Washington D.C./Geneva — 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 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.

Source: World Resources Institute