Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-Based Products: Version 3.2

Decisions regarding the purchase and use of wood and paper-based products can have far-reaching, long-term impacts on the forests where they are harvested and the people and industries that depend on those forests for their livelihoods and raw materials.

This joint WRI/WBCSD publication provides information about 10 key issues procurement managers might address as they develop and implement their procurement policies:

• Origin: Where do the products come from?
• Information accuracy: Is information about the products credible?
• Legality: Have the products been legally produced?
• Sustainability: Have forests been sustainably managed?
• Unique Forest Values: Have unique forest values been protected?
• Climate change: Have climate issues been addressed?
• Environmental protection: Have appropriate environmental controls been applied?
• Fresh and recycled fiber: Has fresh and recycled fiber been used appropriately?
• Other resources: Have other resources been used appropriately?
• Local communities and indigenous peoples: Have the needs of local communities or indigenous peoples been addressed?

The guide also provides a catalogue of helpful tools and resources (see “guides to the guides” section) and explains the maze of terminology around sustainable forest products. Version 3 (December 2012) of this guide incorporates the most up-to-date developments on the legality of forest products, new technological developments to control wood and paper supply chains and increase their transparency, and an expanded chapter on the social implications of forest products. Version 3.2 (December 2014) updates the chapters on climate change and fresh and recycled fibers, and adds new resources to the Guide to the Guides section.

Find out more at http://www.SustainableForestProducts.org