WRI Stories Feed: Forest Landscapes Initiative

Making the Right Choice on Indonesia’s Forest Moratorium

Andrew Steer — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:09:35 -0400

This piece originally appeared in the Jakarta Post. It was co-written with Dino Patti…

Indonesia Extends its Forest Moratorium: What Comes Next?

Kemen Austin — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:51:28 -0400

Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made a bold and courageous decision this week to extend…

A Conversation with Nirarta “Koni” Samadhi on Indonesia’s Forests

James Anderson — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:32:06 -0400

How can Indonesia—the world’s fourth-most populous country and an emerging economic powerhouse—reduce deforestation and promote sustainable…

6 Top Environment and Development Stories to Watch in 2013

Andrew Steer — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 10:17:17 -0500

This post originally appeared on Bloomberg.com.

As we enter 2013, there are signs of growth and economic…

Updated Guide Helps Businesses Source Sustainable Wood and Paper Products

Ruth Nogueron — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 11:42:11 -0500

Forests are vitally important for the global environment, economy, and population. The forest sector employs 13.7 million workers…

RELEASE: Guide for Business Drives Better Decisions on Forest Products

James Anderson — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 23:06:40 -0500

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) today released the third edition of Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products to help businesses buy products from sustainably managed forests and improve forest management.

The full guide resource kit is available online here or at www.SustainableForestProducts.org.

With the third edition of the sustainable procurement guide, WRI and WBCSD continue to support better business decisions by providing information to help them understand the origin, legality, ecological and social dimensions of the wood and paper-based products they purchase and use. The new edition incorporates the most up-to-date developments on the legality of forest products and new technological developments to control wood and paper supply chains and increase their transparency. It includes an expanded chapter on the social implications of forest products.

The guide provides an overview of the 10 key issues underpinning procurement, including forest management; provides an overview of a selection of tools, initiatives and additional resources; and clarifies and explains the maze of terminology around sustainable forest products.

James Griffiths, Managing Director, Forest Solutions at the WBCSD said: “Every single business uses wood and paper-based products on a daily basis, be that paper for printing and packaging or wood in construction, or as office furniture. As demand for wood increases, and the competition for forest-based products intensifies, business needs to make better decisions on sourcing in order to support and incentivize sustainable forest- management. Our guide will help them do just that.”

Ruth Noguerón, Associate with the World Resources Institute, said, “Forests are important for the global environment, the economy, and the estimated 500 million people that depend on them for their livelihoods. We need to maintain forests for the future, and a key element of that is ensuring that forest products are sustainably produced. If we increase the demand for sustainable forest products, producers are encouraged to improve their management practices to meet that demand.”

José Luciano Penido, Chairman, Fibria and Co-Chair of the WBCSD Forest Solutions Group, said: “Decisions about the purchase and use of wood and paper-based products can have extensive and long-term consequences on ecological, social and economic values of forests and forest plantations. Being able to make informed choices is imperative for all businesses in building and retaining consumer confidence in their product offerings, including the use of paper packaging or timber components.”

Joseph Lawson, Global Director of Sustainable Forests and Forest Products for MWV said: “Since its first release in 2008, the guide has been used by a diverse group of stakeholders and together with them we have been revising and enhancing it on a regular basis. For this edition, the focus was on updating the content, including government procurement and legality verification developments and improving ease of navigation, design and format.”

Riikka Joukio, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at Metsä Group and Co-Chair of the WBCSD Forest Solutions Group, said: “Sustainable forest management means managing our forest resources to meet society’s needs today, without interfering with our future generations’ needs. Forests need to be managed in a way that they retain their growth and vitality, ecological functions and biodiversity. The WBCSD and WRI guide cuts through any confusion about how all business can contribute to using sustainable forest products and maintaining this crucial natural resource.”

To access the guide Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products, please visit www.SustainableForestProducts.org.

For more information please contact:

James Anderson, Press Officer
World Resources Institute
Janderson@wri.org
t: +1 202-729-7608
m: +1 507-301-2385

L’Atlas Forestier Interactif du Cameroun pour une meilleure gestion des ressources forestières

Bertrand Tessa — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 10:16:15 -0400

Les forêts du Cameroun couvrent environ 60% de la superficie nationale et jouent un rôle vital pour les populations et dans l’économie.

New, Interactive Atlas Can Improve Cameroon’s Forest Management

Bertrand Tessa — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:21:30 -0400

Cameroon’s forests, which cover about 60 percent of the country, play a vital role for people and the economy. They account for more than six percent of the nation’s GDP, the highest percentage of all countries in the…

An Inside Look at Latin America’s Illegal Logging – Part Two

Ruth Nogueron — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:43:46 -0400

This post was co-authored with Eduardo Arenas Hernández Jr. and Ana Domínguez, who work for Reforestamos Mexico.

This is the second post in a two-part series on…

An Inside Look at Latin America’s Illegal Logging – Part One

Ruth Nogueron — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:05:08 -0400

This post was co-authored with Eduardo Arenas Hernández Jr. and Ana Domínguez, who work for Reforestamos Mexico.

This is the first post in a two-part series on…