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Australia’s sustainable forestry at FSC Australia’s Public Forum

Kim Carstensen

Forest certification organisation, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC Australia), will bring together key players in Australia’s sustainable forestry industry at their public forum. Source: Timberbiz

The forum will take place on Thursday 22 March from 2-6pm at the Library at the Dock, Docklands.

The forum will provide insights, updates and news relating to the forestry, retail, and sustainability sectors.

FSC globally has recently announced two major initiatives that will shift the forestry industry towards sustainability, and boost efforts to protect against climate change.

Vancouver Declaration: part of FSC’s wider ambition to help businesses meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The Commitment urges companies to pledge to work towards more sustainable sourcing of forest products. Announced at the FSC General Assembly, October 2017.

Bonn Initiative: commitment to establishing an evidence base proving the benefits of FSC certification on climate change. Announced at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 23), November 2017

Attendees will be able to engage with FSC International Director General, Kim Carstensen. The two forum sessions will cover the domestic forestry industry as well as branding and sustainable business.

The forum is supported by: Bunning’s (event partner), Australian Paper and Tetra Pak (major sponsors), Wilderness Society, BioPak, Officeworks, GreenEcoBuy, Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA), and WWF

In Australia FSC certifies 1.2 million hectares of forests to full FSC Forest Management standards, an increase of 37% since 2012.

FSC influential in consumer decisions Australian consumers believe in the importance of responsible forestry, and this is a strong driver of forest product purchasing behavior, along with price and quality. Awareness of the FSC label is 1 in 3 for Australians.

Sara Gipton, FSC Australia CEO said: “FSC Australia is proud to bring together our diverse stakeholders, from academia, communities, business, government, the environmental movement, and industry to discuss responsible forestry, making sure that our forests remain for all and for future generations.
“We are excited to host the FSC Global Director, Kim Carstensen, and to discuss how the FSC standards and brand can benefit both forests and business.”