Maroc - TIMBERBIZ.COM.AU - A La Une - 21/Aug 00:44

Advancing Responsible Purchasing of Wood Products

Sustainable forest management (SFM) is fundamental for the achievement of national, regional and international environmental objectives, particularly as governments transition to low-carbon economies and work toward improving the quality of life in communities, among other things. Source: Timberbiz Illegal logging, and the trade in illegally logged timber, is a domestic, regional, and global issue. It has negative economic, environmental, and social impacts, including but not limited to forest degradation, loss of traditional homelands for Indigenous and tribal communities, and the creation of unfair market conditions that disadvantage legal and sustainable sources of wood and wood products. A project, Advancing Responsible Purchasing of Wood Products, aims to increase public awareness of responsible consumption of wood products, sustainable forest management and combat illegal logging in North America. It involves identifying the current trinational context for SFM, illegal logging, forest law enforcement, third-party certifications, and consumer awareness. The project will develop non-duplicative public awareness campaigns based on findings to communicate the importance of responsible purchasing. Expected impacts include improved consumer understanding of SFM, civic participation tools, penalties for illegal wood products, and changed purchasing habits towards seeking sustainable products. The project duration is from January 2024 to January 2026 and its strategic pillars include Clean Air, Land, and Water, Circular Economy and Sustainable Materials Management, and Effective Enforcement of Environmental Laws. Trinational cooperation among Canada, Mexico, and the United States is emphasized to raise consumer awareness and combat illegal logging.