WWF Engages with Business Leaders to Support Responsible Forestry

The Global Forest & Trade Network-North America (GFTN-NA) hosted its second annual meeting for companies in its program that have made commitments to responsible forest management and trade, as well as other businesses interested in responsible purchasing. The meeting provided a unique forum in which attendees had access to information, tools, resources, peers and industry experts to help North American wood and paper purchasers in their environmental commitments supporting a more sustainable global forest products industry. Attendees included representatives from companies participating in the GFTN-NA program, including Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., and Domtar, as well as International Paper, Georgia Pacific, Office Depot, The Coca-Cola Company, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Capital One, USAID, US Department of Justice, Rainforest Alliance and Forest Stewardship Council-US. During the meeting the GFTN-NA announced a significant milestone: Kimberly-Clark, Hewlett-Packard, and Tetra Pak have all joined the GFTN-NA, committing to sourcing and trading responsibly harvested forest products to help protect the world’s most valuable and threatened forests.

Presentations covered topics including the amended Lacey Act, successes and challenges with responsible purchasing, and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. In addition, GFTN Managers from China, Russia, Malaysia and Brazil explained how businesses can help green their supply chains between North America and these key international sourcing regions.

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