Look before you buy: sustainability in the forest, paper and packaging industry
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP - May 23, 2008
Buyers of wood and paper-based products are increasingly concerned about sustainability issues, leading them to consider factors beyond the traditional attributes of price, quality, service and availability. A new guide to be issued in the coming weeks from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) will address these factors and provide information on the issues that should be considered when developing policies and programs for sustainable procurement and financing.
“Decisions regarding the purchase and use of wood and paper-based products can have far-reaching, long-term impacts,” says Bruce McIntyre, leader of the PwC Forest, Paper & Packaging practice in Canada. “Beyond the immediate and obvious consequences of their purchases, consumers, retailers, investors and communities are taking an increased interest in how their buying decisions affect the environment.”
These same stakeholders also want to know if products are produced sustainably and seek assurance that buying forest products today will not adversely affect the quality of the environment for future generations. The environmental and social aspects of wood, pulp and paper products are becoming part of the purchasing decision, including questions surrounding sustainable procurement. This has led buyers to consider factors beyond the traditional attributes of price, service and quality.
A variety of tools, initiatives and labels have been developed to guide consumers of wood and paper-based products. The Buyers’ Guide to Canada’s Sustainable Forest Products will address the major considerations presented by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), in their guide to Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products, with respect to forest products produced in Canada, including:
Sourcing and Legality Aspects
Origin: Where do the products come from?
Information accuracy: Is information about the products credible?
Legality: Have the products been legally produced?
Environmental Aspects
Sustainability: Have forests been sustainably managed?
Environmental protection: Have appropriate environmental controls been applied?
Special places: Have special places, including sensitive ecosystems, been protected?
Other resources: Have other resources been used appropriately?
Climate change: Have climate issues been addressed?
Recycled fibre: Has recycled fibre been used appropriately?
Social Aspects
Local communities and indigenous peoples — have the needs of local communities or indigenous peoples been addressed?
“Organizations that procure forest products should take a complete life-cycle approach to evaluating the sustainability attributes of the products that they purchase,” says Jean-Pierre Martel, Senior Vice-President, Sustainability for FPAC. “A life cycle assessment helps to objectively determine the environmental impacts of products, processes or services through production, usage and disposal of the products—this is an area where Canada in particular excels and is a leader.”
This assessment typically encompasses raw material procurement, manufacturing, distribution, consumer use and post-consumer recycling/disposal. When buying forest products from Canada, customers can be confident knowing that the products they purchase originate from sustainably managed forests. Forest certification and Chain of Custody programs are increasingly being adopted by forest companies and their customers, to help ensure that the environmental attributes of wood and paper products can be tracked through the supply chain, from forest to consumer.
These and other sustainability related issues, such as the implications of climate change and bioenergy opportunities for the forest industry, will be discussed at the PricewaterhouseCoopers 21st Annual Global Forest and Paper Industry Conference on Thursday, May 8, 2008 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Almost 500 CEOs and senior executives, analysts, customers, suppliers and policy makers are expected at this one day conference, and carries the theme of ’Challenging times, winning strategies’.
For more information, please visit www.pwc.com/ca/fpp
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