In a rare show of solidarity, the Forest Leadership Forum promoted corporate social and environmental responsibility by engaging businesses and advocates in open dialogue and collaborative planning, rather than the divisive confrontations of the past.
More than 1,400 environmentalists and forest products industry representatives from 44 countries gathered in Atlanta, Georgia on April 25-27 for the event – a conference and trade show sponsored jointly by the Oregon-based Certified Forest Products Council (CFPC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Other sponsors and participants included International Paper (IP), MeadWestvaco, Weyerhaeuser, Home Depot, Starbucks and Greenpeace.
In his opening address, CFPC president David Ford noted: ‘For too long we have spent our energies talking about each other. The Forest Leadership Forum is about talking to each other to overcome the challenges facing our world’s forests.’
The stepwise integration of FSC into the mainstream market cannot be denied and the sanguine mood of the conference reflected the notable accomplishments to date. Currently, there are approximately 28 million certified hectares and thousands of certified products on the market. Sweden leads with the largest area certified (over 10 million ha) followed by Poland and the US steadily gaining; the UK, Brazil and Estonia each tallied over a million hectares.
Large players
Canadian paper conglomerates, Tembec, Domtar and, until recently, JD Irving, are among the most prominent large players that have made the leap towards FSC certification. A recent milestone was achieved with Domtar’s announcement of a new line of certified papers.
Jean-Pierre Martel, senior vice-president, forests and the environment, with the Forest Product Association of Canada (FPAC), reaffirmed its commitment that all member companies – which control 70% of Canada’s commercial forest – must prove sustainable forest management with independent, third-party public audit.
Speakers at the conference, however, also pointed out cracks in the FSC façade. They highlighted discord over development of regional standards, waning support from parts of the foundation world, poor private forest owner backing, dissent on percentage-based claims and the proliferation of alternative certification processes.
Another intriguing development was the announcement of Scientific Certification Systems’ (SCS) new Globe and Cross Programme – a defection from within the ranks of FSC supporters.
Robert Hrubes, SCS’s vice-president of forest certification, said: ‘We have been frustrated by the prescriptive nature of FSC standards and bureaucratic hurdles that make the system unworkable from an economic standpoint. SCS will continue to offer FSC-accredited certification but we think we have a better working model.’
George O’Brien, senior vice-president, forest resources and wood products, IP, the largest forest products paper company in the world, said: ‘IP and other major companies do not intend adopting FSC-accredited certification. SFI is the lifeblood of IP’s programme, but the bottom line is to promote the sustainability of forest around the world and quit fighting over brand management.’
Lesser-known hardwoods
For the past decade, WWF initiatives have extended beyond the traditional realm of preservation and habitat protection to promoting the use of lesser-known tropical hardwoods and marketing certified products. Recent developments have moved into sophisticated branding and advertising campaigns leveraging the WWF panda logo.
The supply-demand imbalance continues to be the Achilles heel of FSC certification, speakers said. Large retailers like Home Depot (HD), IKEA and The Body Shop have thrown their weight behind FSC certification but 87% of HD’s wood products originate in the US where most large softwood producers are uncertified.
In 1999, all HD buying agreements began asking the origin and certification status of the material. In 2000, HD began ‘backcasting’ its inventory and encouraging suppliers to get certified. The same year saw a rush of secondary manufacturers become certified in anticipation of burgeoning demand from HD and Lowes Home Building Center, the second largest DIY business in the US.
IKEA supported FSC certification but representatives made it clear that its goal was not to promote a single label but to assure customers that its product came from a responsible source.
In the exhibition hall there were 144 booths – mostly North American vendors and trade associations. There was a great diversity of products and a strong showing of furniture, flooring and lumber from lesser-known tropical hardwoods.
With the exception of the unwavering presence of Chindwell Co Ltd, there were no UK vendors present, but there was a significant number of South African and South American companies.
