During their 2018 Conference, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change noted “that there is no future without addressing climate change, and forests are a key component to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.”
Canada has a huge advantage as our forests and the sustainably sourced products they provide are among the most powerful tools in our global toolbox when it comes to reaching climate targets…So long as we take action now to unlock their potential.
And they can do more. Sustainable forestry powerhouses like Finland and Sweden have already turned to forest products to accelerate their move to a lower carbon economy, and our sector is primed to do the same. Since the publication of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers’ (CCFM) Forest Bio-economy Framework in 2018, we’ve invested more than $750 million across 90 different projects to help advance the bioeconomy. But now, for our country to meet its net zero emissions goals, we need to governments to support this shared vision and help grow our green economy.
The Teslin Tlingit Council, a remote community in Northern Canada with strong ties to the land, was considering a development project that required clearing a forested area; the cheapest option was to bulldoze the trees and burn the waste. However, the community recognized an opportunity to hire local workers to manually remove trees and use the biomass as fuel. The initiative created two years' worth of fuel for 15 community buildings and employment for several community members.
