Certification:
from forest
management
to market
acceptance
PwC Forestry, Pulp, and Paper
Industry Report
T
he sustainability performance of
the global forest product industry
is improving, driven in large part
by an increase in certification to
third-party standards that require a
commitment to responsible forest
management and include assessments
by independent certification bodies.
The latest report from The
International Council of Forest and
Paper Associations (ICFPA) shows that
industry members in 24 countries
manage a total of 302 million hectares.
Since 2000, they have increased the
amount of hectares certified to a thirdparty sustainable forest management
certification system by 41 percentage
points, to 52% of their wood supply.
Canada is doing especially well, with
161 million hectares of certified forest
managed by ICFPA industry members
and non-members, which is more than
40% of the global total of certified
forests.
Forest certification is an independent
assessment to confirm that a company
follows sustainable management
practices. It provides assurance that
a forest company is operating legally,
sustainably, and in compliance with
world-recognized standards for
sustainable forest management.
“Sustainability is critical to forest and
paper companies. Not simply to ensure
continued fibre supply, but because
their customers want assurance that
the products they’re buying come
from responsibly managed forests.
FALL 2015
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