MONTREAL -- The world's leading forest certification organization, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), will hold its triennial global General Assembly in Canada for the first time from October 8-13, 2017, in Vancouver. 800 people from more than 80 countries, including leaders in global forestry, will be attending to focus on how to enhance responsible forestry worldwide.

As FSC's highest decision making body, the General Assembly (GA) sets the direction for the organization for the coming years, with several important areas of responsible forest management, conservation and sustainability on the agenda. These include, among others, the protection of High Conservation Value areas such as Intact Forest Landscapes, ensuring the rights and participation of Indigenous Peoples in forest development, and the future directions for forest restoration and conservation, all while permitting forests to continue to supply the vital products the world depends on for many purposes.

"This is a essential time in the development of FSC and forest certification as we address the issues that are key to the success not just of FSC but the future of the world's forests," said Kim Carstensen, Director General of FSC, which is headquartered in Bonn, Germany. "We made a lot of progress at our last General Assembly in 2014 with the launch of several new initiatives. In Vancouver we will review how we have progressed and chart a clear path forward to continue our work."

High Level Forum and side events

One of the highlights of the General Assembly is the High Level Forum and side events. During three days, high-profile speakers from some of the most representative businesses, social and environmental advocacy groups will explore the role that FSC can play as a voluntary certification scheme for responsible forest management and how to incentivize consumer demand for sustainably sourced forest products.

The first High Level Forum will be dedicated to The True Value of Forests, where participants will discuss the extent of the contribution of forests to society. The Forum's second day will be on Solid Wood, which will include discussions on identifying the market drivers for certified solid wood products regionally and internationally and the increasing importance of green building. The final High Level Forum debate, FSC in our Daily Lives, will explore how companies are leading the way in promoting sustainable consumer trends.

Among the speakers participating in the High Level Forum are: Michael Green, a Vancouver based architect who is leading the use of wood in construction; Peter Lantin, President of the Haida Nation; and Sarah Chandler, Director of Operations, Product Development and Environmental Initiatives at Apple Inc.

Other confirmed speakers at the General Assembly are Doug Donaldson, British Columbia Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development; Luc Blanchette, Quebec Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks; and Glenn Mason, Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Forest Services of Natural Resources Canada.

Numerous side events at the General Assembly will also offer engaging debates on the current issues that directly touch upon world forestry. Canada's Boreal forest will be a highlight of these where participants will be able to understand the importance this biome has for Canada's forestry industry and the global environment.

"We look forward to hosting delegates from around the world at the General Assembly in Vancouver and collaborating on vital decisions that will affect how our forest certification process will meet the requirement for responsible forestry in the 21st century," said François Dufresne, President, FSC Canada. "The collaborative process of FSC in addressing these issues with all stakeholders present is the key to our success."

SIG, Green Sponsor of the 2017 General Assembly

SIG, one of the world's leading solution providers for the food and beverage industry within the field of carton packs and filling technology, is the 2017 General Assembly's Green sponsor.

Since 2009, SIG has led the industry in providing FSC-certified carton packs that can be traced back to source and in 2016, the company secured a sufficient supply of FSC-certified liquid packaging board to guarantee its customers the choice of including the FSC label on any of its carton packs. More than 60 billion SIG packs have now been sold with the FSC label, demonstrating the company's commitment to responsible sourcing.

The generous support of SIG will facilitate the attendance of FSC members who otherwise may not have the resources required to attend the assembly and exercise their membership rights.

Additional support for the FSC General Assembly is provided by: Kingfisher, Fibria, IKEA, CMPC, TetraPak, International Paper, Kimberly-Clark, Precious Woods, Mondi, Lenzing, Klabin, Sappi, Arauco, Greenberg Traurig, Tembec, Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill, Air Canada, WWF, Sveaskog, National Wildlife Federation, Mercer and BWI.

Full details about the General Assembly are available at www.ga2017.fsc.org .

****

Jim Thompson is back again...with a new book on a taboo subject: the personalities in the pulp & paper industry. Jim has written in the past on many subjects based on his four plus decades in the worldwide pulp and paper industry. This new book is packed full of information valuable to the senior member of the industry as well as the recent entrant. A must for every pulp and paper library.