Comment Column

Canadian forests-

a wealth of possibilities

"It is well to remember that there are no new forests to be found. All are known. From here to eternity Canadians must do with what they have."

That quote was written by G. Herbert Lash, a horticulturist, published 30 years ago by the Canadian Pulp and Paper Assn. Our forests are a major part of a wealth of natural resources that supports a strong, diversified economy. Canada is custodian of 10% of the world's forests. This gives us enormous economic opportunities, but it also means that we bear a responsibility for the nurture and care of these important resources.

This quote makes the point that the Canadian pulp and paper industry long ago acknowledged a responsibility for environmental stewardship. You have long recognized-and demonstrated in realistic and pragmatic way-that there are two sides to the development equation-meeting demand and meeting responsibilities. This is a concept we now know as "sustainable development."

Sustainable development is especially important to a forest nation such as ours. Canada's trade surplus in forest products is estimated at $31 billion for 1996. The pulp and paper industry alone accounted for more than half of that surplus. Without your industry, this country would be running a trade deficit. Even more important, the forest sector employs almost a million people, directly and indirectly, and the vast majority of these jobs are in rural areas, where employment opportunities are often limited. In short, your industry means jobs, income, and homes for hundreds of thousands of families, some of whom have depended on the forest industry for generations. It means new business opportunities, dividends for investors, and tax revenues for governments.

However, these social and economic dividends can only continue if you respect the environmental side of the sustainable development challenge. In this regard, the forest sector has a strong history of technological innovation to support environmental goals. The pulp and paper industry, for example, has taken the initiative to improve its production processes and to add more value to the forest resource. Since 1989 you gave invested C$5.1 billion (including $1.1 billion in 1996) in environmental equipment and technology related to effluent treatment, production processes and fiber utilization. You have also progressed in your efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through improved energy efficiency. CPPA member companies have reduced their CO2 emissions due to fossil fuel use by 20% and their energy consumption by 7% for every ton of production since 1990.

However, one the things I've learned in government is that every time you think you've achieved a goal, the yardstick gets moved. In the case of the pulp and paper industry, Canadians, your global consumers and governments expect that you continue to improve your environmental performance. Your industry has its critics, and their influence can be powerful. Some of your challenges are based on perception, because both in Canada and aboard, industry is often viewed in the light of past rather than current practices. But you also race real challenges. There are many areas where continued progress is critical both for the sake of the domestic environment and for the future stability of your industry. And nowhere is this need more evident than in the international arena. There is sentiment amongst some consumers that Canadian forestry practices have not greatly improved over time. This reaffirms that we must get the real story out. We need solid ways to illustrate this progress. We need policies and mechanisms that will demonstrate that Canadian forest products come from sustainably managed forests.

This issue has been a priority for me and the Canadian Council of Forest Ministries (CCFM). As you are aware, the CCFM promotes the development and implementation of sustainable forest management using criteria such as biological diversity, forest health, soil and water conservation, and multiple benefits to society. The framework defines what sustainable forest management means in Canada and it measures our performance. My department is also playing a lead role globally in formulating international criteria and indicators. We need a global consensus on what constitutes sustainable development and how it is measured. The CCFM agreed that Canada should aggressively pursue a global forest convention on sustainable forest management to ensure a strong level of commitment. Our credibility will also be enhanced by the work you have done with the Canadian Standards Assn. to develop national standards for sustainable forest management. By bringing the question of forest certification to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), you have extended your domestic leadership in setting standards to the international arena.

I urge you to continue to push the envelope, to seek out new technologies and better forestry practices. I urge you to strive for continuous improvement on environmental issues. And I encourage you to work closely with the rural communities that depend on you, as well as with governments, the environmental community, and other interested stakeholders.

Anne McLellan is Minster of Justice
and Attorney General, Government of Canada. This is excerpted from a speech given to the Canadian Pulp and Paper Assn.

in January 1997 when Ms. McLellan was Minister of Natural Resources.

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