16/09/2005 - Canadian timber
company Tembec has been awarded certification
for its forest resource management practices,
making it the first public forest in Quebec
to be awarded certification under the rigorous
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards
for Canadian boreal forests.
Tembec received its certification from SmartWood,
a Forest Stewardship Council accredited certifier,
following an in-depth audit process that found
that its forest management practices conformed
to FSC’s rigorous standards for environmentally
and socially responsible forestry practices.
“The only way Tembec could get this FSC certification
was by demonstrating strong performance in
meeting the standards for environmental protection,
the recognition of Indigenous People’s rights,
and social responsibility," said Anthony
Marcil, President and CEO of Forest Stewardship
Council Canada.
Tembec is responsible for Forest Management
Units 85–51 and 85–52 through a timber supply
and forest management contract awarded by
the Quebec government. These units cover close
to three million acres to the north of La
Sarre, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Located in the heart of the Canadian boreal
forest this rich and fertile environment provides
a healthy habitat for a variety of plants,
animals, and microorganisms. Black spruce
predominates the area while mixed stands include
balsam fir. Some hardwoods, such as white
birch, aspen and, to a lesser extent, balsam
poplar, also grow in this area. An Aboriginal
presence dating back some 5,000 years is still
maintained today through the presence of the
Algonquin Abitibiwinni and Cree Waskaganish
communities.
In January 2001, Tembec and WWF-Canada signed
an agreement to implement sustainable forest
management practices that conformed to FSC
standards.
“Tembec's certification means more consumers
across North America can purchase FSC-certified
products,” said Mike Russill, President and
Chief executive Officer of WWF-Canada.
“Greener choices in the store mean more wildlife
conservation, more protected areas, and more
sustainable communities. Tembec is showing
strong leadership, going above and beyond
normal regulatory requirements to protect
the environment and build positive relationships
around forest stewardship. We congratulate
them on this achievement and look forward
to continuing to work with Tembec into the
future to ensure that Canada’s forests are
harvested in a responsible manner.”
Tembec has now achieved FSC certification
for 13 million acres of forest land in the
Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario, and
British Columbia. The range of FSC-certified
products offered by the company is continually
increasing and now includes lumber, hardwood
flooring, newsprint, paperboard, northern
bleached softwood kraft pulp, and high-yield
pulp.
The FSC label enables Tembec customers to
choose forest products with the confidence
that they are contributing to preserving the
world's forests.
“Today is a very good day for Quebec’s forests,”
said James Lopez, President of the Tembec
Forest Products Group.
“Our goal is to have all our Canadian forestry
operations FSC-certified. So far, we have
achieved 42 per cent of this goal as 13 million
acres have been certified. We are now proud
to affix the FSC logo on Tembec products coming
from this forest and other FSC-certified forests
across Canada, showing our commitment to the
health and survival of wildlife and the forest.”
END NOTES:
• Tembec is a leading integrated forest products
company, well established in North America
and France. With sales of approximately US$4
billion and some 11,000 employees, it operates
50 market pulp, paper and wood-product manufacturing
units, and produces chemicals from by-products
of its pulping process. Tembec markets its
products worldwide and has sales offices in
Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom,
Switzerland, China, Korea, Japan, and Chile.
The Company also manages 40 million acres
of forest land in accordance with sustainable
development principles and has committed to
obtaining Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
certification for all forests under its care
by the end of 2005.
• The FSC is an independent, not-for-profit,
non-government organization based in Bonn,
Germany, providing standard setting, trademark
assurance, and accreditation services for
companies and organizations interested in
responsible forestry. It was created in 1993
by environmental organizations such as WWF,
Friends of the Earth, and Greenpeace, indigenous
forest dwellers, professional foresters, big
retailers such as Sweden’s IKEA and the UK’s
B&Q, and large and small forest companies.
The certification system requires consultation
with all other forest users and interested
parties and ensures an independent assessment
of a company’s forest management practices.
