Two Sides has responded to a Global Paper Vision being promoted by more than 100 civil society groups including World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) that addresses climate change, human rights and new expectations for corporate transparency.
The vision is the product of more than a year’s consultations under the umbrella of the Environmental Paper Network. A key launch activity for the vision is a global conversation about how paper can present powerful opportunities to protect our air, water, forests climate, and communities.
Emmanuelle Neyroumande, Pulp and Paper Global Manager at WWF International said, ‘Paper is such an everyday product that it offers numerous pathways into promoting a fairer, more sustainable use of natural resources in practical ways. The Global Paper Vision sets out aspirations that can, and should be, picked up by policy makers, producers and paper users.’
Major elements of the Vision include reducing global paper consumption and promoting fair access to paper, maximising the content of recycled fibres, responsible sourcing of fibre, clean production and reduced greenhouse gas emissions along with a suite of measures to enhance the transparency and social responsibility of paper production and consumption.
Two Sides has released the following statement in response to the report: ‘Of course, paper uses trees but the vast majority of responsible manufacturers replant and ensure that forest resources remain for generations to come. In Europe, the area of forest has increased by 30% over the last 60 years, equivalent to 1.5 million football pitches every year. Across the world the paper industry is responsible for about 11% of the total forest cut and up to 17% if its use of construction waste and other by-products are considered. In reality forest clearing for fuel and construction are by far the biggest users of wood.
‘There are certainly some regional problems in forest clearing for the production of paper and the work of NGOs is crucial to create pressure to improve standards. However there are many myths about the impact of the paper industry which, if propagated, create a false impression of a largely responsible and environmentally conscious industry.’
