Sustainable Forestry
How can Canada’s forest sector support a more sustainable future
Whether it’s reducing our emissions, helping our forests retain their carbon capture potential, growing our green economy, or providing environmentally friendly alternatives to the products we use every day, we’re doing our part to support a net-zero carbon future.
Sustainably-managed forests can be among the most powerful tools in our climate action toolbox. As stewards of this renewable resource, we take that responsibility seriously.
It’s that commitment to sustainability that will help our forests - and the sustainably sourced, renewable products they provide - play an important role in our net-zero future.
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Wildfires
Restoring our forests natural life cycle
Though wildfires are part of a forest’s natural lifecycle, they are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of climate change. With the projected rate of climate change expected to grow 10 to 100 times faster than the ability of our forests to migrate naturally, we need to be working with nature to help them adapt to the changing climate.
Using the latest science, researchers are finding new ways to minimize the impacts of these disturbances. Modern methods of harvesting are intended to mimic natural growth cycles to minimize the impact of human intervention while mitigating the severity of climate change.
Some new forest management strategies are to regenerate harvested areas with trees that are better adapted to future climate conditions. Active tree thinning and carefully-planned harvesting not only removes the decay and debris that can accelerate wildfires, but the debris can then be turned into bioenergy which helps communities reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
The active monitoring and adjusting of harvesting schedules are being altered to favour older, insect-damaged stands. This can help us avoid catastrophic wildfires and regenerate these high-risk trees with healthier, younger forests.
Bioenergy
Utilizing natural sustainable fuel sources
As climate change and global warming become more urgent, Canada’s forest sector is exploring new ways to deliver the secure, affordable, and sustainable energy that will help decarbonize our economy and reduce our country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
By converting wood chips, sawdust, and bark - materials that might otherwise be considered “waste” - into the bioenergy, our sector has created a renewable, low-carbon energy source to power our operations and reduce emissions.
That same technology has the potential to not only help Canada’s remote communities reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, but to help other sectors of the economy decarbonize and our country as a whole reduce its carbon footprint.
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Read up on a multitude of other sustainable and forest related topics
Biodiversity
Canada's Carbon Sink
Indigenous Partnerships
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Join our community and help us create a sustainable future
Join thousands of Canadians coming together to support Canada’s sustainable forest sector and learn more about what we’re doing to support a net-zero carbon future.