CANADA – The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) launched on October 11th an ambitious new initiative to increase the use of materials from responsibly managed forests. The Vancouver Declaration allows businesses that use these natural products to pledge their commitment to increase responsible sourcing.

Global companies like IKEA, H&M, SIG, Marks and Spencer, Jysk, Mitsubishi Paper Mills or Fuji Xerox have pledged support to the initiative. The aim is to get more businesses across the entire supply chain on board.

Kim Carstensen, Director General of FSC, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many great businesses supporting this declaration. Our forests are a wonderful yet delicate natural resource, and a lot of people’s lives depend of their sustainable and responsible use. By committing to using FSC-certified wood and forest products, our partners are helping to protect our forests – and the planet – for future generations.”

Mikhail Tarasov, Global Forestry Manager at IKEA, commented: “IKEA is committed to only use wood from more sustainable sources (currently FSC certified and recycled) by 2020 and promote sustainable forest management beyond our own needs to make it an industry norm. This is what we call “forest positive”. So it was natural for us to support the Vancouver Declaration. We’re proud to be part of this global initiative.”

The Vancouver Declaration is part of FSC’s wider ambition to help businesses meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, as Samuel Sigrist, SIG explained: “It has been a great honor for me to present the Vancouver Declaration at FSC’s 2017 General Assembly. We believe that this initiative, with its commitment to FSC certification, is a key tool in achieving parts of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We are the first in our industry to be able to display the FSC label on 100% of our packs. This is a major milestone for SIG on its journey to become a ‘net positive’ business, helping to create more natural resources than we use.”

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a global not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically prosperous management of the world’s forests. FSC was created in 1993 to help consumers and businesses identify products from well-managed forests and sets standards by which forests are certified, offering credible verification to people who are buying wood and wood products. Currently almost 200 million hectares and more than 57,000 businesses worldwide are certified to FSC standards. More information at http://www.FSC.org.