Sustainable forest management – the key strategy

• Expand efforts to further bring the world’s forests under sustainable management, accommodating the multiple and varied economic, social and ecological values and benefits of forests.
• Develop local management capacity and support policy reform to reduce deforestation in developing countries as proposed by the REDD+ mechanism.

Produce and use more wood on a sustainable basis – the key outcome

• The many benefits of sustainable forest-based products and bio-energy can only be realized if public policies:
  • Promote development of adequate supplies of wood from sustainably managed forests;
  • Support the mitigation and adaptation roles of forest owners by helping them keep forested land in forest, improve forest productivity, and increase the recovery of forest residuals;
  • Help minimize competition for the land used to produce food, energy and industrial raw materials;
  • Recognize the GHG mitigation and adaptation benefits of carbon stored in harvested wood products, and when substituted for more GHG-intensive alternatives;
  • Optimize fiber recovery and its use and re-use – as products first, and finally as a source of energy.

Avoid counterproductive policy impacts and technology barriers – the key requirement

• Mitigation or adaptation strategies involving the supply and use of forest biomass should be market-driven, rather than relying on subsidies, incentives or mandates.
• Policies should support the mitigation role of forest products manufacturers by helping them expand the use of CHP (Combined Heat and Power), invest in low-GHG emitting technologies, and facilitate the early adoption of these technologies.
• A level global playing field in terms of carbon policy impacts will avoid carbon leakage.