Unsustainable logging by some businesses in the paper industry degrades forests, accelerates climate change and leads to wildlife loss. Such practices also affect people who depend directly on forests.
How can this trend be reversed?
Through the Pulp and Paper programme, WWF engages with stakeholders to bring about sustainable forestry, clean pulp and paper manufacturing, and promote responsible paper consumption.
What are the solutions?
- Wood fibres can be grown, sourced and re-used in a responsible way. Maximizing the use of recycled fibres and sourcing virgin fibre from credibly certified natural forests and plantations can reduce paper’s ecological footprint.
- With the use of clean technology, the manufacturing processes can minimize pulp and paper products’ impacts on climate change and water. Carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacturing process can be reduced by investing in new plants, retrofitting existing plants, heat recovery and increased paper recycling.
- Sustainable consumption practices can also help to reduce the environmental impact of paper.
The WWF Pulp and Paper Programme is:
- Promoting responsible pulpwood sourcing, clean pulp and paper production, responsible paper use, and transparency across the pulp and paper sector.
- Supporting the conservation of forest regions in WWF’s priority places where the pulp and paper industry is a key actor.
- Working with pulp & paper producers and buyers towards responsible production and consumption of paper products.
- Coordinating with the WWF Global Forest Trade Network, an initiative which supports responsible trade of timber and paper products.
- Working on responsible pulpwood plantations. WWF’s joint initiative with partners, the New Generation Plantations Project (NGPP) calls upon the forest products industry, regulators, financiers and other stakeholders to work collectively to develop and promote the adoption of the best practices in plantation forestry.
- Supporting responsible finance across the pulp and paper sector.
- Promoting fairer access to paper resources globally, including reducing wasteful consumption. In order to achieve this, we have joined forces with some 100 NGOs on the European Environmental Paper Network.
