Thanks for the facts and approaches outline and Joint Principles Statement David.
As expected, environmental organizations have a slightly different take (some would say quite a different take) and are concerned about overselling the existing scientific data and ultimately not meeting our targets on climate and biodiversity.
In the interest of discussion and a more precautionary approach, a number of environmental/conservation reps on the CAWG put together the following working text for a context and vision for what we are trying to accomplish:
CONTEXT
In order to address the interconnected dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, it is critical that we move as fast and far as possible to reduce embodied carbon in the built environment, creating buildings whose net carbon footprint is neutral or even negative. To accomplish this, we must find ways to minimize the climate impacts of forest products, including mass timber, and promote better outcomes for forests, the climate and people. The IPCC has warned that we have less than 10 years to drastically reduce our emissions from fossil- and land-based sources at levels sufficient to avert catastrophic global warming. Given the scale and urgency of the problem, business as usual is clearly not enough; we must effect a fundamental transformation of our relationship to forests, setting and pursuing ambitious goals for their conservation, restoration and stewardship.
VISION STATEMENT : By 2030…
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North America’s remaining primary forests and intact forest landscapes – areas that have not been significantly disturbed by human activity – have long since been permanently protected , and conservation measures have been extended to encompass significant areas of previously logged forest, allowing the recovery of ecosystems and enhancing stores of forest carbon.
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Forest restoration has occurred across wide areas and conversion to non-forest uses has been halted , thereby increasing the area of North American forests, extending habitat, rebuilding ecological integrity and resilience and increasing the provision of crucial environmental services such as water quality, flood control, etc.
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Forest management practices have become climate smarter. Through strengthened voluntary and regulatory approaches, incentives such as tax and high-quality carbon credits, and other means, overall carbon stores in working forests have been substantially increased and their diversity, integrity and resilience has improved.
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Plantations now complement natural forests, no longer replacing them through conversion . Many previous plantations have been managed toward more natural conditions, including by incorporating restoration areas.
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The transformation of our relationship to forests has increased social and economic justice and improved human health. In particular, the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples and people of color have been advanced. Frontline communities of all kinds are empowered to participate in decisions affecting their well-being. Use of highly hazardous chemicals in forestry is tightly restricted to protect public health.
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Forest certification systems independently verify climate-smarter forestry and facilitate the procurement of climate-smart wood through certified chains of custody. Their standards require forest practices well above current legal minimums and implement landscape-level solutions that preserve forest ecosystems.
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Life cycle assessment and forest carbon accounting methods developed by independent, science-driven institutions provide the basis for verified, transparent and accurate information on the carbon footprint of wood products (for example, by reflecting the differential impact of different approaches to management on stores of carbon in forests of origin) and thereby permit valid comparisons of wood with other building materials.
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Carbon stored in wood products is maintained for longer than one cycle through reclamation, recycling, or re-use. Extending the useful lifetime of products significantly reduces the pressure to harvest virgin timber and contributes to the circular economy with concomitant climate benefits.
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Building professionals have supported all of these changes by driving the procurement of wood products from climate-smarter forestry and from recycled, reclaimed or salvaged sources.
This is still a work in progress and will continue to be through the Summit as we compare notes. As opposed to meeting an unlimited demand, there is still some discussion in our circle around how to use progressively fewer wood products in order to achieve our goals in nature based climate solutions and biodiversity conservation.
No one said this was going to be easy. At least it seems that there are some parallel themes emerging on which there may be some common interest and support.
The Summit (and hopefully post-Summit) will explore some of these issues and I trust that we can come to a common understanding of the accepted science and the important role forests must play in climate solutions as well as biodiversity protection.
Thanks to all for their insights and inputs to date.