As global leaders representing government, business and the environment meet in Vancouver this week, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) has launched an important report entitled; Climate Change Mitigation in Canada's Forest Products Sector: Roadmap Toward Net-Zero.
Developed in partnership with sustainability experts at Delphi, the report provides an actionable roadmap to help seize the benefits of, decarbonization pathways and the use of carbon-storing wood products, as well as climate-smart forestry in the face of worsening natural disturbances including drought, pest outbreaks, and wildland fire.
The findings highlight that with the rapid adoption of new technologies, appropriate investments and new policies, Canada’s forest products sector could contribute between 18-46 million tonnes CO2e in emission reductions annually (relative to current emissions) by 2050. Climate-smart forestry practices will also increase the resilience of Canada’s forests and help mitigate the impacts of worsening natural disturbances, including increasingly frequent and devastating wildfires.
“Canada’s forest products sector continues to evolve and is in a unique position to both reduce GHG emissions, but also support a transition to a lower carbon, and more circular economy,” said FPAC’s Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Kate Lindsay. “The forest sector recognizes the importance of global pledges to advance climate action, halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation, and promote sustainable sourcing. These efforts are part of a bigger international dialogue, and Canada must do this work in step with our domestic and international partners,” added Lindsay.
Visit Climate Change Mitigation in Canada's Forest Products Sector: Roadmap Toward Net-Zero for more information and to access the full report.
FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, paper, and wood-based bioproducts producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. As an industry with annual revenues exceeding $73-billion, Canada’s forest products sector is one of the country’s largest employers operating in hundreds of communities, providing 205,000 direct jobs and over 600,000 indirect jobs across the country. FPAC and its members are committed to collaborating with Indigenous leaders, federal and provincial governments, labour partners, community groups, and other rightsholders and stakeholders to secure and advance the sector’s environmental, social, and economic potential for the long-term.