© Andrew Coelho / Unsplash landscape of forest

Responsible Forest Product Sourcing from Canada

WWF is providing information and tools to help companies source forest products responsibly in Canada.

Sourcing from Canadian forests

Canada has the third-largest forest area in the world and is a leading producer of forest products like lumber, pulp and paper. From 2000 to 2022, an average of 838,000 hectares of forests in Canada were logged annually. That’s roughly the size of Banff National Park.

Forestry activities like logging and road construction, can negatively impact wildlife, habitat, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and the carbon stored in nature. Recognizing and reducing risks from these activities is critical.

The first step for companies interested in reducing sourcing risks is to identify exactly where their forest products are coming from. This will allow them to accurately assess risks and influence industry’s practices on the ground. Strong sourcing policies can push forest managers to adopt better, more sustainable practices

© Andrew S. Wright / WWF-Canada Trees in the Great Bear Rain forest, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada.

What is the issue?

Covering 40 per cent of the country’s land mass, Canadian forests support Indigenous ways of life, provide critical habitat for wildlife, store carbon, and support local and regional economic development.

However, the way these forests are managed can either accelerate climate change and biodiversity loss or contribute to long-term solutions to these nature crises.

Sourcing forest products from Canada poses many risks to nature and wildlife. Companies have a responsibility to assess these risks and make sourcing decisions that support healthy forests for the people and wildlife that depend on them. To do that, companies need to know where their wood comes from, who is managing those forests and the practices being used on the ground.

What WWF is Doing

Forests Forward is a WWF global program that aims to inspire strong private sector action in support of resilient forest landscapes. WWF has been working with Forests Forward companies in the U.S. to improve responsible forest product sourcing from Canada.

Together, we developed tools to help companies better understand their supply chains and reduce their sourcing risks.

Sourcing Guidance

WWF’s Sourcing Guidance outlines policy expectations for companies that source forest products from Canada. The document also provides a practical approach to identifying and assessing risks and implementing mitigation measures to address them.

 

 

Read the document here: Sourcing guidance

Sourcing from forest tenures in Canada: A risk analysis

WWF-Canada developed a map-based tool to help forest product companies understand how their sourcing decisions may impact nature. Identifying and understanding sourcing risks is the critical first step toward mitigating them. Tools like this support informed sourcing decisions that can influence forest management practices and ultimately contribute to the responsible stewardship of Canada’s forests.

 

Read on to learn more: Quick reference guide | Full technical report

 

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