Understanding key risks in the fibre supply chain: Group work summary

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Much of the recent print and paper roundtable was devoted to group work. Below is a summary of the discussions on four key questions:

• What are the drivers for certified fibre?
• What environmental information do paper buyers require and what is provided by paper suppliers?
• If the forestry industry is built around highly sustainable operations compared to other industries, why is this not reflected in consumer opinion?

• Which industry actors and information sources are most helpful in supporting the industry's sustainability message?

What are the drivers for certified fibre?

The group identified a number of relevant drivers and unsurprisingly opinions varied. There was a wide recognition of the contribution of corporate polices on behalf of major customers – this linked to the bigger picture of retailers wanting to 'do good'.

However, delegates felt that fibre certification is only one part of the response to such drivers, which are perhaps more about good governance and the specifying of certified fibre is simply a rational means of controlling risk.

There was a general consensus that consumer opinion does not reflect the fact that the forestry industry is a leader in traceability and sustainable practice compared to other sectors, such as the palm oil industry.

With a dramatic reduction of the amount of forests coming under FSC/PEFC certification, with most certified forests now in the North, views were expressed that the relatively high cost of certification, which originally emerged as a response to a perceived problem with imported timber from the Far East for example, was identified as a barrier to further certification. As demand for certified fibre outstrips supply, this is possibly becoming a growing threat to the industry.

It was generally felt that the reliance on fibre certification as ‘the only’ solution to market demands for sustainability, is not good for the industry. The role of ‘recycled content’ was recognised as being important but suffers from public misunderstanding over the limits of the recycled market.

The group felt that the industry needs to stand up for itself more against emotive media news stories which aren’t necessarily relevant to the paper industry – such as the threat to natural habitats due to deforestation. It was also felt that the differences between certified and uncertified need to be more widely understood by the general public and industry outsiders.

What environmental information do paper buyers require and what is provided by paper suppliers? Are the two in tune?

Most agreed that the information provided by suppliers and required by buyers is out of alignment, with the quality varying company by company. Some companies, but not all, provide information using Paper Profile, although the value also varies here. It was noted that LCA data from mills will be increasingly required.

The greatest focus on information is when dealing business to business, where comparatively the alignment is greater than when dealing direct with the consumer. Here there is a lack of understanding of consumer expectations and how to respond.

The three primary information requirements were noted as:

• Certification / Chain of custody
• Energy source/use

• Environmental management

If the forestry industry is built around highly sustainable operations compared to other industries, why is this not reflected in consumer opinion?

A number of themes emerged in response to this question.

• The industry has been slow to respond to concerns about sustainable business practices – but with the global industry pulling together this can still be reversed.
• Clear, simple and consistent messages are required that can be understood and believed by the consumer.

• There is a need for the industry to work together as a whole, to combat consumer opinion which is often based on the perceptions of a few bad companies. The group felt that the paper industry and its value chain needs to be able to stand together with a common set of minimum standards.

Which of the industry actors and information sources are most helpful in supporting the industry's sustainability message?

The underlying view of the group was that no single organisation is currently going to provide the solution to all of the issues that had been discussed during the round table. It was noted that initiatives like Two Sides were being particularly helpful in terms of providing information, and it was agreed that government could be more useful both in its support and by sending a clearer and more informed message through its policies.