from zero-waste to net-zero

Sustainable forestry is more than just harvesting at sustainable rates. The Montreal Process Working Group — formed in 1994 to develop and implement internationally agreed-upon criteria and indicators for the conservation and sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests — defines the term as “a dynamic and evolving concept, intended to maintain and enhance the economic, social and environmental value of all types of forests, for the benefit of present and future generations.”

Put plainly: It’s ensuring we have a long-term plan to keep our forests healthy while recognizing and realizing the economic and environmental value of the world’s most renewable resource. And Canada is a global leader in doing both.

Not only has Canada retained over 90% of its original forest cover, but we harvest less than 0.5% of forests designated for harvesting per year and replant between 400 and 600 million seedlings annually, all while promoting the wildlife habitats, biodiversity and water protection that will help keep our forests as forests forever. These practices not only help our forests retain their carbon-capture potential but, in providing environmentally friendly alternatives to the products and resources Canadians use every day, sustainably-sourced wood products have the potential to be transformative in addressing one of the most significant social and economic challenges of our time: climate change.

Canada is globally recognized as a world leader in sustainable forest management. Not only do we have some of the most robust and well-enforced federal and provincial regulations in the world, but Canada leads in third-party forest certification, managing 37% of the world’s certified forests, more than twice the area certified in any other country. These voluntary and internationally recognized standards include commitments to reforestation, promoting wildlife habitats, biodiversity and water protection, and add a layer of independent verification so Canadians can be assured that we’re doing our part to keep our forests as forests forever.

Everyone knows that as a forest grows trees absorb and store carbon. But as trees age they become susceptible to natural disturbances such as fire, pest outbreaks and disease that can release tremendous amounts of CO₂ and other GHGs back into the atmosphere. Though these disturbances are normal in the forest, they are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of climate change, putting our communities at risk and turning our forests from climate change assets into liabilities.

That’s where our sector comes in. When we manage our forests through carefully planned harvesting and replanting, we remove the decay and debris that accelerates these natural disturbances and renew our forests capacity to capture carbon for another generation. What’s more, because carbon stays locked in wood products long after trees leave the forest, wood products can create the renewable, sustainably-sourced products we need to reduce our carbon footprint and power our country towards a cleaner, greener economy.

As carbon captured over a tree’s lifetime stays locked inside the wood, sustainably-harvested wood products continue to represent a carbon storing solution long after they leave the forest and can provide more environmentally-friendly alternatives to materials and products with a heavier carbon footprint. So, when you buy Canadian wood, you’re doing your part to support a low-carbon future by giving a second life to trees.

Innovation in our sector also has the potential to be transformative; as climate change and global warming become more urgent, Canada’s forest sector is exploring new ways to solve the challenge of delivering secure, affordable, and sustainable energy by converting wood waste into the bioenergy will help reduce our country’s reliance on fossil fuels.