The United Nations’ World Forestry Congress has confirmed sustainable timber production is crucial to achieving the international climate and environmental goals needed this century, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), Ross Hampton said today.
The recent World Forestry Congress Ministerial Call on Sustainable Wood confirmed that the:
Sustainable production and consumption of wood promotes forest conservation, enhances the value of forests and mitigates climate change. Building and living with wood responds to an increased demand for renewable materials and provides impetus for green recovery. Sustainable wood offers solutions across multiple value chains, including construction, furniture, packaging, renewable energy, biomaterials for clothing and biochemicals.
The Ministerial Call also resolved to a ‘scaling up’ of sustainable wood-based pathways by addressing the awareness of their potential, enhancing global and regional policy dialogues to strengthen investments and promote a technical exchange to drive innovation from forest management and efficient wood value chains to sustainable wood use.
“The Congress’s Ministerial Call is further evidence of the growing international momentum towards sustainable timber and fibre as a world-wide solution to fighting climate change and easing the burden on the environment,” Ross Hampton said.
“Increasingly, the world is turning to timber and fibre with demand to quadruple by 2050, so it’s essential world-wide supply chains are sustainable, as we are leading the way here in Australia.
“It’s my firm belief that Australia can be an international leader in sustainable timber and fibre production to feed the world’s demand, but we must also show the way forward for other nations, in sustainable best practice management for forests and subsequent supply chains. I commend the World Forestry Congress for its efforts,” Ross Hampton concluded.
The World Forestry Congress is held every six years.
