Re: Ontario’s bold but somewhat vague climate-change plan, June 10
Ontario’s bold but somewhat vague climate-change plan, June 10
Thomas Walkom wrote that trees are an antidote to climate change “only if the trees aren’t cut down for lumber or pulp.”
But study after study has shown that harvesting a mature tree after it has absorbed years of carbon, storing that carbon in a product, and then replanting, as our industry does by law and practice, is more of an “antidote” for climate change than not harvesting at all. At some point in their life cycle, older trees actually become net emitters of carbon.
The forest products industry and its commitment to sustainable forestry are important parts of the fight against climate change. The latest step, as reported by the Star’s Tim Harper on May 3, is the industry’s “30 by 30” pledge to cut more than 30 MT of GHGs by 2030 – more than 13 per cent of the federal government’s commitment to reduce emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.Ontarians should be proud that Canada is a model for sustainable forestry – forests are replanted and naturally regenerated after harvest. That’s why the Ontario and Canadian forest products sector is a global leader on climate change and many other key social issues, and an important part of communities across the country.
Derek Nighbor, CEO, Forest Products Association of Canada, and Jamie Lim, President and CEO, Ontario Forest Industries Association