in persuading global organisations to remove misleading green claims from their communications as part of its worldwide anti-greenwash campaign. 377 of the world’s leading corporations, including banks, utilities, telecoms and insurance companies have been researched and checked by Two Sides, exposing 240 of those companies to be using misleading greenwash statements in their marketing and communications activities. To date, 168 of those offending companies have removed their misleading greenwash statements as a direct result of ongoing lobbying by the Two Sides initiative.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®), an independent North American forest certification program, has applied for re-endorsement by PEFC. The public is invited to comment on the documentation submitted by the SFI Program for their SFI 2015-2019 Standard and Rules by 3 January 2016. In 2001 the SFI program became a PEFC National Member and in 2005, the SFI Forest Management Standard was endorsed by PEFC after a detailed examination by a PEFC-approved assessor. This endorsement adds international value to SFI Inc.’s position as a highly respected, third-party certification program in North America. The SFI program has grown to cover more than 100 million hectares of forest area in both the United States and Canada – nearly 40% of all PEFC-recognized certified forest worldwide.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) presented its 2015 Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 Sustainability Awards at AF&PA’s annual meeting on Friday, Nov. 13 in San Antonio, Texas. Designed to recognize exemplary sustainability programs and initiatives in the paper and wood products manufacturing industry, AF&PA’s annual awards are given based on the merit of entries received across multiple categories. This year, seven companies received eight awards from 26 outstanding submissions across the industry.

Appleton Coated is one of 31 companies recognized worldwide by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for its environmental transparency leadership as demonstrated by its voluntary participation in the WWF Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI) 2015. Appleton Coated has improved its scores since participating in the prior WWF EPCI in 2013. In the product category “Graphic Paper” Appleton Coated has achieved 60.2% of total achievable scores for WWF’s Environmental Paper Company Index (2015). In the sub-category “Responsible Fiber Sourcing” Appleton Coated has achieved 66% of total possible points.

*As the nation's leading papermaking state, Wisconsin feels the disruption caused by digital media acutely. The state's ink-on-paper economy has been shrinking for over a decade — pulpwood is the largest volume consumer of Wisconsin-grown timber — while the 2008 housing meltdown was so severe that sawmills and lumber works have yet to fully recover. *Family-owned woodland, which accounts for more than half of the state's forests, is being inherited by a generation that is less inclined to maintain the land as "working" forests — those that feed paper mills and saw mills — and more inclined to sell it off piecemeal. *Wall Street investors have been buying up forestland in Wisconsin and other states, then parceling it and flipping it. Some of the land becomes subdivisions and golf courses, and some is held by investment funds that sell it in far less time than it takes a tree to reach harvesting maturity. *The globalization of the economy since the 1990s has increased competition from warmer climates such as South America and southern Asia, which can grow pulpwood more efficiently than Wisconsin, where brutal winters annually interrupt growth cycles.

The Forest Stewardship Council US has recently launched a project to consider additional indicators that would define FSC certification on lands managed by the US Forest Service. Because the Forest Service oversees many beloved lands, it is required to manage for a range of values, including water, recreation, wildlife and timber. And due to the special nature of these lands, FSC certification of US Forest Service lands has not been possible to date. In fact, US federally managed lands are the only land type in the entire FSC system globally that are not currently eligible for certification.

The increasing value proposition that the PEFC brand provides to forest owners, companies and society as a whole, also confirmed by the first PEFC/GfK Global Consumer Survey that showed the PEFC label to be the most trusted forest certification label, comes with a downside: namely uncertified companies and organizations that try to associate themselves with PEFC’s reputation and brand trust by fraudulently misusing the label and claims. Ultimately, this puts at risk the good work undertaken by millions of actors from the forest, throughout the supply chain to the final consumer. PEFC is therefore taking steps to strengthen its trademark protection. PEFC is clear in its objective of protecting certified forest owners, companies and consumers against the abuse of the PEFC label and claims.

In September 2015, the US Environmental Protection Agency issued “Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels” to guide federal procurement. For lumber and wood, FSC is now the only EPA recommended standard. The Forest Stewardship Council US applauded this decision and sent a letter of thanks to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz.

To celebrate America Recycles Day on November 15—and to encourage Americans to recycle more plastics year round—Plastics Make it Possible® is offering some tips to widen the types of plastics collected for recycling, as well as a chance to win an iPad Air. Recycling plastic beverage bottles from American kitchens has become commonplace, but many other types of plastics also can be recycled, beyond the kitchen and even beyond the home. Plastics Make it Possible® urges Americans to recycle plastics used throughout the home, from the bathroom to the outdoors, as well as plastics used away from home.

How can brands protect forests? Join us at Sustainable Brands in London as PEFC International CEO Ben Gunneberg discusses this very question at the PEFC Activation Hub on 17 November. You will find us at our Activation Hub throughout the three day event, which takes place at the Beaumont Estate, Windsor, from the 16-18 November, as we highlight how PEFC certification can provide brand owners with the responsible sourcing assurances they require. “Consumers are increasingly demanding that the products they buy come from sustainable sources,” said Mr. Gunneberg. “By choosing PEFC-certified materials, brand owners can use the globally recognized PEFC logo, satisfying consumers’ expectations for responsibly produced products.”

2014 Sustainability Highlights •Verso demonstrated industry-leading safety performance, with a 2014 Total Incident Rate of 1.43, which is approximately one-half the U.S. Paper Industry's last reported average of 2.8 (2013). •The Quinnesec Mill in Michigan was recertified to Star status in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). VPP recognizes facilities for having safety systems that exceed OSHA standards, a strong safety commitment and sustainable health and safety management systems. •Fifty percent of the fiber Verso used to manufacture its products was third-party certified to a credible forest certification standard and 32 percent of the total paper it sold was chain-of-custody certified. •Carbon-neutral, wood-based biomass accounted for more than 65 percent of onsite energy generation at Verso's mills.

Best Buy has been awarded a prized position on the CDP Climate A List for our efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the past year. The commendation puts Best Buy in the top 5 percent of thousands of companies that submit annual emissions data and climate management strategies to CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project). We are in good company. Other corporate “A Listers” now include sustainability powerhouses and partners such as Apple, Google, LG, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony and Sprint.

BillerudKorsnäs is among 5% of the corporations participating in CDP’s climate change program to be awarded a position on the Climate “A” List. The purpose of the list is to recognize companies’ actions to mitigate climate change in the past reporting year. The list is requested by 822 investors representing more than a third of the world’s invested capital. “2015 is an important year for our climate with the Paris conference COP21 as a milestone. In combating climate change all parts of society have to participate and we are extremely pleased that the dedicated efforts of BillerudKorsnäs now have been recognized by CDP.

CDP, the international non-profit organisation that promotes sustainability, has identified Stora Enso as a Nordic leader in disclosing climate change data to investors and other stakeholders. In CDP’s Nordic Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI), Stora Enso receives a score of 99/100. High scores within the index indicate that a company provides robust climate data with a high level of transparency. “Since our core business is based on renewable raw materials, we are in a unique position when it comes to controlling our carbon emissions,” says Noel Morrin, EVP Global Responsibility at Stora Enso. “Combating global warming is a top priority and our commitment to transparent reporting helps us make the right decisions that can drive change.”

UPM continues improving the environmental performance of its graphic and newspaper and chemical pulp production. According to the Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI) of The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), published today, UPM's performance improved yet again year on year. Published biannually, this Index promotes transparency and continuous improvement of the environmental performance of paper and pulp manufacturing companies. In the Index, WWF invites 80 sector leaders and evaluates their environmental policies and targets, as well as their environmental performance with regard to overall production of news, graphic, packaging and tissue papers and pulp.

UPM has achieved a top position on the Nordic Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) for the high quality of its climate change related information. UPM's score was 99 out of 100. This is already the 7th time in a row that UPM is listed on the CDLI. Top scores indicate a high level of transparency in the disclosure of company's climate change-related information, such as data regarding carbon emissions and the use of energy.

Flint Group are pleased to present our portfolio of products for printers seeking Blue Angel certification. The Blue Angel is an environmental label organised by the federal government of Germany for the protection of people and the environment. It sets very exacting standards, is independent and has proven itself over more than 35 years as a guide for selecting environmentally-friendly products. The Blue Angel for Printed Matters (RAL-UZ 195) is awarded to printed matter that represents an environmentally friendly alternative to standard printed matter available on the market. Flint Group’s range of ‘Blue Angel’ products confirms our commitment to the environment and to ensuring best in class products are at the heart of our portfolio. These products have been developed to deliver exceptional performance characteristics coupled with leading environmental benefits.

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) reconsideration of the 2013 Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rule. “With the compliance deadline of January 2016 looming, we’re pleased that the final Boiler MACT reconsideration rule has been completed and addresses many of the issues we asked EPA to reconsider, particularly around how to safely and quickly start-up and shutdown our boilers while preventing damage to control equipment.

The evaluation against the UK Government Timber Procurement Policy (TPP): Criteria for Evaluating Certification Schemes (Category A Evidence) Fourth Edition, October 2014 concluded that both the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) have achieved scores of 100% for legality criteria and over 90% for sustainability criteria and as such are recognized as continuing to deliver requirements for both legality and sustainability. Overall, the evaluation demonstrated PEFC to have a 96% compliance with the UK criteria, with FSC achieving 94%. "These very high scores demonstrate the significant progress made in international forest certification since the first evaluation conducted in 2004. Both FSC and PEFC have made substantial improvements to their schemes since 2010, reflected in the scores awarded," Defra writes in the final report.

PEFC and the Handicraft & Wood Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA) will work together to develop PEFC Chain of Custody certification in Viet Nam: this was one of the key results from a week of outreach in the country. PEFC-certified material from around the world is already used by many solid wood processing companies in Viet Nam - in particular by the furniture manufacturing members of HAWA. Focus is now switching to the development of a national forest certification system in the country, paving the way for the production of domestic PEFC-certified sources.

Governor Paul R. LePage presents Irving Woodlands, LLC with the prestigious 2015 Austin H. Wilkins Forest Stewardship Award. This prestigious award recognizes people or organizations that stand above their peers to further forestry, forests, or forestland conservation in the state of Maine. Started by the Maine TREE Foundation in 2004, it is the only award in Maine that recognizes stewardship of the working forest. “Maine’s working forests are a vital part of our past, present, and future economy. Named after one of Maine’s longest contributing professional foresters, the Austin H. Wilkins Forest Stewardship Award is an opportunity to publicly recognize exemplary management of working forests.” – Governor Paul R. LePage.

Robert Glowinski, President and CEO, AWC: “EPA has overreached with its Clean Power Plan in how it seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Despite claims of flexibility, EPA has actually limited the types of renewable energy states can use, which includes our industry’s production and use of biomass energy. AWC joins this litigation in order to ensure continued use of renewable energy and to support states’ ability, as some have already done, to fully recognize biomass energy as a critical component of clean power.” Donna Harman, President and CEO, AF&PA: “Energy is an essential element for paper and wood products manufacturing. We are concerned that this final rule will threaten availability of affordable electricity and reliability of the electricity grid system. AF&PA joins this litigation to protect the global competitiveness of our industry, which is among the top 10 manufacturing employers in 47 states. We hope the court will grant our requested stay while these serious legal challenges are heard.”

An economic and policy study commissioned by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and developed by engineering firm Burns & McDonnell shows that high-performing single-stream recycling systems recover more paper and other recyclable materials than mixed-waste facilities that combine wet and organic waste with dry recyclables. Mixed-waste processing recovers much less mill-quality paper, but more metal and plastic, and requires 2.5 times the facility capital cost of single-stream recycling.

This is an historic moment for Best Buy. In our pledge, we committed to further advancing our efforts toward addressing this global challenge. Here’s what we said: •We will reduce our own carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2020 from operational reductions and renewable sourcing. This science-based goal builds on our 2014 achievement of a 26 percent reduction in carbon emissions within our operations. •We will provide energy-efficient products and solutions to help customers minimize their own carbon footprints. In 2014, we helped our customers prevent 900 million pounds of carbon emissions through the ENERGY STAR® certified products they purchased from Best Buy. •We will work with industry partners to promote sustainable electronics through manufacture, transport, use and end-of-life solutions.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI), American Forest Foundation (AFF) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) made announcements this week expressing mutual support for new approaches to forest management planning and certification, which will help streamline forest certification, and ensure access to the global marketplace. Among these efforts, the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) announced a joint effort by AFF, the Florida Forest Service and the University of Florida for a pilot landscape management plan to encourage sustainable forestry and bring more wood grown on family-owned forests into the sustainable global supply chain.

When you buy pulp, paper and lumber from us, you know you are buying from a sustainable supply chain. The attached SlideShare tells that story in 14 simple slides, from the importance of asking where wood comes from to what responsible sourcing is and how chain of custody works. The work we do today all starts with responsible sourcing. That means 100% of the woodlands Resolute manages meet internationally-recognized standards for responsible and sustainable forestry. That’s where it starts, but chain of custody is where it continues. Having an unbroken trail of records that track the harvested trees from forest to forest product provides assurance that 100% of the wood purchased meets a minimum due diligence.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) was honored for the sixth time with a SmartWay® Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for working with transportation providers to move goods in the cleanest, most energy-efficient way possible, while reducing the impacts of carbon pollution. Since joining the SmartWay program in 2006, Kimberly-Clark has more than doubled its use of intermodal transport, saving an estimated 72 million gallons of diesel and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 734,000 metric tons - the equivalent of taking 138,000 cars off the road for one year. The adoption of more efficient transport has also saved the company an estimated $415 million.

Foresters in JDI’s Northern Maine woodlands say growing conditions this season were ideal for young mixed softwood plantations. Josh Philbrook, a Forester with JDI Woodlands, explains that in general, trees grow very well in Northern Maine. “The trees are about 12 feet tall already, just after seven years. These trees have grown 36-40” in one year.” Philbrook attributes exceptional tree growth to improvements in JDI nurseries. “The trees we’ve grown in our nurseries are selected best from trees in forests across the region and grow several times faster than the natural forest, allowing us to excel the cycle of sustainability, and produce more wood that sustains jobs at our mills,” said Philbrook.

GreenBlue and the American Forest Foundation (AFF) today announced a new partnership to bring together America’s family forest owners and several of the most well-known marketplace brands, including Mars, Incorporated; McDonald’s; Avery Dennison; and Evergreen Packaging. For the first time ever, both ends of the forest products supply chain will connect and take part in a dialogue to explore their respective needs and challenges relative to sustainable forest management. The dialogue, which kicks off this November and lead to a meeting in January, builds on GreenBlue’s Forest Products Working Group efforts to examine the role of forest certification to explore, in partnership with AFF, frameworks for providing assurance that wood from family woodlands is produced sustainably.

The 10th of September 2015 marks a significant turn towards more responsibly sourced paper and pulp products in China. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), The Chinese Forestry Industry Association and the leading producers and buyers of paper and pulp products have established The China Sustainable Paper Alliance (CSPA) to promote the development of responsible sourcing and sustainable forest operations within the forest industry in China. UPM is one of the 10 founding members of this Alliance. The members represent both domestic and international companies covering the whole supply chain of China’s pulp and paper industry. UPM is among international players such as Kimberly-Clark, Fuji Xerox, HP and IKEA as well as some locally significant players.

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced today that the Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, certified Blackwater River and Tate’s Hell State Forests, covering 413,000 acres, through one of the world’s most recognized, independent, third-party forest management certification standards, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). “We are proud of our efforts to ensure that the land and resources entrusted to the Florida Forest Service are managed responsibly and conscientiously. Thanks to certification programs, such as SFI, the public can remain confident that our state forests are managed in line with some of the highest standards in the nation and will remain healthy and productive for generations to come,” stated Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.

Office Depot, Inc. today announced that it was recently named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, North America for the tenth year in a row. “Our inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for a decade in North America is a testament of our long-term commitment to corporate sustainability,” said Yalmaz Siddiqui, senior director of sustainability for Office Depot. “We do this by advancing social accountability guidelines for workers in factories around the world, launching award-winning community programs through the Office Depot Foundation, and growing our diverse and green product sales.”

UPM and the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) have been developing a method for assessing ecosystem services derived alongside the production of wood-based products. This pilot study focused on the environmental impacts resulting from the growth of trees used for the production of one tonne of pulp. In this study, the carbon sink effect, water protection and the sustainability of native forest species were analysed in detail. The study confirmed that the forest area from where pulpwood is sourced yields multiple benefits besides just wood raw material. The study examined the amount of wood required for the production of one tonne of softwood pulp at UPM in Finland, as well as the time required for the trees to grow. The trees purify over eight million litres of water and absorb over 4,000 kg of carbon dioxide during their lifetime.

“As we welcome India to the PEFC alliance, we can take this time to celebrate reaching the important milestone of 40 PEFC national members,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, as India’s Network for Certification Conservation of Forests (NCCF) joined PEFC last month. “We would like to use this opportunity to thank all of our supporters that have enabled PEFC to outgrow our European roots and become the world's leading forest certification system and to reflect on our history.” It was back in 1999, when national organizations from eleven countries came together to establish PEFC, responding to the specific requirements of small- and family forest owners in Europe. This was swiftly followed one year later with the endorsement of the first national forest certification systems, enabling forest owners and managers in Austria, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden to certify their responsible forest management practices.

Nine large U.S. companies on Wednesday committed themselves to achieving a major sustainability goal — and three of them are retailers. Walmart, Starbucks and Nike are among the firms joining RE100, a global initiative led by The Climate Group to engage, support and showcase influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity. Other firms joining the campaign include Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Salesforce, Steelcase, Voya Financial. The commitment to use 100% renewable energy is not a new one for Walmart.

“Sustainability continues to define the way we conduct our business and interact with customers, colleagues, shareholders, suppliers and the communities where we operate,” said Antoine Fady, CEO Flint Group. “Our sustainable vision, strategic objectives and core values underpinned by our Mission and Guiding Principles are closely integrated in all of our policies, procedures, processes and operations that continue to make us the company we are today. He continues, “At Flint Group we believe that applying this commitment and approach to sustainability is simply smart business practice – a fundamental driver to long-term shareholder value and the delivery of a vibrant, successful business. As companies along the packaging and graphic arts supply chains increasingly embed sustainable philosophies and practices into their businesses, they can rely on Flint Group to be a strong link in that sustainability chain.”

Over the past 20 years, Södra has taken a systematic approach to its nature conservation work. These efforts have resulted in voluntarily protected areas with high conservation values and a production forest with growing conservation values. At the same time, we are seeing increased growth in forests, with a larger wood volume - in other words, forests where production and conservation values go hand in hand. As a result of the company's long-term nature conservation work, the areas with the highest conservation values are now protected. Our members have chosen to certify forest holdings covering 23,000 forest estates. They have also agreed to obtain a Green Forest Management Plan, which requires forest owners to set aside at least 5 percent of their forest area for nature conservation. A total of 8 percent of the forest area (140,000 hectares) has now been set aside for nature conservation purposes, equivalent to more than 200,000 football fields.

The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today an exciting new partnership for future forests. The two organizations have established a memorandum of mutual support that promotes forest management for the benefit of the nation’s forests and wildlife. “Every year, millions of people enjoy recreational opportunities in forests managed to meet SFI standards,” said NWTF Chief Conservation Officer Becky Humphries. “If we hope to achieve the conservation goals of the NWTF Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative, partnerships like this one with SFI are critical.”

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is celebrating the international recognition for the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) at the World Forest Congress now going on in Durban, South Africa. An interactive side event called From Conflict to Collaboration featured a huge 8 by 11-metre floor map of Canada’s boreal forest detailing everything from caribou habitat to the rural communities that rely on the forest sector. Panel members at the event included Mark Hubert, the Vice President of Environmental Leadership at FPAC and Éric Hébert-Daly of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. They talked about the global relevance of the CBFA, the world’s largest conservation agreement, which integrates both economic and environmental values.

A recent study by researchers at Yale University revealed that there are more than 3 trillion trees now growing on the planet, seven times more than scientists previously thought. Using a combination of satellite imagery, forest inventories, and supercomputer technologies, the international team of researchers was able to map tree populations worldwide at the square-kilometer level. Their results, published in the journal Nature, provide the most comprehensive assessment of tree populations ever produced and offer new insights into a class of organism that helps shape most terrestrial biomes.

With the expiration of the Russian National Forest Certification Scheme on 31st August 2015, PEFC International advises that all certificates issued against the Russian Scheme are no longer recognized by PEFC. PEFC limits the validity of endorsements of national forest certification systems to five years. National systems are required to revise their respective standards in multi-stakeholder processes to become eligible for re-assessment and potential re-endorsement. This allows for continuous improvement of standards through the integration of new scientific research, experience and best practices. Equally important is that it encourages ongoing social dialogue among stakeholders, thereby enhancing mutual understanding, support and further development of the concept of sustainable forest management at national level.

The Finnish Forest Certification Scheme has become the first ever system to achieve PEFC endorsement for the fourth time. This confirms that Finland continues to meet PEFC’s globally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks and ensures that Finnish certified forest owners continue to benefit from the global acceptance of PEFC. “For us the next step is to organize training for organizations, contractors, forest owners and all other stakeholders involved in implementing the revised PEFC requirements in Finnish forestry,” highlighted Auvo Kaivola, Secretary General of PEFC Finland. “This will begin in October as we travel the country holding meeting with PEFC-certified organizations.”

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) today announced a new initiative to ensure family-owned forests in the southern United States can continue to meet the growing and changing global market needs for sustainable wood supplies, while protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat and other forest benefits, now and for future generations. This announcement comes on the heels of a new report from AFF - Vanishing Pieces of the Puzzle - that highlights the most significant resources, or benefits, Americans receive from family-owned forests – with wood for products being a top benefit, along with clean air and water, wildlife habitat and species biodiversity, space for recreation and rural jobs. The report also revealed regional priorities, with wood and wildlife habitat emerging as top in the South. Through this new initiative, AFF will assess how these forest benefits vary across woodbaskets in the south and how sustainable land management can play a role in protecting and enhancing them. Overall, the forest products industry in the South produces 57 percent of the total U.S. timber harvested by volume. This industry supports more than 439,000 jobs, as well as indirect employment, totaling 1.1 million jobs. The economic engine behind this industry is driven largely by private forests, where in the South, 58 percent are owned by families and individuals. In recent years, some southern forests and forest owners have seen an increase in demand for wood pellets and other products, for both domestic and European markets. Through this assessment, AFF will gain insight into how these demands are impacting the South's family forests and identify potential strategies to help family woodland owners continue to sustain these forests and their benefits. Not coincidentally, southern forests also rank at the top of all forests in biodiversity when measured by wildlife and plant species, with 12 southern states ranking in the top 20 in the U.S. in number of species. According to an April 2015 report issued by the National Academy of Science, three of the top five priority locations for conservation fall within this southern region. “AFF has a long history, almost 75 years, of successfully working with family forest landowners through the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) and other AFF programs, to ensure forests provide for all Americans,” said Rita Hite, Executive Vice President of Woodlands at AFF. “The Southern Initiative is just one of the ways we are looking into how we can evolve and strengthen our programs to ensure family-owned forests meet our needs today and in the future. We hope that our partners in the forest community and the forest products supply chain, from manufacturers to consumers, see the potential for a greater impact on the ground with this regionalized approach and work with us to bring our initiative to fruition.” The initiative, which is launching in the lead up to the 75th anniversary of ATFS, will be conducted in two phases. Phase one focuses on building an understanding of the priority wildlife habitat areas and wood supply needs by conducting an assessment of existing data and gathering input from forest industry partners, ATFS State Committees, forest landowners, state agencies, conservation partners, and brand companies. Initial input from these AFF partners suggest that one of the largest barriers to sustainable supply for forest products companies is family forest landowners who are not engaged in active land management. Further analysis on landowner attitudes, interests and barriers to sustainable forest management will also be conducted throughout the assessment. http://www.twosidesna.org/US/American-Forest-Foundation-Announces-New-Initiative-Across-13-Southern-States-Regarding-Sustainably-Managed-Wood

More than 75% of consumers say that environmentally sound packaging has an influence on the beverage brand they buy, according to Tetrapak’s Environment Research 2015 . The global survey of some 6,000 consumers across 12 different countries revealed a growing appetite among consumers for products that tick the right environmental boxes. When asked about recent purchasing habits, two-thirds said they have bought environmental products, even when they cost more, while around the same proportion have avoided specific brands or items due to environmental concerns.

India has become the latest country to join PEFC – an addition that sees PEFC reach the 40 National members milestone. With Japan joining in 2014, and China and Indonesia achieving endorsement of their national forest certification systems the same year, the addition of India’s Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF) underpins that momentum is gathering pace for PEFC in the Asia region.

The TFT and Ata Marie study was useful in verifying the foundational data of our existing supply chain and helping to identify some of the challenges and opportunities facing the business in the years ahead. We agree with the Rainforest Alliance that the future fibre supply of a business cannot be entirely predicted on the basis of one report, and that the work to ensure that our plantations are efficient and productive, as documented in our FCP Implementation Plan 2015 and Beyond, must be an ongoing priority.

R.C. Brayshaw & Company has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print and paper. “We are very pleased to be a new member company of Two Sides North America. When my father, Richard C. Brayshaw started the company in 1979, he made a commitment to do whatever was necessary to protect the environment,” stated Tom Brayshaw, President and CEO. “Our commitment to environmental awareness is ongoing and means taking a responsible approach at all our facilities and operations. At R.C. Brayshaw & Company we always look for ways to help make our communities better places to live and raise our families.”

Arlington Swifty Printing has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print and paper. “The information Two Sides provides is very important and will allow us to get the true facts out to our customers about printing and paper. Two Sides is a perfect fit with our own environmental friendly approach here at Swifty,” said Charles Pappas, Arlington Swifty Printing.

Many small steps add up to large ones. That’s a simple way to sum up Iggesund Paperboard’s environmental work. It is easy to give examples of Iggesund’s multi-million euro investments and their importance. But the company also makes many smaller investment decisions which have important environmental aspects. One of these is the wooden bridge that links the mill at Iggesund with the wastewater purification facility on the adjacent island of Skälön. “Long-term environment work is less about making a few big decisions and more about making many small decisions which include the environmental aspects,” explains Anna Mårtensson, Environmental Manager at the company’s Swedish paperboard mill, Iggesund Mill. “In this case a wooden bridge was a better environmental choice than a concrete one.”

We are encouraged to read recent comments by Greenpeace that it is willing to engage Northern communities, workers, First Nations and governments in finding long-term sustainable solutions for the boreal. Clearly, Greenpeace has heard the voices of the people of the boreal. Resolute has been consistent on the need for inclusive discussions, negotiations, and compromise solutions, developed in collaboration with governments, communities, workers and First Nations that lead to the most sustainable outcomes. And we welcome this change of heart by Greenpeace.

PEFC-certified wood is at the heart of the new Gold-rated Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) building in Berlin, Germany. From wooden doors and furniture fittings, to roofing and wooden windows, wood originating from sustainably managed, PEFC-certified forests can be found throughout the new building. In March 2015, the new BMBF building was awarded the Gold Standard by BNB (Sustainable Building Rating System; a Sustainable Building Guide for Federal Building). To achieve such a high rating, at least 80% of all the wood-based products used in the construction had to originate from a sustainably managed forest and come with a recognized certificate – such as a PEFC.

Informed procurement choices can support sustainable forest management, help protect workers’ health and the rights of those who depend on forests. Increasingly, those involved in public sector and corporate purchasing are setting ambitious targets which aim to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. The ‘Sustainable Procurement Guide for Wood and Paper-based Products’ from the World Resources Institute (WRI) & World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is designed to help procurement professionals do just this, enabling them to make informed choices and gain a better understanding of the challenges involved in the development and implementation of procurement policies for paper, packaging and solid wood products.

Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) today announced it is committing to retire around 7,000 hectares of commercial plantation areas to protect threatened carbon-rich peatlands, the first time that plantations on tropical peatland have been retired for conservation purposes worldwide. Peatland development in Indonesia represents one of the single largest terrestrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the world1. Retiring these plantation areas will help support the Government of Indonesia’s target of a 26 per cent reduction in emissions by 2020.

The 2015 report showcases the company's progress against stated sustainability goals. Key accomplishments in this year's report include: 74% of electricity used in Domtar's pulp and paper mills was self-generated, outpacing the U.S. Pulp and Paper Industry average of 59%. 52% reduction in the recordable safety incident rate since 2008. 23% reduction in waste sent to landfills from Domtar's pulp and paper mills, and avoided landfilling materials equivalent to the weight of almost two Empire State Buildings since 2013. Sold the five-millionth ton of Forest Stewardship Council® certified paper in 2014, a first for the North American market. $1.35 million donated in community investments throughout 2014.

Desertification is one of the major environmental problems faced by Maghreb. The sustainable use of forests in these countries would help to mitigate and adapt to this global change. This is why MENFRI, the Mediterranean Network of Forestry Research and Innovation, gathered together forestry experts in Barcelona this summer to discuss opportunities and challenges brought by innovative solutions such as forest certification in the Mediterranean region. “If in the northern Mediterranean PEFC certification is well developed, it’s not the case in the south,” explained Sarah Price, Head of Projects and Development at PEFC International, who travelled out to Spain to take part in the meeting. “The MENFRI project is therefore a great opportunity to discuss how forest certification could help Mediterranean forests and their products to be better valued.”

Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE), has been named a Green Giving Corporation by Matthew 25: Ministries. Matthew 25: Ministries, a top-ranked international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, has named Sealed Air as a “Green Giving Corporation” representing the pinnacle of responsible corporate environmental stewardship through the Green Giving program. Sealed Air and other corporations work throughout the year with Matthew 25: Ministries to rescue, recycle, reuse and repurpose millions of pounds of excess products, saving these products from the landfill, protecting our environment and helping millions of people throughout the US and worldwide each year.

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman and American Wood Council (AWC) President and CEO Robert Glowinski have issued the following statements expressing concern about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final Clean Power Plan and the proposed Federal Plan released Monday. Donna Harman, President and CEO, AF&PA: “While the final Clean Power Plan and proposed Federal Plan reaffirm the carbon benefits of bioenergy and forest products manufacturing residuals, EPA missed an important opportunity to clarify how biomass energy can be practically used by states to meet emission reduction goals. These residuals would have released CO2 to the atmosphere if they had not been used for energy, so the industry is simply harnessing their energy value and utilizing the full carbon cycle of biomass. EPA’s lack of guidance and direction creates confusion and uncertainty for states and business investment, which hinders the competitiveness of America’s paper and wood products industry.”

J.D. Irving Limited’s (JDI) partnership with Natural Resources Canada's Canadian Forest Service has led to the commercial development of advanced tree breeding, field testing and seedling production techniques. Maritime Innovation, JDI's new lab in Sussex, New Brunswick was designed to use advanced seedling production technologies based on selection from our native tree population for a range of high value traits such as fast growth rate, high wood quality, resistance to insects and disease and broad adaptation to climate change. A propagation method called Somatic Embryogenesis is used to produce large numbers of seedling from a broad range of genetically diverse trees which have been field tested across the region. Another aspect of the lab’s research involves fungi which live inside the needles and leaves of trees across our region which are called endophytes. A range of these fungi have been selected because they produce compounds which improve their host tree’s tolerance to insect and disease attack. Methods have been developed to inoculate small seedlings in the nursery with these special fungi which stay with the tree throughout its life. Investing in this technology will sustain diverse forests, contribute to a sustainable wood supply for the forest industry and improve tree tolerance to various insect and fungal pests leading to a reduction in pesticide usage.

KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation (NYSE: KS) recently released its 2014 sustainability report, which continues to demonstrate the company's progress towards meeting its 2020 sustainability goals. The goals were developed based on the company's commitment to social responsibility and extend well beyond applicable laws and regulations mandated by federal, state and local government entities. The report conforms to a voluntary standard defined by the Global Reporting Initiative's G4 guidelines, reporting at a core level, and compares the company's performance to the 2010 year as the baseline. Also included in KapStone's report is a materiality assessment review, which engaged stakeholders to evaluate perception of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman has issued the following statement regarding the letter sent today to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency from 154 members of the U.S. House of Representatives supporting biomass as a sustainable energy source. “The paper and wood products manufacturing industry is the largest producer and user of bioenergy of any U.S. industrial sector. Our industry’s use of biomass residuals and commitments to forest planting and regrowth help to ensure that the nation’s forest stocks are stable and rising. The natural carbon cycle should be recognized in EPA policies. “This letter from House members joins support from Senators, scientists and agencies around the world in recognizing the carbon neutrality of biomass energy. AF&PA thanks Representatives Ribble, Bishop, Poliquin, Schrader, Harper and Graham for their leadership.”

First proposed a year ago, the plan had been expected to be finalized this summer – a timetable the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stuck to despite push-back from some states and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a separate clean-air rule. Called the “Clean Power Plan” by the EPA, the rule is a centerpiece of a major push by President Barack Obama to help the United States – and the planet – attack climate change by reducing the amount of carbon pollution pumped into the air. The rule was announced in draft form amid fanfare in June 2014, and Obama and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy have talked up its benefits, saying it would be a boon to public health, helping to reduce asthma and other respiratory ailments.

Local people from forest communities in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam and came together in Bangkok recently to discuss forest issues that are priorities for them and to prepare for the upcoming XIV World Forestry Congress. The Congress, which is the largest and most significant gathering of the world's forestry sector, takes place in Durban, South Africa this September. “As one of the few observers here, and being responsible for supporting smallholder certification, it was great to hear about the issues and priorities for Asian communities,” reported Richard Laity, PEFC South East Asia, Projects and Development Officer. “We want to ensure that certification is inclusive by working closely with these forest communities, while we develop national forest certification systems.”

The National Recycling Coalition defines recycling as “A series of activities by which material that has reached the end of its current use is processed into material utilized in the production of new products.” The goal of paper recycling, then, is to supply paper and paper packaging manufacturers with enough mill-quality recovered fiber to meet their needs in making new products. And the paper industry, along with our partners in the states, has a very good record of success in doing that. The U.S. paper recovery rate in 2014 was 65.4 percent – up from 63.5 percent in 2013. In all, more than 50 million tons of paper and paper packaging was recovered for recycling last year. AF&PA has a goal to exceed 70 percent paper recovery for recycling by 2020. So how do we improve our performance so that we can grow paper recovery from 65.4 percent to 70 percent?

UPS (NYSE: UPS) today released its 13th annual Sustainability Report, highlighting its growing investment in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and commitment to log 20 million hours of volunteer time by the end of 2020. With its “Rolling Laboratory” approach, UPS accelerated its investment in an alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet of more than 5,000 vehicles last year, increasing the number of vehicles by 61 percent over 2013 and adding 1,100 natural gas vehicles. According to the report, UPS logged 154 million miles in 2014 toward its goal of driving 1 billion miles with the fleet by the end of 2017 – an almost threefold increase from 2013.

“Sustainable, PEFC-certified timber provides architects and the construction industry with great opportunities,” highlighted Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, at a recent conference on promoting green procurement in green buildings. “The possibilities are rather exciting in addressing the challenges of growing populations, especially in Asia where there is a need for housing constructed with as minimal environmental footprint as possible.”

The 2014 Sustainability Report highlights Kimberly-Clark's progress toward its multi-year Sustainability 2015 goals and introduces the framework for the company's new 2022 platform. The target year, 2022, will coincide with the celebration of the company's 150th anniversary. Building on the Sustainability 2015 program, Sustainability 2022 is a commitment to: *Invest in innovative social programs so that people who lack the basic essentials in life - sanitation, health, wellbeing - get the help they need *Innovate to extend the life of product and packaging materials *Reduce pressure on precious natural resources with the development of sustainable alternatives

The WWF has published a ‘Timber Scorecard’ report assessing over 100 companies’ performance in terms of sourcing sustainable timber and timber products. Pearson was given a ranking of ‘two trees’ out of a possible three in the scorecard. This indicates Pearson has made a very good start on the sustainability journey through the commitments the company has made to source FSC, PEFC and recycled products as well as establishing control mechanisms over the way it uses timber products. Peter Hughes, Sustainability Director at Pearson said: “At Pearson, our commercial success goes hand in hand with a focus on operating sustainably and responsibly. This is the right thing to do and positions us strongly to succeed in a fast-changing global environment. “We have been members of WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network for over a decade and understand the importance of sustainable sourcing and efficient usage of paper. We’re pleased with the WWF scorecard rating, but will continually look at ways of improving our impact on the environment.”

UPM receives a top score in the recently released WWF UK Timber Scorecard. The scorecard assesses more than 100 retailers, manufacturers and traders in the UK for their commitment and performance in responsible forest trade during the years 2013 – 2014. UPM was one of a small number of companies which received the highest score of 3. The scorecard looks at companies’ practices and policies in relation to sustainably sourced timber and timber products, against a backdrop of increasing deforestation. The top-performing companies are characterized by the clarity and simplicity with which they report their timber and timber product purchasing and performance.

There is a threat to the boreal forest in Canada. It’s more dangerous than fire or insect infestation, and it’s more destructive to local communities, First Nations and workers than economic downturns or changing market conditions. The greatest threat to the Boreal is misinformation promulgated by some environmental activists who don’t believe in inclusiveness and don’t respect the views and interests of those who live and work in the Boreal every day. The most recent example of activist over-reach came from an American activist group, ForestEthics and their Washington State-based Executive Director, Todd Paglia. Mr. Paglia recently sent Resolute a letter absurdly claiming that they would no longer recognize Resolute as a member of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA), and implicitly threatened the company with attack campaigns because we would “no longer receive the benefits and protections of the agreement.”

Combatting illegal logging and trade within the European Union is the focus of an agreement signed between the NGO Elephant Action League and the partners of the EU TREES project – organizations focused on fighting wildlife and forest crime. The agreement, which will last until the end of the TREES Project in April 2016, will enable the TREES Project partners to make use of the Elephant Action League-funded WildLeaks whistleblower platform. WildLeaks will receive anonymous information related to any forest crime, such as illicit timber extraction, log laundering, illegal timber transport and trade, forest products tax fraud, etc., through its secure platform, after which the information will be processed by project researchers.

The Ningbo city government is planning to shut down APP China's 600,000 tonne/yr cartonboard mill there to reduce air pollution. The mill, run by APP China subsidiary Ningbo Zhonghua Paper, has three cartonboard PMs. In 2014, local authorities announced a four-year plan to tackle the air pollution issue. The city has specified that some offending plants should be shut down or relocated by 2017. For the Ningbo Zhonghua mill, the authorities propose to permanently retire PM 1, and relocate the two bigger PMs.

Two Sides have been actively challenging organisations which use greenwash to mislead consumers regarding the environmental benefits of alternative media. They have done this by requesting that organisations carefully consider their messages and the potentially misleading anti-print and paper statements that are being made such as: ‘go paper-free and do your bit for the environment’ or ‘e-billing is more environmentally friendly than the traditional paper bill’. It is important, when organisations promote products and services, that they do not damage the Print and Paper industry and jeopardise the livelihood of the many thousands of people employed therein with possibly misleading statements. Two Sides have been reacting to misleading statements whenever they arise and engaging with major corporations and organisations. 2 months into the campaign and Two Sides report very encouraging results. Of the 25 organisations identified and challenged in a campaign that started at the end of May, 20 have responded favourably and removed the misleading claims.

The use of the PEFC framework to transfer Green House Gas (GHG) emission related data along the supply chain has been the subject of increasing interest among the bioenergy sector and other industry sectors processing forest-based materials in recent years. Key to this rising interest is the growing demand from governmental and private customers, particularly in Europe, that biomass used for energy production is from sustainable sources, such as PEFC-certified forests, and is delivered with credible and transparent information on GHG emissions linked to its production, processing and transport. In response, PEFC International has established a Task Force for the development of a voluntary mechanism for the transfer of GHG emission related data along the PEFC-certified supply chain. The objective of this newly established Task Force is to develop a set of technical requirements, which can be used as a strictly voluntary tool for data transfer.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) has just released its 2015 progress report, "Growing our Future", which traces its journey to becoming one of the top forest certification programs in the world. Founded by the American forest industry, SFI is now a fully independent organization, governed by a three-chamber board reflecting the environmental, social and economic pillars of sustainability. In addition to SFI SFM, Millar Western holds two chain-of-custody certifications, PEFC and FSC, confirming that we have robust measures in place to prevent illegal or controversial timber from entering our supply chain. Each of our certifications helps us assure our customers, neighbours and other stakeholders that we are working responsibly as we grow our own future.

Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) today announced its support for the South Sumatra Government in addressing deforestation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) through developing a multi-stakeholder approach to achieve responsible landscape management. APP, alongside IDH Sustainable Trade, the Dutch based NGO, is sponsoring today’s High Level Stakeholders Forum for Sustainable Landscape Approach, where stakeholders including representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, partner countries, communities, NGOs and the private sector, are meeting to form one partnership to develop a GHG reduction model that is effective, integrated and comprehensive.

National PEFC members in South America gathered alongside 50 forestry sector representatives from around the continent with one key focus: to expand forest certification and the uptake of PEFC-certified products in the region. The ‘Forest Certification: Current Situation and Prospects’ conference, which took place in Montevideo in Spring this year, attracted participants with an interest in promoting sustainable forest management, from representatives of ministries, NGOs and academic and research institutions, to private companies and the press. “Thanks to this event we have been able to demonstrate to all the actors, and particularly the general public, the forestry sector’s commitment to act responsibly in all social and environmental aspects, as well as the economic ones,” said Atilio Ligrone, National Secretary of PEFC Uruguay and the Manager of the Society of Forest Producers, “clearly showcasing the significant work PEFC undertakes in safeguarding our forest resources.”

The China Forest Certification Council (CFCC) has announced that the Chinese Government has passed and is enacting immediately its new national forest certification regulations. These important rules set out the scope, framework, and requirements for all forest certifications operating in China. All forest certification activities must comply with the forest certification requirements which require adherence to Chinese national certification standards. “This is an important and historic step for Chinese forestry workers, Chinese forest dependent-communities and Chinese forests, as it recognizes the extensive work undertaken by a multitude of stakeholders to develop both the CFCC Chinese national forest certification and chain of custody certification standards and system,” said Mr. Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. “In addition, both these national standards have been thoroughly assessed, resulting in international recognition through PEFC endorsement.”

American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman has issued the following statement regarding the letter sent today to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency from 46 of senators. The letter stated senators’ support of “biomass energy as a sustainable, responsible, renewable and economically significant energy source.” “The carbon neutrality of energy from biomass harvested from sustainably managed forests has been repeatedly recognized around the world. By using biomass manufacturing residuals, the paper and wood products industry is harnessing the energy value of the residuals before the CO2 is lost to the atmosphere through other means.

The new online forest certification system aims to provide a simple and cost-effective solution to assist the UK’s small and medium-sized private forest owners to become PEFC-certified. The new tool is designed to help increase the UK’s certified forest area and boost the supply of certified material to the UK primary processing sector and its customers. The online tool was launched at a special Press Lunch in central London during a rare UK gathering of major figures from PEFC, including PEFC International Chairman, William Street, and CEO Ben Gunneberg, to discuss key issues surrounding the global forestry, construction, paper and packaging industries. While PEFC forest certification has been established in the UK for five years, it has long been recognized that a cost-effective certification solution was required to enable smaller woodland owners to participate in certification.

This year, PEFC’s Collaboration Fund has gone truly global, with the winning projects coming from all four corners of the world. “It’s the first year in the Collaboration Fund’s five year history that we’ve had such well-developed proposals full of ambitious and innovative ideas come in from all around the world,” said Sarah Price, Head of Projects and Development at PEFC International, following the announcement of the winning projects at a PEFC members event in London. “It is with great pleasure that we announce our 2015 support to projects in Portugal, Guiana Shield & Amazon, Indonesia and Ghana. Collectively the projects will support smallholder accessibility to PEFC certification, expand our global representation and deepen scientific understanding of carbon stocks in managed tropical forests,” Ms. Price concluded.

J.D. Irving Limited’s (JDI) partnership with Natural Resources Canada's Canadian Forest Service has led to the commercial development of advanced tree breeding, field testing and seedling production techniques. Maritime Innovation, JDI's new lab in Sussex, New Brunswick was designed to use advanced seedling production technologies based on selection from our native tree population for a range of high value traits such as fast growth rate, high wood quality, resistance to insects and disease and broad adaptation to climate change. A propagation method called Somatic Embryogenesis is used to produce large numbers of seedling from a broad range of genetically diverse trees which have been field tested across the region.

“At a time when the world’s governments, businesses and civil society leaders are focusing on developing global commitments to combat climate change, to be agreed at the Climate Summit in Paris in December this year, consumers can already participate in making a difference,” said Mr. William Street Jr., Chairman of PEFC International, at a specially convened summit of the world’s leading experts in sustainable forest management certification in London this week. Calling on British consumers to do their bit by seeking and buying day-to-day products carrying the prestigious PEFC ‘two trees’ label, Mr. Street emphasized that “it is within everybody’s power to combat climate change, and often all that is required are simple actions. By opting for PEFC-labeled products for example, we can all make our own small yet important contribution to avoid deforestation and support responsible forest management”.

At Best Buy, we believe being sustainable is good for business, and we have proof. Contrary to the old adage that it costs more to be “green” – it really can save money. Our recent 20% carbon reduction attainment saved Best Buy more than $50 million. Our leaders get it – they made sustainability a priority even through the Company’s turnaround. It’s also easy to say you’re a “green” company. But we’re walking the talk – cutting down on carbon, recycling more and minimizing waste – and people are starting to notice. Best Buy placed 35th (up from 81st in 2014!) out of the largest 500 publicly-traded companies in the U.S. on the recently released Newsweek Green Rankings list. More significantly, the Company jumped to the second spot among retailers. We can attribute this higher score to increased transparency and continued improvement in areas like carbon reduction.

UPS (NYSE: UPS) has been recognized with a 2015 Eco-Friendly Award from the Alpine Group, LLC, an Idaho-based transportation asset management company. UPS was recognized for collecting and moving more than 4.3 million pounds of recycling in 2014. The Eco-Friendly Awards program evaluation criteria also awarded extra merit for transportation safety awareness and in keeping America’s roads a safer place to travel.

Pratt officially opened two new recycling facilities this week, including a 110,000 sq. ft. plant in Gary, Indiana. The other is a 38,000 sq. ft. site in Wichita, Kansas. Both will support the company’s state-of-the-art paper mill in Valparaiso, In., which comes on-line this September. Together, the two facilities, the company’s 16th and 17th recycling plants, will have the capacity to process more than 120,000 tons of recyclables annually, most of it recovered paper but also metal and plastics.

Hungary has taken an important step forwards in the development of its National Forest Certification System with the launch of the national public consultation for the Hungarian sustainable forest management standard. There has been a growing demand among local stakeholders for a PEFC-endorsed forest certification system in the country since as far back as 2002. However, due to Hungary’s short history of private forest ownership, the country has lacked a strong association to take on the role of National Governing Body – a vital role for both the development and running of a national system.

The CFCC and PEFC logos can now be seen together on a product for the first time in China, with the launch of Asia Symbol’s “Paper One” copy paper in early June. By displaying both logos together, the company can now immediately demonstrate its commitment to sustainable forest management to both Chinese and international markets. “The launching of Asia Symbol's certified products carrying the CFCC and PEFC combined logo has set a good example to companies in the paper manufacturing sector of China to pursue sustainable development,” said Mr. Wang Wei, Chairperson of China Forest Certification Council (CFCC) and Executive Deputy Director General of Science and Technology Development Center of State Forestry Administration (SFA). “We look forward to seeing many more China-made paper products going global with a green passport of forest certification.”

Richard Stover, PhD, and the Center for Biological Diversity counted nearly 8,000 significant incidents, between 1986 and 2014, in records of the pipeline safety administration. By “significant” they mean causing injury, death, damages exceeding $50,000 in value, a loss of 5 barrels of highly volatile substances, 50 barrels of other liquids or there was an explosion. There have been more than 500 human deaths and 2,300 injuries through-out that period. The number of plant and animal casualties is much higher. Though most pipeline failures occur where there is a long history of development, they occur through-out the Lower 48. Texas is the worst offender, with 1657 incidents. California had 621 and 48 deaths. The leading causes of incidents are excavation damages (24.3%), corrosion (18.2%) and equipment failure (17.1%).

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) won a 36th Annual Bronze Telly Award for its Improving Paper Recycling video. The video promotes increased quantity and quality of paper and paper-based packaging recovered for recycling. The annual Telly Awards program honors excellence in broadcast and online video content. The award-winning video, which was recognized specifically for its green and eco-friendly messaging, is available at http://www.paperrecycles.org/. “AF&PA is honored to receive a Bronze Telly for our Improving Paper Recycling video, which is part of our ongoing effort to increase paper recycling nationwide,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. The video was developed by Leading Authorities, Inc. For their outstanding work and dedication to the finished product AF&PA thanks Creative Director James Favata, Project Manager Tori Furphy, Scriptwriter Justin Kelly, Designer/Animator Rob Kramer, and Voice Talent Icie Favata.

Visitation at U.S. National Parks may potentially increase with increasing temperature in temperate areas, but may decrease with temperatures rising over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a study using future climate and visitation modeling scenarios published June 17 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Nicholas Fisichelli and colleagues from U.S. National Park Service. Climate change may affect not only natural and cultural resources within protected areas, but also park tourism. To assess the relationship between climate and park visitation, the authors of this study evaluated historical monthly mean air temperature and Park service visitation data (1979-2013) at 340 parks, ranging from Guam to Alaska, and projected potential future visitation (2041-2060) based on two warming-climate scenarios and two visitation-growth scenarios.

IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute has concluded a comparative study on the environmental performance of different packaging solutions. The study compares the lifecycles of plastic products versus corresponding paper products from BillerudKorsnäs. The results show that paper has considerably more favorable environmental qualities than plastic, such as 50-70% lower greenhouse gas emissions. IVL’s study looks at the entire product lifecycle, from material production up until it is thrown away or recycled. Although the transportation and packaging production of plastic products emits less greenhouse gas, the results show that the overall product lifecycle of paper products give rise to far less emissions. Material production of both paper and plastic packaging is the most energy intense part of production. But according to the study, which has been verified by Bureau Veritas, plastic production emits far more greenhouse gas than paper production.

Forest - All raw material used in paper production is now sourced under certified Chain of Custody systems Climate Change - 21.6% reduction in carbon emissions per tonne of paper produced, on track for 2020 target of 25% reduction Water - 28% reduction in organic content of water (COD) returned to the environment from mills, on track for 2020 target of 33% reduction Waste - Twelve out of 38 paper mills effectively did not send waste to landfill in 2014

Print and paper is a highly sustainable form of communication in today’s digital society. Despite this, there are still misconceptions that it is wasteful, detrimental to the environment and responsible for deforestation. More worrying is the misunderstanding that digital communication is more environmentally friendly, which is not always the case. To address these misconceptions, and to better inform and educate consumers, businesses and the public at large, Two Sides, a global initiative to promote the sustainability and attractiveness of print and paper, has published a series of 11 fact sheets to address a wide array of environmental and social issues. The comprehensive fact sheets cover the most common areas of misunderstanding, ranging from the real environmental impact of electronic communication, to the sustainability of paper-based printed products, as well as tackling the important role that print and paper plays in literacy and learning.

There is urgent need for government, donors and industry to support the newly established Vietnamese Forestry Certification System in order to meet the government’s ambitious forest certification targets, especially given the vast amount of smallholders in the country. It is therefore essential to ensure that certification is an affordable, accessible and realistic option for uptake throughout Vietnam’s forest sector, including smallholders. This is one of the outcomes of the ‘Furthering PEFC: Challenges and Opportunities for Smallholders Using a Cooperative Model’ workshop in Hue, Vietnam at the end of May, which brought together more than sixty stakeholders from across the forestry sector.

UPM, WWF Finland, Finnish Environment Institute and Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland have carried through a joint project to promote the living conditions of the endangered white-backed woodpecker in commercial forests. During the last 20 years, the population of the white-backed woodpecker has multiplied thanks to the conservation and management activities of its natural habitat. Today there are more than 200 pairs of white-backed woodpeckers nesting in our forests.

Have you ever wondered if it is more sustainable to use paper products made from fresh or recycled fiber? It is a fair question to ask, but a question that cannot be answered with either-or. With their latest Facts & Trends report, the WBCSD Forest Solutions Group demonstrates the complementarity of fresh and recycled fiber for the sustainable supply of renewable raw material and products, outlining the environmental tradeoffs between choosing either fresh and recycled fiber and emphasizing how to maximize the value of each harvested tree. Fresh and recycled fiber are part of single-integrated wood fiber system – without fresh fiber, we would have no recycled fiber available.

UPM has received recognition from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for its exemplary forest management practices. The recognition was conferred by the Forestry General Direction of Uruguay as part of a National Workshop titled “Methodological Transfer of Exemplary Cases of Sustainable Forest Management”. The acknowledgement followed a thorough investigation of various aspects of the company’s production chain conducted by a panel of experts from the INIA (Agribusiness Research Institute), the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of the Republic of Uruguay and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.

Two major pulp and paper companies in Indonesia — Asia Pacific Resources International, or APRIL, and Asia Pulp & Paper, or APP — have become the first in the country to achieve IFCC sustainable forest management certification. IFCC, the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation, is the national PEFC-endorsed forest certification system in Indonesia. Certification was awarded to more than 600,000 hectares of forests following third-party audits to ensure their management practices are in line with the PEFC-endorsed IFCC standard requirements. The certificates are now valid for three years.

SCA takes a 360-degree approach to its environmental impact – we have targets in place to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions, tripling the production of forest-based biofuels and increasing the availability of wind power. One example of how SCA are taking major strides in reducing the carbon dioxide emissions can be found in SCAs plant in Nokia, Finland. Together with a number of other companies, SCA is investing in a new biofuel plant in Finland. Through joint production of energy from biomass, which stems from the forest, SCA’s Finnish plant in Nokia will no longer be dependent on Russian natural gas for its steam generation. In addition, the plant will drastically reduce its carbon footprint – by about 20,000 tons per year, corresponding to 40%.

Paper manufacturing is based largely on the use of renewable natural fibers. Until the mid to late 1800s, non-wood plant fibers, in the form of linen and cotton rags and hemp ropes, were the main raw materials for the pulp and paper industry. Increasing demand and developments in low cost wood pulping resulted in a large expansion of the wood-based pulp and paper industry during the early to mid-1900s. Today, wood is the dominant fiber resource for the pulp and paper industry accounting for 90% of the world’s fiber utilization.1 Is tree-free paper really better for the environment? Are current environmental claims about tree-free paper accurate and substantiated? To answer these questions, we reviewed literature on the topic from experts in the field.

I read with disappointment a recent Globe and Mail article published April 1st, 2015 titled “Direct deposit payments: A government pitch that makes sense” encouraging people to switch from cheques to direct deposit for government payments. In this article it is stated that “Ottawa argues in its pitch that about 32,600 trees will ultimately be saved by direct deposits.” The source of this information is a Government of Canada infographic which also mentions “100% reduction in CO2 emissions.” Two Sides and its membership of over 140 North American companies disagree with such misleading environmental messages related to print and paper products as they are damaging to the print and paper industries who are such an important part of Canada’s history.

The guide provides practical advice to help ensure buying decisions go beyond the traditional concerns of price, quality, and availability to also consider environmental and social impacts such as climate change, legality and certification – highlighting PEFC and its North American members SFI and CSA among credible certification programs. It will help inform the growing number of companies who wish to adopt green procurement policies as part of their efforts to achieve their own sustainability goals.

American Wood Council (AWC) President and CEO Robert Glowinski and American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statements for the organizations’ joint testimony submitted for today’s Senate Environment and Public Works hearing on impact and achievability of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) ozone standard.

The Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut Forestier du Canada is another group speaking out against recent claims about forest loss and deforestation, sparked by a report that claims Canada was second in the world in terms of tree cover loss in 2013. Check out the interesting infographic prepared by the CIF/IFC in response to the report. A report released by the World Resource Institute claims that Canada was second in the world in terms of tree cover loss in 2013. The CIF/IFC found issue with the way tree cover loss was defined in the document, as well as the general message of the report, which leaves readers with the impression that sustainable harvesting practices, insect damage, and forest fires are causing permanent damage to our forests.

In an unprecedented move, elected municipal officials and forest industry representatives from Quebec and Ontario met in Ottawa today to ask the various levels of government to step up their efforts to promote the sustainable forestry practices of Quebec, Ontario, and Canada on the international scene. At a press conference, Jean-Pierre Boivin, representative of Fédération québécoise des municipalités (FQM), prefect of the Maria-Chapedelaine RCM, and president of Alliance forêt boréale; David Canfield, mayor of Kenora and president of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities; Jamie Lim, CEO of the Ontario Forest Industry Association (OFIA); and André Tremblay, CEO of the Quebec Forest Industry Council (QFIC) reiterated the important role of government in educating the world about the sustainable practices followed by Canada's innovative, wealth-creating forest industry.

"This is a major step forward in our environmental efforts to reduce CO?emissions and make us less dependent on fossil fuels," says Johan Jonsson, Head of Södra Skogsplantor. The process to changeover Södra's nursery in Flåboda to fossil-free operation commenced three years ago. The goal has now been achieved, with boilers fuelled with vegetable oils, greenhouses heated by four pellet boilers, green electricity generated by Södra's pulp mills and vehicles that run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

Hungarian Forest Certification Non-profit Ltd. is pleased to announce the start of the national public consultation for the Hungarian sustainable forest management standard. Stakeholders from around the country are invited to provide their feedback on the standard by 20 August 2015. “This public consultation is an extremely important opportunity for all national stakeholders to provide their final input into our upcoming standard,” said Endre Schiberna, Head of the Standard Setting Committee.

Best Buy’s five-year-long drive to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 20 percent by 2020 was recognized as an unparalleled retailer achievement at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) White House ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night. The reduction is part of the company’s effort to address climate change. Thanks to a combination of an industry-leading energy management system, store lighting retrofit and improved fleet and distribution practices, Best Buy was commended for exceeding its goal and reducing emissions by 26 percent since 2010. The award was given at this week’s DOE Better Buildings Challenge Summit.

A leading coalition of forest owners, wood suppliers and manufacturers of pulp and paper goods announced today the creation of Biomass101.org, a clearinghouse for scientifically sound information on carbon-neutral bioenergy. Biomass101 is an effort jointly produced by the American Forest & Paper Association, American Wood Council, Forest Resources Association, and National Alliance of Forest Owners. “With biomass becoming a more prominent part of the national renewable energy discussion, Americans deserve a conversation that is honest, accurate, and reliable,” said Chuck Fuqua, Executive Director for Strategic Communications at the American Forest & Paper Association.

100 tree planters, 60 minutes, over 53,000 seedlings planted. It takes a great team to break a world record and that is what the J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) crew did near Sussex on May 20th, 2015. The previous Guinness World Record of trees planted in one hour was set in 2012 in India where 40,000 trees were planted.

People of all ages and backgrounds from across the U.S. and Canada came together Wednesday 20 May to break the Guinness World Record for the most trees planted in one hour by small teams. Organized by PEFC’s North American member, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI), more than 200,000 trees were planted simultaneously in 28 different communities. The record attempt involved more than 1,100 participants, across four time zones, including industry representatives, community organizations, youth groups, conservation groups, and SFI Implementation Committees. Each team of 25 to 100 people planted trees simultaneously from 1:00 to 2:00 pm EDT, in locations ranging from New York City to Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

Following many years of decline, Södra is now seeing a clear trend break in the proportion of Scots pine seedlings sold. "This spring, some 1.7 million pine seedlings are being dispatched from our Flåboda Nursery, while the figure for spring 2016 is 2.5 million seedlings. In total, Södra will deliver 3.5 million pine seedlings this year, which is up about two million on the low point," says Ida Karlsson, Manager at Flåboda Nursery.

The WWF Certification Assessment Tool (CAT) is a formalized methodology to evaluate and compare standards and certification systems based on WWF’s views and opinions and assesses in how far forest certification systems are aligned with the mission and objectives of WWF. The WWF CAT shows that PEFC meets 70% of the “Standard Strengths” indicators, which cover sustainable forest management related issues such as biodiversity, water and soil, worker’s rights, and community relations. “We appreciate that the results clearly demonstrate the value of the work of PEFC, thereby recognizing the efforts of hundreds of thousands of certified forest owners who promote sustainable forest management worldwide,” said Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International Secretary General.

AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE: ATR), a global dispensing solutions provider, today released its 2014 Corporate Sustainability Report. The report highlights activities that took place across the company’s global portfolio throughout 2014 and is the first prepared by AptarGroup using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 framework. This report includes information about global energy consumption for which AptarGroup has obtained external assurance regarding the reliability of the data. AptarGroup strives for solutions respecting the environment and conserving natural resources. Featured in the report are examples of the work AptarGroup has done to reduce waste to landfill; test and evaluate new, more efficient equipment; and institute new processes and procedures to reduce energy and water use.

Together with FSC Finland, UPM is hosting today a visit by Kim Carstensen, Director General of the international forest certification organisation FSC. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) promotes environmentally friendly, socially beneficial and economically viable forest management. The FSC certificate indicates to consumers that the wood used in the product has been sourced responsibly. UPM actively co-operates with FSC both internationally and in Finland to increase the use of FSC-certified wood in its production processes. It also aims to promote awareness of the FSC forest certification and related responsibility issues both in Finland and around the world. UPM has certified its own forests in Finland and its tree plantations in Uruguay.

Assessors play an important role in PEFC. With PEFC being the only global forest certification system that requires all standards to be independently developed with multi-stakeholder participation, any national forest certification systems that seeks PEFC endorsement is subject to the rigorous PEFC assessment process to ensure their system meets PEFC’s Sustainability Benchmarks. This process, which also includes a sixty day global public consultation as well as a review by the PEFC Panel of Experts, is led by independent, PEFC Registered Assessors. The assessors took a detailed look at the PEFC Sustainability Benchmark requirements, identifying expectations and clarifications for specific requirements in order to reach a better common understanding and a more harmonized and consistent application of the PEFC requirements.

Each year, the electronic industry - one of the world's largest and fastest growing - generates up to 41 million tonnes of e-waste from goods such as computers and smart phones. Forecasts say that figure may reach 50 million tonnes already by 2017. A staggering 60-90 per cent of this waste is illegally traded or dumped, according to UNEP's "Waste Crimes, Waste Risks: Gaps and Challenges In the Waste Sector", launched today in Geneva, at the Conference of Parties to the three major conventions addressing the global waste issue, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Northern Pulp in Abercrombie Point, N.S., will begin a 15-day maintenance shutdown on May 30 to install a new electrostatic precipitator. But the mill’s general manager has said it will not restart until the precipitator is operational, which could be in late June or early July. The new equipment is necessary to meet the air pollution reductions required by the mill’s new operating permits. "It’s a big job. There's a lot to do," Bruce Chapman, general manager of the mill, told CBC News. “We will go down on May 30 and we are committed not to restart, we will finish the work. We will restart when the precipitator is ready. That is our commitment to the people of Pictou County."

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today announced that 65.4 percent of paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling in 2014. U.S. paper recovery rate statistics are available at www.paperrecycles.org/statistics. “U.S. paper recovery’s ongoing success is possible thanks to the voluntary, market-driven product recovery system,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman.

In 2014, P&G’s Lima facility set out to be the first fabric care plant in North America to earn the designation of Zero Waste to Landfill. As of Jan. 1, 2015, the facility has achieved this challenging goal – it recycles 97.25% of its waste, and converts the remaining 2.75% of waste to energy by partnering with Covanta, a leading waste-to-energy service. Waste is transported to Covanta’s nearest facility via specially made boxes built to accommodate the plant’s compactor equipment and to minimize the carbon footprint and economic impact of transportation.

Stora Enso and Kemira, a global chemicals company, have started the construction work for pilot projects addressing water-related issues in three villages in Guangxi Province in Southern China. The projects are part of Stora Enso and Kemira’s three-year corporate responsibility initiative on water stewardship and shared value creation. Launched in 2013, this initiative strives to enhance the responsible use of local water resources in collaboration with villagers, non-governmental organisations, and the Chinese authorities. The aim is to improve water supply and sewage treatment, and to provide solutions for water shortages and quality problems. After the construction phase, tailor-made training will be provided to all villages.

American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman has issued the following statement on the letter Sens. Markey and Warren sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today calling for a ban on biomass as a compliance option for the president’s Climate Action Plan.

The global sustainability performance of the forest product industry is improving, with all aggregate indicators for reporting associations showing progress: •Greenhouse gas emissions intensity was reduced by 17% between 2005 and 2013. •The share of bio-energy in the industry’s fuel mix increased by 8 percentage points, to 61%, since 2005. •The number of hectares certified to a third-party sustainable forest management certification system increased by 41 percentage points, to 52% of wood supply, since 2000. •The global paper recycling rate increased by 11 percentage points, to 58%, between 2001 and 2013.

As of May, UPM’s new wood-based BioVerno diesel fuel will be available at ABC service stations. The product, sold as a part of ABC’s Smart Diesel range, is a result of UPM’s own innovation and is produced at the UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery. This high quality fuel suits all diesel engines. ABC’s Smart Diesel already boasts excellent properties, and now it has become even more environmentally sound with a locally produced diesel by its side. Renewable UPM BioVerno diesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% when compared to traditional diesel. UPM BioVerno is produced at the UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery from crude tall oil, a residue of the pulp production process. This biorefinery is the first of its kind in the world. A significant proportion of the raw material for the diesel comes from UPM’s Finnish pulp mills.

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is pleased that the Canadian forest sector continues to score well in comparison to other countries in the most recent international sustainability report. The 2015 report by the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) shows that global sustainability is improving and that Canada is doing especially well. The report notes that Canada has 161 million hectares of certified forest, by far the most in the world with more than 40% of the global total.

The clean air we breathe and water we drink are only part of the story of sustainable forestry. And if you have hiked in a forest or enjoyed the shade of a tree on a city sidewalk you have experienced the benefits of trees and forests first hand. 1. Providing places for outdoor adventures 2. A growing base of scientific study 3. Bringing communities together 4. Improving water quality

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $1.5 million Diesel Emission Reduction Act grant to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that ultimately will remove tons of air pollution from diesel-fueled activities at and near the Port of Portland. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy visited Portland to announce the grant at an event at Northwest Container Services with Oregon DEQ Administrator Dick Pedersen. Amongst other projects, the EPA-funded grant will assist local companies in replacing 23 heavy-duty short-haul diesel trucks, traveling more than 1.3 million miles in the Portland metro area each year. West Linn Paper Company will play a significant role in the project as the future owner of at least twelve of the new trucks. The company will take older, less efficient equipment out of use and replace it with new vehicles with improved energy efficiency and more effective filters to remove emissions. The positive impact to the environment will be significant – West Linn Paper anticipates that the project will result in a 20% improvement in fuel economy, and filters capable of removing as much as 90% of the tailpipe emissions.

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and PwC Canada have released an updated Buyers’ Guide to Canada’s Sustainable Forest Products so that customers can be well-informed and confident that their purchasing decisions are environmentally and socially responsible. The guide provides practical advice to help ensure buying decisions go beyond the traditional concerns of price, quality, and availability to also consider environmental and social impacts such as climate change, legality and certification. It will help inform the growing number of companies who wish to adopt green procurement policies as part of their efforts to achieve their own sustainability goals.

Pratt Industries announced today it would lead a unique coalition of government, private enterprise, trade associations and non-profits to increase recycling rates and environmental awareness among students and teachers in dozens of New York City schools. Pratt chairman Anthony Pratt was joined by local leaders including Staten Island Borough President James S. Oddo in releasing details of the program, which for the first time will introduce a detailed anti-littering, pro-recycling curriculum across schools on Staten Island, eventually reaching more than 20,000 students.

This year they will cover the area of 34,000 ha and include artificial, natural, and combined reforestation activities and tending of young stands. As a responsible forest manager, Ilim Group performs reforestation activities on an annual basis. In 2014, Ilim experts performed reforestation work on leased timberland in the Irkutsk, Arkhangelsk, Vologda Oblasts, Komi Republic and Krasnoyarsk Territory covering the area of 28.9 thousand ha. Over 3.8 million of pine and spruce seedlings and 2 thousand kilograms of pine and spruce seeds were planted as part of the effort to create forest plantations. Tending of young stands was carried out over an area exceeding 4.500 ha.

Australia and Portugal have become the latest countries to successfully achieve the re-endorsement of their national forest certification systems by PEFC. This not only confirms that they continue to meet PEFC’s globally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks, but also ensures that certified forest owners and companies in these countries continue to benefit from the global acceptance of PEFC. This marks the second re-endorsement for Australia and Portugal, with both countries achieving endorsement for the first time back in 2004. The endorsement of the Australian system was particularly significant as, alongside Chile, it became the first non-European country to be recognized by PEFC. Since then, over 10 million hectares of forest have been certified in the country.

You throw a piece of paper in the recycling bin and probably forget about it, but where does it go? If you live in Harrison and parts of Marion County it goes to the Resolute Forest Products Fairmont Pulp Mill. Recycling is building momentum in the state thanks to the Fairmont Pulp Mill, one of three of its kind in the world. But, only two percent of what the mill recycles actually comes from West Virginia.

Australian scientists have analysed 20 years of satellite data and found that the world's trees and plants now store four billion more tonnes of carbon than they did in 2003. The report found despite vast amounts of deforestation, making way for agricultural land, the earth is still getting greener. There are a combination of factors contributing to this growth, such as China's huge planting programme; increased rainfall in Australia, Africa and South America; forest growth in large areas of abandoned former soviet farming lands and increased carbon in the atmosphere improving growing conditions for plants.

On April 22 the world celebrated Earth Day. But many consumers try to pay homage to Mother Nature all year long through their purchases. According to Influence Central's survey of nearly 1,000 women, 47% identify as “very green.” In fact, 99% of this segment would consider themselves “green moms” and 87% always try to use Earth-friendly practices, like relying on DIYs and green cleaning products. In addition, 40% of the women surveyed would consider themselves somewhat green and 68% of all consumers surveyed consider themselves “green moms.” These consumers are extremely knowledgeable about the products that they purchase. According to Influence Central, 73% of respondents often do research to understand the safety of ingredients exposed to their families and 70% agree that they possess knowledge and expertise about environmentally friendly products. This shouldn't come as a surprise given that 91% of the study's participants buy green products because they're concerned about their family's health. So, brands definitely have an opportunity to meet consumers' growing needs.

The significant and potentially dramatic impact of climate change on forests, while well understood by foresters and scientists, is frequently overlooked in mainstream discussions, said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, on Earth Day today. “Yet given the effect it will have on communities and ecosystems, we need to bring discussions about how to move towards ‘climate change adapted communities’ and ‘climate change resilient landscapes’ into the mainstream,” urged Mr. Gunneberg. “When it comes to forests and climate change, the focus tends to be on the benefits that forests and forest products provide by absorbing and storing carbon and, conversely, on carbon emissions from such deforestation,” said Mr Gunneberg, speaking from the ICF National Conference 2015 “Tree Health, Resilience & Sustainability” in Cardiff, Wales, today.

“Verso Corporation is a major U.S. producer of printing and graphic paper and it’s great to have them as a key member of Two Sides,” stated Two Sides North America President Phil Riebel. “We welcome Aaron Haas, Vice President, Marketing Services and eCommerce, as a member of our Sustainability & Marketing Committee and we look forward to working with Verso to continue growing our network and promoting the sustainability of paper-based communications.”

Tiny Prints, the leading online stationery boutique, today announced its partnership with American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization. In an effort to revive the decimated Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, Tiny Prints, along with American Forests, will help restore its ecosystem and make it a destination for families to enjoy once again. In 2012, the Deschutes National Forest was devastated by a lightning fire, destroying over 26,000 acres of trees and ruining the wildlife habitat of its big horn sheep, deer and songbirds. Through American Forests, Tiny Prints will support the Pole Creek Fire reforestation project that will plant 350,000 Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Fir, so that families can, once again, hike, camp, fish, ski and enjoy the majestic landscape.

“We welcome ANIDIGRAF to our network and we look forward to working with them to raise awareness about the sustainable features of print and paper, and grow our presence in North America,” stated Two Sides North America President Phil Riebel. “We are very pleased to become the first Mexican industry association to join Two Sides, a highly professional organization eager to share its knowledge and experience worldwide, seeking the mutual benefit of our markets and communities. This alliance will help us reinforce our commitment to promote and strengthen sustainability in Mexico,” stated Jorge Rebollar, President, ANIDIGRAF.

On the 45th Anniversary of Earth Day, Mohawk, North America’s largest privately-owned manufacturer of fine papers, envelopes and specialty substrates for commercial and digital printing, continues to lead the paper industry in environmental and sustainable practices, and has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ‘National Top 100 List’ of Green Power Users for the tenth year in a row. As of January 6, 2015, Mohawk ranks 75th in the nation for green power use, and has been named to the EPA 100% Green Power Users list for using wind power to meet 100 percent of the company’s electricity use. Since 2007, 100% of electricity used in Mohawk’s operations is matched with Green-e certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) is pleased to announce that four leaders have been elected to the independent Board of Directors. Joining the board are Mary Klein, President and CEO, NatureServe; Guy Gleysteen, Senior VP, Time Inc.; Bettina Ring, State Forester, Virginia; and Steve Bullard, Dean, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University. “We are so pleased to welcome Mary, Guy, Bettina, and Steve. As a conservationist, a brand manager, a state forester and an academic, their respective experience in the environmental, public and private sectors will be an important asset to our diverse SFI Board,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. “They will help SFI further enhance the vital link between healthy forests, responsible purchasing, and sustainable communities.”

The wise use of the world’s forests is critical to our survival and a healthy environment. Forests are vital in maintaining life as we know it, as they: *cover one third of the earth’s land and absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide making them a major instrument in mitigating climate change, *absorb airborne impurities and give off oxygen allowing us to breathe clean air, *protect our watersheds and provide us with clean water, *are home to the majority of the world’s terrestrial species, and many people around the world—1.6 billion according to the World Wildlife Fund—depend on forests for their livelihoods.

Brazil has become the first jurisdiction worldwide to permit the commercial use of FuturaGene’s genetically engineered eucalyptus. The Brazilian National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio) approved the commercial use of the yield-enhanced eucalyptus developed by FuturaGene. According to the company, field experiments conducted since 2006 at various locations in Brazil have demonstrated an approximate 20% increase in yield compared to its equivalent conventional variety. The company says this approval represents the most significant productivity milestone for the renewable plantation forest industry since the adoption of clonal technology in the early 1990s. This approval enables the production of more fiber using less resources.

Current and future opportunities for PEFC in South America to expand forest certification and the uptake of PEFC-certified products is set to be the focus of an upcoming PEFC regional conference in Uruguay. Stakeholders from around the continent with an interest in promoting sustainable forest management are encouraged to attend. “Our goal is to bring more forests under sustainable forest management, and with this first regional gathering we aim to enable internal and external stakeholders to join forces to better reach out to everybody along the timber value chain: from forest owners to companies to consumers,” said Atilio Ligrone, National Secretary of PEFC Uruguay and the Manager of the Society of Forest Producers. “For our country, and in particular PEFC Uruguay, it is an honor to host this first regional meeting.”

Staples Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) announced today that it has collected 450 million ink and toner cartridges for recycling in the U.S. since 2005, averaging more than 60 million cartridges per year for the past four years. Through the cartridge recycling program, Staples has helped recover and recycle 234 million pounds of plastics and metals, diverting roughly the weight of 8,000 full garbage trucks from landfills. "At Staples, we are committed to reducing waste going to landfills and reusing valuable resources through our recycling services," said Mark Buckley, vice president, environmental affairs, Staples.

Official 2014 emissions data have just been released and the downward trend in emissions from the sector has continued — 2014 emissions being 13.5% lower than those in 2013 and an impressive 42% lower than in 2008. While some of this reduction can be attributed to lower production, the great majority has been delivered by investment in new power generation and a continued focus on energy efficiency. Allowing for changes in production levels, the figures show that the amount of EU ETS reported carbon dioxide emitted by UK paper mills (per tonne of production) has fallen by a third in just seven years — from 0.64 tonnes CO2 per tonne of product to 0.42 tonnes.

Interesting article from Image Reports about whether or not digital media is getting away with too much when it comes to the sustainability argument. While the environmental impact of print has been heavily scrutinized, the information technology industry has been given a much freer ride on this issue.

A recent World Resource Institute (WRI) report indicates that forest fires have increased in Canada’s boreal forest which puts Canada second on a global list for tree cover loss in 2013. It is important to define what WRI means by tree cover loss. The distinction between natural cycles and man-made land use changes are necessary considerations when calculating tree loss. Permanent forest loss from urbanization and agriculture expansion is vastly different from temporary tree loss caused by harvesting or natural occurrences like forest fires and pest infestations where trees regrow. Forecasts using climate change scenarios suggest that fire and pest activity will increase across much of Canada’s forests. The forest products industry continues to collaborate with governments, academics and other stakeholders on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

The American Forest & Paper Association’s (AF&PA) 2014 Community Access Survey shows that overall consumer access to community paper and paperboard recycling in the U.S. reached 96 percent, up from 87 percent in 2010. The survey evaluated 12 separate grades of paper and paperboard, which all showed access increases. Access for 9 of the 12 grades is now at or above 90 percent. The executive summary of the survey is available at: http://paperrecycles.org/sustainability/2014-af-pa-community-access-survey “Access to paper recycling in the U.S. continues to increase – which helps to recover valuable resources, extend the useful life of fiber and make new products,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. “In addition, we’re pleased to see significant increases in access to recycling for different paper grades.” The survey results also showed that single-stream recovery has grown in use. Eighty percent of Americans now have access to single-stream collection, a rise from 65 percent in 2010.

Following its successful introduction with Finnish dairy Valio, the world’s first fully renewable package, Tetra Rex® Bio-based, is now being rolled out to Tetra Pak customers worldwide. Valio has been selling its Valio Eila® brand of lactose free semi-skimmed milk drink in Tetra Rex Bio-based for the past three months and now plans to use the fully renewable package for some other products in their range. At the same time, the company has also decided to use Tetra Pak’s 100% bio based closures for all their gable-top packages. “After all of the hard work and significant investment that has gone into bringing this package to market, it is hugely rewarding to get such a positive response from both Valio and their consumers,” says Charles Brand, Executive Vice President of Product Management & Commercial Operations for Tetra Pak.

UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced plans to build 15 compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations to support the purchase and planned deployment of 1,400 new CNG vehicles over the next year. Twelve of the CNG stations will be in new natural gas vehicle deployment areas, and three will replace existing CNG stations with more robust, higher capacity equipment. This purchase represents a nearly 30% increase to UPS's current industry-leading alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet of 5,088 vehicles worldwide. The CNG fueling stations and vehicle purchases are part of UPS' ongoing commitment to diversify its fuel sources, implement a fleet infrastructure that can utilize lower carbon intensity fuel sources and increase experience using alternative fuels in freight transport applications.

Sonoco (NYSE:SON), one of the largest diversified packaging companies, has recognized U.S. Paper Mills Corp.'s facility in Menasha, Wis., with a Bronze Sustainability Star Award for the plant's successful efforts to achieve a 26 percent waste reduction. The plant achieved this significant waste reduction by recovering fiber from the waste streams in the pulping process and reducing moisture content in its waste stream by optimizing equipment. The fiber recovery component alone reduced waste by 50-60 tons per month.

Bluestone Energy Services and Ahold USA are increasing their energy conservation initiative in 2015 by expanding the reach of projects to touch stores in all regions and to increase the energy savings in new projects while also continuing to improve the efficiency of existing projects. In 2014, Bluestone Energy’s supermarket division completed comprehensive energy efficiency projects in partnership with Ahold USA and its retail stores, including upgrading all of the interior lighting at the store level to new LED lighting with advanced wireless controls. This high-efficiency lighting installation reduced the lighting consumption in the stores by over 70%. In addition to reducing the energy profile of the stores, the lighting systems enhance the customer experience through improved light levels as well as light quality.

Electric vehicles (EVs) will meet the daily travel needs of drivers longer than commonly assumed, according to the first study of its kind carried out by scientists at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Many drivers and much prior literature on the retirement of EV batteries have assumed that EV batteries will be retired after the battery has lost 20 percent of its energy storage or power delivery capability. This study shows that the daily travel needs of drivers continue to be met well beyond these levels of battery degradation. Samveg Saxena, who leads a vehicle powertrain research program at Berkeley Lab, analyzed real-world driving patterns and found that batteries that have lost 20 percent of their originally rated energy storage capacity can still meet the daily travel needs of more than 85 percent of U.S. drivers.

Target Corp. is expanding its deployment of solar energy. The retailer has signed a power-purchase agreement with Greenskies Renewable Energy LLC that calls for supplier to install solar arrays on the roofs of 180 Target stores and distribution centers across the United States from Augusta, Maine, to San Diego. When completed, the solar installations will produce an aggregate total of approximately 100 megawatts of electric energy. Though the size of the solar array will vary at each of the retail locations, the average system will consist of 1,700 solar panels. All 180 projects are expected to be completed by the winter of 2016. Under its power-purchase agreement with Target, Greenskies will design, develop, finance, own and maintain each of the 180 solar installations. Target has agreed to purchase 100% of the electricity produced at each of the sites at a fixed and sharply discounted rate for the length of the contract. Each roof-top array will produce between 20% and 30% of the total electricity requirements of the retail outlet on which it is built, Chester said.

Lecta announced that it has successfully completed a new phase in its ambitious investment plan at its Zaragoza pulp and paper mill in northern Spain. This phase, totalling some 23 million euros, is focused on reducing the mills environmental impact. Lecta's goal is that the Zaragoza site become a benchmark for sustainability in the paper industry. Following the installation of two new electrostatic precipitators in the mill's recovery boilers, resulting in a 74% reduction in solid particle emissions, Lecta has started up a biological water purification plant with excellent results. In the first few months, there has already been a drastic reduction in effluent load, with values far below the legal limits. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) values were cut nearly in half, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) have decreased by 36% and in the case of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), the decrease was even more pronounced — 72% compared to the average observed in 2013.

From the auditors who verify companies’ chain of custody to our National members, we provide a range of tailored training opportunities to a diverse number of stakeholders involved in the sustainable management of the world’s forests. Upcoming Chain of Custody training programs With over 16,000 companies covered by PEFC Chain of Custody certification worldwide, the PEFC Chain of Custody standard is widely applied by certified companies, certification bodies and auditors on a daily basis. To ensure that everyone involved in the process is fully up-to-date on changes to the standard and on interpretation and explanation of specific requirements, we provide an extensive range of Chain of Custody Training options. This enables the consistent application of the Chain of Custody requirements in daily practice, and allows PEFC to exchange experiences and receive valuable feedback on the implementation of the standard.

Ikea announced plans to install a fuel cell system at its location in Emeryville, California. Consistent with the retailer’s focus on emerging energy technologies, is the first Ikea in the world to convert biogas into electricity through a clean electro-chemical process. The fuel cell system will be installed, commissioned and activated by this summer, 2015. Ikea contracted Bloom Energy, Sunnyvale, California, for the design, development and installation of the fuel system.

New York State will be the first in the nation to totally change its electric power market to become greener, more efficient and resilient. Gregg C. Sayre, a member of the New York State Public Service Commission, shared this and more at The Energy Times Executive Briefing in Washington on March 19, a new event launched by Penton’s Energy & Buildings division. The event brought utility executives and industry thought leaders together to outline the electric utility revolution. The objective, Sayre said, is “a complete restructuring of the utility distribution market, top to bottom. Nobody has done it before.” “One goal will be to spark widespread deployment and adoption of distributed generation. The state has already identified 100,000 people in the state who are off the grid – a finding that startled regulators,” Sayre added.

Environmentalism is fast becoming a top concern in France – a rooftop concern, to be precise. Excitingly, the nation has just passed new legislation that will require all upcoming commercial construction projects to feature either green roofs or solar panels above their top floors. By now, most people are at least passingly familiar with the benefits of solar panels, but green roofs remain unknown to the general public. A green roof is one that is covered in lush plant life, and the perks extend well beyond the aesthetic. Because green roofs help to insulate, buildings are able to slash seasonal energy costs for both heating and air conditioning by approximately 25 percent.

“WWF’s Earth Hour reminds us all of the importance of actions to reduce energy consumption and to increase the share of renewable energy,” says Päivi Salpakivi-Salomaa, Vice President, Environment and Responsibility, UPM. “UPM is constantly decreasing its carbon footprint and improving its energy efficiency. Globally, 67% of the fuels we use are biomass based, and in Finland the figure is as high as 83%. We are the second biggest generator of biomass based electricity in Europe and 79% of the electricity we produce is free from fossil CO2 emissions.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. (NYSE: RFP) (TSX: RFP) today announced its strong endorsement of the Alliance forêt boréale call for a working group to address recent issues regarding some Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certificates in the Province of Quebec. Earlier today, Alliance forêt boréale held a press conference in Saguenay, Quebec, and issued a press release calling on the Government of Quebec to form a working group comprised of regional and provincial government officials and FSC representatives to better understand all aspects of FSC certification and the path to restoring recently suspended regional FSC certificates, as well as to address ongoing misinformation spread by certain activist groups.

Every two years, FSC International conducts a survey of certified companies worldwide, to better understand perspectives about FSC and the market for FSC-certified products. Recently, FSC released the Global Market Survey for 2014, which includes a range of interesting findings. The survey was conducted during June-July 2014, with results based on responses from 3,656 certificate holders from 95 countries. This represents a 13 percent response rate (based on 27,289 certified companies in the FSC system at that time). 445 responses came from companies in the U.S.

Starbucks Corp. tackled a wide range of global responsibility projects in 2014, including the ongoing minimization of its environment footprint. In its annual 2014 Global Responsibility Report, the coffee giant noted that it opened its 500th LEED-certified store in 2014, and that 98% of company-operated new stores opened in the United States in 2014 were built to LEED standards. Globally, the percentage stands at 64%. Starbucks said is has experienced some technical challenges in international markets where the U.S.-based LEED certification program is still gaining traction. It is working with the U.S. Green Building Council to increase adoption of the LEED standards.

‘The Canadian forest products industry is part of the solution to the problem of climate change,” says David Lindsay, President and CEO of FPAC. “Our vast renewable forest resource and the actions of our forest companies are truly making a difference to this crucial issue.” Trees absorb the carbon dioxide (CO2) that causes climate change. The forest sector also reduces dependence on fossil fuels by using residuals and byproducts to produce renewable energy. In addition, forest products such as biomaterials and bio-chemicals store CO2 and can replace products made from materials with a heavier carbon footprint. This storage can also be prolonged through recycling.

Aida Greenbury of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) today joined business and environmental leaders to develop global forest restoration initiatives at the 2015 meeting of the Bonn Challenge in Germany. Speaking at the meeting, Aida Greenbury of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) called for more sustainable, long-term, multi-stakeholder partnerships to be implemented in the fight against deforestation and climate change. On the topic of APP’s experiences in Indonesia, Greenbury said: “Land cannot be conserved or restored in isolation, the sustainability of the entire landscape must be taken into account and many stakeholders must be involved.”

Robert Glowinski, President and CEO, AWC: “We support clean air and realistic, science-based air quality standards. However, a further restriction is not justified because the health effects evidence for ozone has not changed significantly since EPA last tightened the ozone NAAQS in 2008. In fact, EPA just published the 2008 Ozone Implementation rule earlier this month, seven years after it set the new standard. So before EPA again changes the rules, the 2008 standard should first be fully implemented by the states and its impacts assessed before the goal posts are moved once more.” Donna Harman, President and CEO, AF&PA: “The costs of further tightening the standard are significant when there is such scientific uncertainty. EPA’s own cost benefit analysis would make the ozone rule one of the most expensive air regulations ever. The proposed revisions could place most of the country in nonattainment, putting five times more paper and wood product mills at risk.”

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement supporting bills introduced today by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Reps. Pete Olson (R-Texas) and Bob Latta (R-Ohio) that would prohibit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from tightening national ambient air quality standards for ozone until at least 85 percent of the counties in non-attainment meet the 2008 standard.

“With forestry in India being at a critical crossroad, the decision to develop our own national forest certification system will be an important driver to promote the sustainable management of our forest resources,” said KK Singh, Chairman of the Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF). “While India is among the world’s most forested countries, we also have a growing demand for wood products, and unsustainable use of forests, for example for wood fuel, is a significant challenge,” continued Mr. Singh. “Forest certification will help us not only in mainstreaming sustainability in forest management, but also in raising awareness with companies and consumers about the importance of sourcing and buying responsibly sourced wood products.”

The American Forest & Paper Association’s (AF&PA) 2014 Community Access Survey shows that overall consumer access to community paper and paperboard recycling in the U.S. reached 96 percent, up from 87 percent in 2010. The survey evaluated 12 separate grades of paper and paperboard, which all showed access increases. Access for 9 of the 12 grades is now at or above 90 percent. The executive summary of the survey is available at: http://paperrecycles.org/sustainability/2014-af-pa-community-access-survey

The sustainable management of India’s forests is set to take a significant step forward next week with the launch of the development process of the Indian national forest certification system. This launch, an important step towards PEFC-recognized forest management certification in the country, will be part of an international conference on forest certification in New Delhi on Monday. “In light of India’s vast forest resource, burgeoning economy, and strategic position in international markets, there is great opportunity to further position India’s forestry sector on sustainability, especially through broader uptake of forest certification,” said Sarah Price, Head of Projects and Development at PEFC International.

“Greenwashing” is now a term most of us are familiar with. It means “the practice of making an unsubstantiated or misleading claim about the environmental benefits of a product, service or technology.” Terrachoice[i] found that over 95% of “greener” products commit one or more of the seven “Sins of Greenwashing,” so it’s a major problem in the marketplace. Paper products in particular seem to suffer from many unsubstantiated and vague claims, especially when it comes to corporations trying to promote electronic services over paper-based communications. The bottom line is that corporate marketers need to follow certain specific guidelines for environmental marketing, such as those published by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission[ii], and in Canada by the Competition Bureau of Canada[iii]. If they don’t, their company could face corrective action by the FTC[iv]. The International Standardization Organization (ISO) also has a series of standards on environmental declarations (ISO 14020) and has classified environmental claims into three categories – Type I, Type II and Type III.

The Canadian forest products industry now has 43% of the world’s independently certified forests or more than 160 million hectares, which is four times more than any other country. Certified forests means that companies follow progressive social and environmental forest management practices as assessed by an independent third body. This includes prompt regeneration of the forest land, sustainable harvest levels, protection of biodiversity and wildlife habitat and aboriginal engagement. “The environmental credentials of the Canadian forest industry are truly world-leading when it comes to certification,” says David Lindsay the president and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC). “The international marketplace can truly feel confident that Canadian forest products come from responsibly managed forests.”

Today at the meeting of the Environmental Commission at the Bratsk City Duma, Vasily Konovalov, Director Occupational Health, Industrial, Environmental and Fire Safety, Bratsk Branch of OJSC Ilim Group, reported the status of the environmental program implemented by the Company to reduce its environmental footprint. The program was presented by Company management to Bratsk Mayor Sergey Serebrennikov and Bratsk City Duma deputies in January 2015, and approved by the regional authorities.

New research, commissioned by the international non-profit organization Two Sides, has revealed that major global corporations are still using inaccurate and misleading environmental claims to encourage consumers to ‘go paperless’ and switch from paper-based to digital communication. This is despite legislation being introduced by advertising standards authorities to protect the consumer from being misled. The survey, undertaken in February 2015, showed that in the UK, there is still a significant proportion of banks, utilities and telecoms making false environmental claims. Research in the US shows a similar picture with half of the leading Fortune 500 companies in the same sectors doing the same. “This is extremely frustrating and unacceptable,” says Martyn Eustace, Founder of the Two Sides initiative. “The fact that marketers in some of the most high profile corporations in the world are still using unsubstantiated and misleading environmental claims to persuade consumers to switch from paper-based to cheaper electronic communication is outrageous. Many consumers want a paper option but they are being manipulated by a lack of clear and accurate information. Paper is based on a natural, highly renewable and recyclable resource and can be a sustainable way to communicate, especially when compared to electronic media."

The Norwegian Forest Certification Scheme has become the latest system to seek PEFC endorsement for the fourth time. Stakeholders globally are invited to provide feedback on its compliance with PEFC International's Sustainability Benchmarks by 4 May 2015. Alongside Finland and Sweden, Norway was among the first countries to achieve endorsement of its national forest certification system back in 2000. This was then followed by two successful re-endorsements of the system in 2006 and 2010. There are now over 9 million hectares of PEFC-certified Norwegian forests, making up almost 90% of the country’s forests. Practically all production forest in Norway is PEFC certified.

Despite challenging economic conditions and the drop in China's overall imports, Europe's leading recovered fiber exporter — the UK — still succeeded in shipping out larger volumes last year, according to latest figures from the country's Confederation of Paper Industries and HM Revenue & Customs. Combined, UK exports of all grades climbed 4.4% to 4.436 million tonnes in 2014 from 4.248 million tonnes in the previous year. Overseas shipments of corrugated and kraft edged 2.1% higher to 2.458 million tonnes while mixed paper deliveries to customers abroad soared 29.2% to 1.414 million tonnes. These gains more than offset steep declines for the high grades (-34.5% to 103 802 tonnes) and for newspapers and magazines (-21.6% to 460 199 tonnes).

Opponents of a California plastic bag ban have succeeded in stopping the ban from going into effect July 1 by securing a spot on the 2016 ballot. The Golden State had been slated to become the first US state to institute such a ban, but Tuesday, state election officials confirmed that the national advocacy group American Progressive Bag Alliance had collected the necessary half million signatures to place the issue before voters. This will stall a bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in September until after the 2016 election.

The research revealed that over half of the 2,289 people surveyed in the nationwide poll, (some 57%) said they preferred their grocery and food packaging in paper-based material, whilst some 31% expressed no preference and just 8% preferred plastic containers. The consumers surveyed were also asked how likely they were to purchase a product from a retailer using paper-based containers as opposed to plastic containers. Some 46% said they were more likely to purchase an item if the packaging was paper-based, compared to 47% who said it would make no difference.

Print is a responsible environmental choice and an important touchpoint of any marketing campaign. That was the key message the audience heard last Thursday during the annual Ryerson Colloquium organized by the students of the Graphic Communications Management program. Dubbed Revive, Breaking Sustainability Myths, this year’s event featured a panel that set about outlining and then busting some often-heard myths about the sustainability of printing and using trees. For instance Monika Patel, director of programs and communications at the Forest Stewardship Council, told the industry crowd that trees are a renewable resource that can be planted again, once cut down. And, while recycled paper is good, the world would run out of paper if we only used recycled fibres.

Developing a much stronger presence in South America to better communicate the benefits of forest certification to forest owners, companies and consumers - this is the objective of the first PEFC South American Regional Workshop. The workshop, which will take place from 20-24 April 2015 in Montevideo, Uruguay, will bring together South American based PEFC organizations and external stakeholders to assess opportunities for identifying potential synergies and improving collaboration and coordination, and to develop strategies to improve market demand and access for PEFC-certified products.

One of our most important resources, the Myths & Facts Booklet, has been updated for 2015 including two new facts on; the benefits of packaging and, consumers choice to receive paper communications. Paper has been around for almost 2000 years and, during this time, it has undoubtedly established itself as the most effective and versatile means of communication. However, for a long time the industry has tolerated misinformation about its environmental record. Commonly, that print and paper are considered a primary cause of deforestation, uses a lot of non-renewable energy and has a high carbon footprint. The reality is very different. European forests having grown by 30% since 1950 and are expanding by 1.5 million football pitches every year. Furthermore, the paper industry is Europe’s largest user of renewable, low carbon energy and 54% of the energy used in European paper making is biomass based. It is important not to forget that the digital alternatives also have impacts.

Thoro Packaging has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use and sustainability of print and paper.

PEFC International is extremely pleased to welcome New Zealand as the newest member of the PEFC alliance. With the acceptance of the New Zealand Forest Certification Association (NZFCA) as the PEFC National Member for New Zealand, the country’s forest growers gain visibility in the world’s leading forest certification system.