a resource dedicated to providing
information on the environmental sustainability of the paper, print and
associated industries in Australasia.

FORESTRY

Wood forms the basis for the vast majority of fibre required for the production of pulp needed to produce paper. Trees harvested for their timber are increasingly sourced from purpose grown sustainable forests, and are a completely renewable resource. That is, the timber can be harvested and the forest regrown.

Active growing forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, countering the Greenhouse effect. In Australia forests store 10.5 billion tonnes of carbon, equivalent to 38.5 billion tonnes of CO2 removed from the atmosphere.
Wood products, including paper, continue to lock up carbon even during use for such purposes as the construction of houses or in paper contained in books, etc., and will only release this carbon once burned or it rots. In other words, the use of wood and paper products is greatly assisting to “lock up” carbon and to reduce emissions.
Sustainable forestry and wood supply is critical to the ongoing production of paper, and is recognised by the industry through the replanting of around 5 trees for every tree harvested.
Forests are increasingly independently accredited as being sustainably managed through globally recognised forest certification schemes, the two most recognised being the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification – PEFC, and the Forest Stewardship Council - FSC. Click on the links to learn more about these schemes.
Sustainable timber harvesting is Greenhouse Gas Emissions neutral, and in fact industrial forestry globally absorbs 1 billion tonnes of CO2 annually.
Currently it is estimated that there are 25% more trees in the developed world than existed in 1901. For example, in the USA forest coverage is growing by 2,428 km2 per annum and in Europe by 6,000 km2. In Australia the area of our forest plantations grew by 4.7% in 2007.
Whilst the wood harvested is used to produce pulp to manufacture paper, even the leaves, bark, and branches are not wasted. These important elements of the tree are used increasingly to produce valuable bio-fuels used to generate energy to power production. In Australia bio-fuels make up 46% of energy needs within pulp and paper mills. By doing so the mills can reduce their need for fossil fuel generated electricity, such as coal, and their comparatively high Green House Gas emissions.

The paper industry is not responsible for the increase in CO2 emissions caused by land use change….95% of global land use change emissions result from deforestation in tropical developing countries due to land clearing for agriculture and human habitation need – Stern Review .