“One of the best ways to address climate change is to use more wood, not less. Wood is simply the most abundant, biodegradable and renewable material on the planet.”
– Patrick Moore Ph.D, chairman and chief scientist of Greenspirit Strategies Ltd, and co-founder and former director of Greenpeace.
Forestry products such as wood are said to have three important characteristics for today’s society, firstly they store carbon for life, secondly they make for superior building materials and thirdly they are renewable and recyclable. Beauty, workability and practicality have historically been said to be the main reasons for wood’s use in a number of applications, however now it is increasingly relevant due to the evolution to a low carbon economy.
Sustainable forestry ensures that seedlings replace the trees that are felled. Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) is a process of ensuring that sustainability is managed and is a recognised system by the United Nations due to its maintenance of environmental, social and economic values. Environmentally, the biodiversity of the forest is protected, processes are in place to protect against watershed and mudslides and maintain pollination, aesthetic beauty and carbon storage. Socially, the rights of indigenous people and local communities are acknowledged, these people must also benefit economically whilst the rights of the forest workers are protected. Economically, the long-term capacity of the forest is not jeopardised.
