International Paper has become a member of the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) in North America, a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiative focused on eliminating illegal logging and promoting environmentally and socially responsible forest management.
As a GFTN participant, International Paper says it will release an updated global fiber sourcing policy for its North American and Brazilian mills, which represent more than two-thirds of its global fiber volume. The company also has released a set of sustainability goals for 2020, including increasing third-party certified wood fiber by 15 percent and providing additional assurances that wood products from certified and responsibly managed forests are tracked throughout the supply chain.
“By joining GFTN and increasing its sourcing of credibly certified fiber, International Paper — as the world's largest paper and packaging company — can use its purchasing power to drive improvements in responsible forestry around the globe,” said Suzanne Apple, VP of Business and Industry for WWF. “This kind of leadership is critical to conserving the places and species we are working so hard to protect.”
In the U.S., International Paper says it has increased its sourcing of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified fiber by more than 1.2 million tons over the past five years, and expects to triple it by the end of 2014. While it supports multiple certification standards, the company says it has developed a successful model for increasing its supply of FSC-certified fiber in the Southeastern United States. In Brazil, the company sources approximately 75 percent of its pulpwood from FSC-certified sources.
GFTN is made up of 200 companies and communities around the globe committed to responsible forest management and sourcing of forest products.
Last year, International Paper won an EPA Climate Change Leadership Award for Excellence in GHG Management Goal Achievement.
In his recent ebook, REDD+ and Business Sustainability: A Guide to Reversing Deforestation for Forward-Looking Companies, author Brian McFarland says the ecosystem services forests provide, such as facilitating food, water and air production, minimizing storm damage and producing a wide range of natural medicines, is worth $33 trillion, or twice the U.S.’s annual GDP.
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Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published Mar 27, 2013 1am EDT / 10pm PDT / 5am GMT / 6am CET