forest certification – what it really means · really means cassie phillips vice president,...

Society of Wood Science and Technology

Forest Certification – What it Really Means

Cassie PhillipsVice President, Sustainable Forests & ProductsJune 24, 2009

Background: Weyerhaeuser’s role and commitment to forest certification

Background: SFI

AF&PA developed the first version of SFI as a code of conduct for members• Global era of reform in Best Management Practices

• Extend BMPs across the U.S.

• Covered landowners andmanufacturers

USFWS

Innovative and successful as a voluntary standard

Premium (Value-added) Label Trigger Point

Marketplace Capture / Adoption 100%

Valu

e-ad

ded

Crit

eria

Voluntary Standards

Industry Convention

Premium Labels

(Consumers Union (2009))

100 million acres/41 million ha

60 million acres/24 million ha

6

Background: FSC

WWF with others developed FSC as alternative to boycotts of tropical wood• Needed to address serious problems compounded by weak

governance

• Innovation in use of marketsto reward good actors

• Originally common criteria for proprietary certifiers

Regional standards followed

Greenpeace

Successful in occupying different niches

Premium (Value-added) Label Trigger Point

Marketplace Capture / Adoption 100%

Valu

e-ad

ded

Crit

eria

Voluntary Standards

Industry Convention

Premium Labels

(Consumers Union (2009))

Sweden, UK, Canadian boreal

Pacific, BC

Russia

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50

100

150

200

250

300

Can

ada

Uni

ted

Stat

es

Finl

and

Swed

en

Rus

sian

Fed

erat

ion

Nor

way

Ger

man

y

Pola

nd

Aus

tral

ia

Fran

ce

Bra

zil

Aus

tria

Cro

atia

Bol

ivia

Cze

ch R

epub

lic

Chi

le

Latv

ia

Uni

ted

Kin

gdom

Sout

h A

fric

a

Mex

ico

Ukr

aine

Indo

nesi

a

New

Zea

land

Chi

na

Con

go

Japa

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Peru

Mal

aysi

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Indi

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Hec

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s (m

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FSCSFIATFS

CSAPEFC

851543

Current situation: certification choice depends on geography

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50

100

150

200

250

300

Rus

sian

Fed

erat

ion

Bra

zil

Can

ada

Uni

ted

Sta

tes

Chi

na

Aus

tralia

Indo

nesi

a

Per

u

Indi

a

Mex

ico

Bol

ivia

Sw

eden

Japa

n

Con

go

Finl

and

Mal

aysi

a

Chi

le

Fran

ce

Ger

man

y

Ukr

aine

Pol

and

Sou

th A

frica

Nor

way

New

Zea

land

Aus

tria

Latv

ia

Uni

ted

Kin

gdom

Cze

ch R

epub

lic

Cro

atia

Hec

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FSCSFIATFSCSAPEFC

851543

And only 10% of forests globally are certified

$20.5

$44.0

$6.6 $10.9

$20.5

$38.1

Non-CertifiedSFICSAFSC

Value of Wood Products Shipments(US $ billions)

Regionally we see the same pattern

What does this mean in the marketplace?

Environmental claims are regulated • Under U.S. and Canadian consumer

protection laws

Must be able to substantiate all claims when made• Including comparisons

General claims deceptive• Avoid “green,” “earth friendly,” etc.

without specifics

“The only way to claim watertight sustainability is to have FSC accreditation. Only [we] have FSC accreditation. Which means only we can guarantee sustainability throughout the supply chain.”

Plenty of room for improvement

Alder is a pioneer species that is both planted and naturallyregenerates, often prolifically reseeding forestlands that haveburned or been harvested. Alder groves are home to a multitudeof animal species and provide important streamside shade for salmon.

100% organic

What are the claims about certified products that can be substantiated?

Common ground: certified products don’t necessarily come from a certified forest

Mills collect and mix wood the way a grain elevator mixes grain: individual pieces can’t be traced to the acre

All systems trace wood to the country or region, allocate volume to output in proportion to input

Cassie Phillips

Common ground: The same basic norms for the same market niches

Appropriate role for clearcutting,other intensive forestry practices

Conservation, careful management of old growth

Goal of keepingforests as forests

Reforestation

Sustainable rates of harvest

Soil productivity

Water quality and fish habitat

Wildlife habitat• Threatened or endangered

species and ecosystems

Cultural, historical, aesthetic values

Common ground: forest certification addresses . . .

Source: Consortium for Research on Renewable industrial Materials

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Wood-framed house

Concrete-framed house

Steel-framed house

Common ground: the value of wood products

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Weyerhaeuser releases the potential in trees to solve important problems for people and the planet