Critical issues: Responsible forestry and climate change
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As a significant holder and manager of land, particularly in developing countries, and as an operator in an industry that potentially has a high impact on the natural environment, Mondi is highly cognisant of its stewardship role and its responsibility to use its natural forestry resources in a sustainable way. |
Highlights 2010
- All plantations in South Africa and boreal forests in Russia managed sustainably, verified by FSC™ certification
- Group certification support of Russian State Forests (1.8 million hectares) maintained
- 60% of all wood supply FSC™- or PEFC-certified and all virgin fibre has controlled source origin certification
- Avoided CO2e emissions of 4.9 million tonnes in 2010
- First forestry property proclaimed nature reserve: Gilboa estate, South Africa.
- 33% of pulp consumed was from recovered fibre
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Taking stock: Performance against commitments
This scorecard summarises our performance against our sustainable development commitments in respect of forestry.
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Commitment |
Performance |
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Certify all owned, leased and managed forestry to FSC™ |
All our owned, leased and managed forests in Russia and in South Africa are FSC™-certified |
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No wood procured from controversial sources |
With the exception of Piet Retief and Stambolijski, all of our mills have Chain-of-Custody certificates in place, ensuring that the wood procured in 2010 was from non-controversial sources. At Piet Retief all wood is sourced directly from Mondi-owned FSC™-certified forests, and at Stambolijski (which was reopened in mid-2010) controls have been implemented to ensure that wood is procured from non-controversial sources |
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Procure over 60% of wood, virgin fibre and biomass products from credible sources |
60% of wood, virgin fibre and biomass was from credible sources (as defined in the glossary) |
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Work with FSC™ to find a practical solution for certifying small growers |
Mondi is working with WBCSD and The Forest Dialogue to co-ordinate efforts between certification bodies, forestry companies, NGOs and small growers, to find a practical solution to small growers’ certification. Mondi has actively participated in this process, and one possible solution has been identified, namely group certification schemes. Also, in South Africa where we are finalising land restitution settlements on FSC™ land, we are providing funding for training, coaching and mentoring to ensure that small growers continue to successfully manage their forests according to FSC™ standards |
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This section of our report deals with issues we face in the forestry sector as a whole, and within Mondi. As is to be expected there is much overlap between this section of our report and the Environmental performance and Society sections, as a sustainable approach to forestry requires an integrated and holistic view that encompasses both the social and natural environments.
As the matters of both sustainable forestry and climate change are areas of global debate and scrutiny, we have invited the views of the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC™), which is detailed below.
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External views: Forests, climate change and FSC™
Forests play a critical role in regulating the earth’s climate. By removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, they form the world‘s largest terrestrial store of atmospheric carbon. Conversely, when forests are cleared, large amounts of carbon are released into the atmosphere. The destruction and degradation of forests worldwide account for a higher share of global CO2 emissions than the entire transport sector.
These emissions contribute to the greenhouse effect, increasing the risk of catastrophic climate change. It is therefore imperative for mankind to manage the world’s remaining forests in a responsible manner. Protecting forests from conversion to other land uses such as agriculture, introducing management practices that maintain the integrity of the forest, as well as restoring degraded forests, all contribute to reducing the impacts of climate change.
FSC™ certification is internationally recognised as the benchmark for responsible forestry. Well-managed forests provide a wide range of social and economic benefits and environmental services, such as livelihoods for people and habitats for animals and plants. FSC™ standards ensure that these benefits and services are realised and are not disregarded in favour of other management objectives, such as carbon sequestration or storage. Research indicates that FSC™-certified operations deliver direct and indirect climate benefits. Direct benefits are generated from the environmental impact of FSC™ certification in the forest such as the minimisation of waste and damages from harvesting; increase in size and number of protected forest areas; and retention of old trees and fallen wood for habitat so that carbon is kept in the forest for longer.
The social and economic impacts of FSC™ certification generate indirect climate benefits by providing a solution to some of the causes of forest degradation, for example, resolution of conflicts with local communities; prevention of unauthorised harvesting and other activities; diversification of product range and encouragement of local processing. FSC™ uses certification to engage the market, driving recognition of the value of forests to improve social and environmental practices in forest management worldwide. There are currently over 132 million hectares of forests certified to the FSC™ standards in more than 80 countries.
FSC™’s current growth is a response to market demand for FSC™-certified products and demonstrates a large political and economic force that is endorsing and promoting the FSC™ system globally. Verifying FSC™ certified timber through the production chain, FSC™ CoC certification is for companies willing to demonstrate to their customers that they use responsibly harvested forest materials. By facilitating this demand and creating incentives for forest managers, FSC™ certification empowers businesses to have a direct influence on the future of the world’s forests. Through FSC™ certification, procurement decisions can help ensure that forest resources are valued, conserved, restored and used wisely to the benefit of present and future generations.
Marcelle Peuckert
Corporate Relations Manager
15 February 2011
More information is available at www.fsc.org/pc |
Last change: 18/03/2011