Canadian forest industry recognized internationally

The global forum notes that
the forest sector in Canada has more than 150 million hectares of independently
certified forest, or 40 per cent of the global total; that between 2007 to 2011
it dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions by 21 per cent; that energy use
went down by 32 per cent between 2005 to 2011; and that in that same time
period, the sector reduced the amount of waste sent to landfill by 30 per cent,
slashed particulate matter and sodium oxide by 56 per cent and total suspended
solids by 72 per cent.

The progress report also
noted that the Canadian forest industry has pledged to be carbon neutral
industry-wide by 2015 and that it is working with environmentalists under the
landmark Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, the world's largest conservation
deal.

"We welcome the
acknowledgement that Canada's forest sector has a positive environmental record
that continues to improve," says the President and CEO of FPAC, David Lindsay.
"We do not intend to rest on our laurels but under our Vision2020, we are
aiming to further reduce our environmental footprint by an additional 35 per
cent by the end of the decade.

The ICFPA also noted that
the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is one of the global players
that is developing strategies to help the sector transition towards the green
economy with initiatives such as the Bio-Pathways Partnership Network.

Canada's vision for making
innovative products from wood fibre using nano-science was acknowledged in the
report as well. For example, it noted that FPInnovations brought in the world's
first state-of-the-art demonstration plant that produced nano-crystalline
cellulose from wood fibre for use in everything from bone replacement to
cosmetics.

"Canadian mills are
continuing to look at pioneering ways to extract more value from every tree in
the form of innovative bio-products," says Lindsay. "It's rewarding to see this
international forum recognize our growing contribution to the green economy."

FPAC provides a voice for
Canada's wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in
government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $57-billion-a-year forest
products industry represents 2 per cent of Canada's GDP and is one of Canada's
largest employers operating in hundreds of communities and providing 230,000
direct jobs across the country.

For the full ICFPA report
visit, icfpa.org.