Sustainable Forestry the Facts

Sustainable Forestry - THE FACTS

To address the many misconceptions that print and paper are bad for the environment and lead to deforestation, Two Sides have a series of fact sheets available to download for free.

Titled Paper Production and Sustainable Forests, the latest fact sheet explores the issue of sustainable forest management and gathers the most up-to-date information and statistics to debunk many of the myths surrounding forestry to provide irrefutable evidence that responsible forest management can help protect vulnerable forests, as well as create huge areas of new woodland.

"There are 215 million hectares of forest in Europe, which accounts for 33% of the total land area."

It's clear that well-managed forests have a number of benefits for people and society. Forests directly affect the livelihoods of 20% of the global population and also have recreational and cultural importance. They provide products and renewable energy, as well as natural carbon capture and storage. Forests are also home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity, they control floods and droughts, reduce the risk of erosion and protect our key sources of water.

The stats behind European forestry are staggering: Between 2005 and 2015, European forests grew by 44,160km2 - that's an area larger than Switzerland and equivalent to over 1,500 football pitches of growth every day. There are 215 million hectares of forest in Europe, which accounts for 33% of the total land area. In comparison to other regions in the world, only South America has a higher percentage of forest cover (49%) than Europe.

"European forests have been growing by an area equivalent to 1,500 football pitches every day."

Key to the success of European forestry is certification - the assurance that the wood in a product comes from well-managed and sustainable forests, with an audited chain of custody running from the forest to the customer. The European paper industry supports forest certification with widespread procurement of certified wood fibre and pulp with the use of FSC and PEFC labels, the most prominent forest certification schemes, on products.

As well as the fact sheets, Two Sides have produced the Myths and Facts booklet, a popular resource for companies keen to dispel the myths surrounding the sustainability of print and paper. The publication counters these myths with verifiable facts about the environmental impact of print production and can even be personalised for Two Sides members to provide a valuable tool to share with staff and customers.

Source: Two Sides - written by Sam Upton