Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) said to have the best standard for green paper

Sometimes you can't see the forest for the acronyms and publishers who are considering doing the right thing when it comes to paper can become confused by the conflicting claims of the various certification bodies out there: FSC, CSA, PEFC, SFI.

Some clarity may be forthcoming (though there will be disagreement between the contending standards), with new research conducted by ÉEM Inc., a Montreal-based management consulting firm and released by environmental publishing advocates Markets Initiative. Markets Initiative commissioned the study and reported it released the study at an industry conference in September, so it is therefore not surprising that they're publicizing the results in which ÉEM concluded independently that Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to be the most effective certification system for achieving sustainable forest management in Canada.

Unlike the other certification systems, namely CSA, SFI and PEFC, FSC is the only one that prohibits the use of genetically modified trees, prevents the conversion of natural forest to plantations and requires a precautionary approach to the management of areas with high conservation value, says the Markets Initiative release.

“Forest certification schemes have competed for recognition in the market place for years, but this research clearly shows FSC as being the ideal choice when it comes to sustainability,” said Nicole Rycroft, executive director of Vancouver-based Markets Initiative.

“Given the growth of green markets in Canada and around the world, this research can serve as a clear guide for the increasing number of customers looking for environmental solutions.”

Many magazines, including The Walrus, Cottage Life and explore, and NOW have adopted paper with maximized recycled and agricultural residue content, and virgin fibre from FSC- certified forests that helps safeguard ancient and endangered forests.

Because of the market demand created by these publishers, more than 50 new papers have been developed with ecological attributes and close to a million trees have been saved by publishers printing on Ancient Forest Friendly and eco-friendly papers. Building on this shift, in September, the Ontario government developed a paper purchasingpolicy that gives preference to recycled content and FSC virgin fibre, Markets Initiative said.

“Being the only forest certification comparison that looks at the four North American schemes as they apply in Canada, we hope those in the private and public sectors will use it as a resource as they move forward with environmental paper initiatives,” said Paul MacLean, President of ÉEM Inc. ÉEM’s findings also show the use of recycled content is paramount to any credible environmental solution.