We hope you joined The Forests Dialogue and the Global Institute for Sustainable Forestry on October 28 from 12 to 1 pm in Marsh Hall for one of the famed Yale Forest Forum (YFF) Lunches to learn about certification.
Certification plays a key role in sustainable forest use, as Sophie Beckham from International Paper and Skip Krasny from the Kimberly-Clark Corporation both emphasized.
“We’re trying to get the message out there why the consumer should care about FSC.” Skip Krasny from @KCCorp at #YFF #TFDweek
— The Forests Dialogue (@forestsdialogue) October 28, 2014
During the YFF Lunch talk both showed the progress their respective companies have been making in the past. Much of that relies on the frameworks the companies have developed over the past. So is International Paper’s approach to forestry three-fold: they rely on forest certification, fiber procurement and collaboration in forestry.
Therefore the focus is not only on receiving the material but also building the infrastructure to produce the material sustainably in the first place. For example, in 2012 International Paper began facilitating group FSC certification for landowners in the southeast US.
This leads to ambitious goals, as International Paper wants to increase it’s third-party certified fiber by 35%. Goals like this or K-C’s goal to ensure 90% of their global tissue products is sustainably sourced by 2025 have an immense impact on the industry as they reach a broad market.
“Every day nearly a quarter of the world’s population uses @KCCorp brands.” Skip Krasny at #YFF #TFDweek pic.twitter.com/K2ncASp2AF
— The Forests Dialogue (@forestsdialogue) October 28, 2014
Both emphasized several times the somewhat unintuitive idea that often one of the best ways to save a forest is to use it, especially sustainably, while consumers need to be informed about those steps with the means of proper labeling and mentioning of such in commercial programs.
Combining all these things will certainly bring certification to the next level.
Speakers:
Sophie Beckham, ‘02 M.F. - Global Forest Stewardship and Sustainability Manager, International Paper
Edward (Skip) Krasny - Manager of Sustainable Forestry Programs, Kimberly-Clark Corporation
