Member companies of the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) have signed on a major new leadership agreement on sustainability. The agreement was signed by 59 company CEOs and association presidents -- representing some of the largest pulp, paper, and wood companies in the world -- during the second meeting of the ICFPA Global CEO Roundtable.

"This is a significant victory for sustainability and for the communities that rely on the sustainable management of the global forest resource," said Avrim Lazar, president and CEO of Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and president of the ICFPA. "The forest products industry has an important responsibility to promote sustainable development objectives worldwide. Through this statement, ICFPA members have made a clear and strong commitment to sustainable development and to working with other stakeholders to ensure that environmental, social and economic benefits of our natural resources are available to current and future generations."

Through this leadership statement on sustainability, the global forest products industry has committed to continuously improve its sustainability performance through action in the following core areas:

• Promoting sustainable forest management worldwide. The industry supports SFM and is committed to manage forests accordingly. To this end, it strongly supports the development of credible forest certification systems and other mechanisms to promote SFM and improvement of forest management on the ground.
• Combating illegal logging. The industry strongly opposes the practice of illegal logging, which contributes to deforestation and undermines the viability of legally harvested and traded products world-wide; it encourages the development of laws and regulations, as well as effective government monitoring, enforcement and assessment of forests, which are necessary to counteract illegal logging and trade of illegal harvested wood.
• Fiber use and recovery. Recovered paper and wood provide an essential and complementary source of fiber to meet society's needs for paper, board, packaging and wood products. The industry supports and encourages the recovery of pre- and post-consumer paper and wood products.
• Environmental management. The industry is committed to ensuring that its activities respect the environment, and maintain and improve the resources on which the industry depends.
• Creating solutions to global climate change and energy supply objectives. The industry is committed to innovative energy solutions that will increase efficiency, reduce reliance on fossil fuel and expand the use of renewable energy sources.
• Investing in workers and communities. The industry is committed to maintaining a safe work environment and improving its health and safety standards and practices; it will contribute to the economic and social well-being of its workers and the communities where it operates; and it is committed to engaging with key stakeholders and interest groups, and with indigenous and other communities where it operates, in an open and respectful manner.

"The global industry is taking the challenge of sustainable development seriously, through action to improve forest management practices, combat illegal logging and improve environmental management practices," added Teresa Presas, president of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) and incoming president of the ICFPA. "We are committed to working through our national and regional associations to continue to develop and put in place meaningful sustainability initiatives that support our commitments, the ICFPA will regularly report on our progress."

ICFPA members are the trade associations of 43 countries. Members represent the majority of the world's pulp, paper and wood production. The ICFPA is committed to sustainable development and to working with other stakeholders to ensure that environmental, social and economic benefits of our natural resources are available to current and future generations.

A full copy of the Leadership Statement on Sustainability (PDF) and the signatories to the statement is available on the ICFPA Web site.