Resolute is leading the way in responsible forest management. In 2020, CDP awarded our forest disclosures an “A-” leadership score, the highest ranking achieved in this category by any North American-based forest products company (1). According to CDP, the score is reflective of our environmental best practices, and the actions we have taken to manage harvest risk and implement monitoring programs.
Here are some of the other highlights of our 2020 forest management (FM) performance, prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards.
Our approach is focused on ensuring the sustainability of the forests in our care and collaborating on FM planning and innovation. We strongly believe FM has a crucial role to play in fighting climate change, by sequestering carbon in forests and forest products, and in accelerating the global transition to a cleaner economy.
In 2020, we maintained certification of 100% of our owned or managed forests to internationally recognized FM standards, such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) and the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®). We also completed certification audits for all of our FSC FM certificates in accordance with FSC’s new FM standard.
In addition, we maintained 100% of our chain of custody (CoC) certifications to internationally recognized standards (SFI, FSC and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™)), all of which require that 100% of the fiber processed meet minimum due diligence requirements related to risks of illegal logging and other important sustainability issues. We also achieved multisite CoC certification for all of our tissue mills, including for our Calhoun (Tennessee) operation.
Resolute’s commitments and actions extend well beyond strict compliance with applicable forestry regulations, which in Quebec and Ontario are already among the most – if not the most – rigorous in the world. Accordingly, our sustainable forest management practices include regeneration surveys, site preparation, the planting of seedlings, and aerial and terrestrial seeding – all in combination with natural regeneration.
We also ensure that any regulatory non-compliance incidents, and associated fines, are closely monitored. In 2020, we recorded zero forest management incidents leading to a regulatory infraction in Canada (2). For 2021, our target remains no more than five forest management incidents leading to a regulatory infraction, with a long-term aspirational goal of zero infractions.
Resolute will continue to ensure the sustainability of forests in our care. We invite you to learn more by visiting the Forestry and Fiber Sourcing page on our corporate website.
Notes:
1. CDP, a cornerstone of global environmental disclosure systems, and its Climate Change, Forests and Water Security questionnaires, help organizations disclose risks and opportunities related to greenhouse gas emissions, water resources and forest management. Resolute began reporting to CDP’s forests questionnaire in 2012, the year the program was launched.
2. Excluding incidents of a strictly administrative nature.
