Towards a global benchmark for the forest products value chain

At our Council Meeting in Paris, the CEOs of our Forest Solutions Group (FSG) have adopted a revised set of membership principles and responsibilities to affirm the group’s long-standing commitment to sustainable forest management and to producing and sourcing forest products that do not contribute to deforestation.

Paris, 10 December 2015: The revised membership principles embody six core commitments across global sustainability priority areas: forest management and fiber sourcing, resource efficiency and innovation, energy and climate, water stewardship, health and safety, and social impact. Each priority is mapped against a key performance indicator which is used to assess and report results annually.

We want to uphold our shared commitment to sustainable development, continue demonstrating joint progress and inspire others to join in. Only collaborative efforts will bring the scale needed to address global challenges such as climate change. Every single principle and performance indicator underpin our goals to bring more of the world’s forests under sustainable management and expand markets for responsible forest products.

- Francisco Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of CMPC Forestry and FSG Co-Chair

Forests and forest products are the foundation of the low carbon bio-economy that we want to create. The FSG is the global platform helping the forest products value chain to join forces on this journey. The membership principles and associated key performance indicators provide a shared framework to prioritize, take impactful action and work towards setting a new benchmark for the forest products sector.

- José Luciano Penido, Chairman of Fibria and Executive Committee member of WBCSD

The Forest Solutions Group has been a leader in delivering impactful solutions for the forest sector for many years. On average 93% of the forests managed by the group are certified for sustainable forest management. This is a clear demonstration of the group’s long-standing commitment to sustainable development and their willingness to establish a high benchmark for the industry. I am pleased to see membership principles evolve as the group continuously strives to improve performance.

- Peter Bakker, President and CEO of WBCSD

The results of the next performance review will be available in 2016. In addition, FSG members will continue identifying additional metrics on joint priorities, engaging with stakeholders to share learnings and develop solutions for concerted action.