Forest products

The forest products industry, including the paper, wood products and packaging sectors, is faced with ensuring the sustainable management of forests, managing environmental impacts and improving energy and resource ef.ciency in manufacturing. It also needs to develop climate-change strategies and become more accountable with respect to .bre supply and value-chain traceability.

Issues

  • Product demand linked to regional economic growth
  • Climate strategy
  • Resource efficiency and renewable resources
  • Bio-diversity and habitat conservation
  • Environmental impacts of operations
  • Management of genetically modified organisms
  • Supply- and value-chain traceability, and certification

Client examples

Paper and packaging company in southern Africa

We reviewed the company’s existing sustainability practices and processes, including the areas of human rights, environmental management, reporting and stakeholder engagement across its diverse operations. We sought to develop its understanding of its competitive positioning with regard to sustainability, and to assess the sustainability risks and opportunities that would inform its business strategy.

North American pulp, paper and wood-products companies

We have helped various companies secure forest certi.cation under sustainable-forest-management and ISO 14001 environmental-management-system standards. These projects provided the clients, customers and other stakeholders with assurance regarding their adherence to accepted standards and a means of achieving continuous improvement as a result of the management recommendations we provided.

Pulp and paper producer

We certified a chain-of-custody system to confirm that appropriate systems and controls were in place to support market claims with regard to certified and recycled wood-fibre content in paper. This was part of a corporate initiative to improve the environmental footprint of the firm’s wood-supply and manufacturing operations.

Home-building company

We evaluated the sources of lumber and panel products used in house construction, as part of an internal assessment of this housebuilder’s sustainable wood- sourcing policy.