SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE 2YEARS SFI-00001 1995-20205 BETTER CHOICES FOR THE PLANET 2020 SFI PROGRESS REPORT 18-month calendar July 2020–December 2021 SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE 2YEARS SFI-00001 1995-20205 IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR PLANET. People and organizations are seeking solutions that don’t just reduce negative impacts but ensure positive contributions to the long-term health of people and the planet. SFI-certified forests and products are powerful tools to achieve shared goals such as climate action, reduced waste, conservation of biodiversity, education of future generations, and sustainable economic development. SFI PROVIDES PRACTICAL, SCALABLE SOLUTIONS FOR MARKETS AND COMMUNITIES WORKING TO PURSUE THIS GROWING COMMITMENT TO A SUSTAINABLE PLANET. When companies, consumers, educators, community, and sustainability leaders collaborate with SFI, they are making active, positive choices to achieve a sustainable future. Our mission is to advance sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. For 25 years, SFI has been a leader in sustainable forest management through our standards. In recent years, we have built on our successes and evolved into a solutions-oriented sustainability organization that addresses local, national, and global challenges. Our recently updated mission, to advance sustainability through forest-focused collaborations, reflects this focus. Climate change, biodiversity, strength in diversity, clean water, the future of our youth, the importance of a walk in the forest, and the sustainability and resilience of our communities—these are some of the important issues that the SFI community is working to address. Thank you for We also realized that we will need a new generation of leaders to help us tackle the future challenges being a part of facing our planet. This led to the acquisition of Project Learning Tree in 2017 and the creation of Project Learning Tree Canada that same year. We believe that this increased focus on environmental education the SFI will help SFI make an even bigger difference. By leveraging our network to grow PLT and PLT Canada, community and we will help ensure our positive impact for another 25 years and beyond. for helping us I believe our work is more important now than ever before and our commitment to forests and the social and environmental benefits they provide will continue to position us to meet future challenges. make better Thank you, choices for the Kathy Abusow planet. President and CEO SFI Inc STANDARDS PEOPLE AND COMPANIES ARE A GLOBAL REACH LOOKING FOR BETTER SOLUTIONS TO EASE PRESSURES ON THE PLANET — practical choices that will conserve nature, mitigate climate change, and cut waste and pollution. Choosing certified DELIVERING 11%OF THE WORLD’S OF GLOBAL sustainable forest products is a great 38% FORESTS ARE ROUNDWOOD PRODUCTION way to protect species, combat climate CERTIFIED change, reduce plastic pollution, and PRODUCTS CERTIFIED TO SFI STANDARDS ARE protect water supplies. SOLD IN SFI STANDARDS HAVE BECOME THE SFI accounts FASTEST GROWING, HIGHLY TRUSTED COUNTRIES for almost SOLUTION that can support a growing need for products from the forest, as the drive to reduce carbon pollution SFI’s international recognition is increased by the endorsement of the Programme for the Endorsement 35% and waste intensifies. We are working of global of Forest Certification (PEFC). PEFC is an important to shape markets today and ensure certified forests and of PEFC certifications international umbrella program that facilitates the worldwide that sustainably managed forests will recognition of credible certification. 46% continue to play a crucial role in keeping the planet healthy. PEFC/29-1-1 Promoting Sustainable Forest Management www.pefc.org MARKET RELEVANCE AND CONSUMER RECOGNITION SCALING FOR IMPACT OF U.S. CONSUMERS ARE 2.5 MILLION TREES 54% AWARE OF THE SFI LOGO WERE PLANTED EVERY DAY ACROSS THE U.S. AND CANADA MORE THAN ANY BY SFI-CERTIFIED ORGANIZATIONS IN 2019 OTHER CERTIFICATION STANDARD according to a 2020 survey 375 MILLION ACRES / certified to the SFI Forest conducted by Two Sides Management Standard 152 MILLION HECTARES OF MILLENNIALS WHO ARE AWARE OF THE SFI LABEL SAY IT IS A FSC 74% POSITIVE INFLUENCE WHEN THEY ARE MAKING PRODUCT DECISIONS CSA ATFS COMPARED WITH 62% OF BOOMERS according to a 2020 survey conducted by EcoFocus Worldwide THE SFI FIBER SOURCING STANDARD ADVANCES SUSTAINABILITY BY ELEVATING PROCUREMENT TOP THREE REASONS SFI-CERTIFIED ORGANIZATIONS PRACTICES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE ON TENS OF MILLIONS OF ACRES OF FORESTLAND WHICH USE THE SFI LOGO: 1. CREATES A POSITIVE CORPORATE IMAGE MEANS MORE CONSERVATION OF SPECIES AND WATER 2. PROOF POINT FOR RESPONSIBLE SOURCING QUALITY ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE. 3. REPRESENTS A RIGOROUS STANDARD CONSERVATION SFI IS THE ONLY STANDARD WITH A REQUIREMENT FOR RESEARCH THERE IS A GROWING AWARENESS THAT IF WE WANT TO GRAPPLE WITH FOREST HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY – 37% CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER QUALITY, LANDSCAPE/ECOSYSTEM – 12% WASTE REDUCTION, AND SPECIES $ WILDLIFE AND FISH – 12% LOSS, TAKING GOOD CARE OF OUR 57 FOREST OPERATIONS EFFICIENCIES – 11% FORESTS IS FUNDAMENTAL. Unique MILLION in forest research WATER QUALITY – 9% among certification standards, SFI in 2019 ALL OTHER RESEARCH AREAS – 19% mandates innovative and impactful conservation research that builds knowledge and improves forest NO OTHER FORESTRY outcomes. We provide a value-added STANDARD HAS A RESEARCH REQUIREMENT solution for customers of forest products who want to know that the Since 1995, SFI-certified companies have directly companies they source from are invested nearly $1.8 billion in forest research. In contributing to conservation results that $ 2019, 70% of these investments were allocated to improve the health of the planet. 1.8 BILLION conservation-related objectives. OF RESEARCH FUNDING IS LINKED TO 70% CONSERVATION-RELATED OBJECTIVES A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION CONSERVATION IMPACT ENSURE CLEAN WATER AND APPROPRIATE DIFFERENT CONSERVATION AND HABITAT FOR FISH LIKE TROUT AND SALMON RESEARCH PROJECTS REPORTED BY SFI-CERTIFIED COMPANIES IN 2019 RESTORE RARE FOREST TYPES AND HABITAT, INCLUDING 524 LONGLEAF PINE, AND FORESTED WETLANDS MAINTAIN AND RESTORE HABITAT FOR SPECIES AT RISK WITH MORE THAN 900UNIQUE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE SUSTAINABLY MANAGED FORESTS CAPTURE CARBON 24% GOVERNMENT FASTER THAN UNTOUCHED FORESTS, BECAUSE 17% CONSERVATION YOUNGER TREES—PLANTED AFTER OLDER TREES ARE IN MULTIPLE SECTORS ACADEMIC INCLUDING: 13% HARVESTED—CAPTURE CARBON FASTER THAN OLDER 10% COMMUNITY TREES AS THEY GROW. 10% RESEARCH 26% OTHER COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES RELY ON FORESTS FOR JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SFI-TRAINED PROFESSIONAL HARVESTERS RECREATIONAL BENEFITS, AND HUMAN HEALTH. These links between people and forests have always been 34% important, but are even more relevant in 96% an increasingly connected and changing 1995 2019 world. Our work is focused on nurturing IN 2019, 96% OF ALL FIBER SUPPLIED a positive relationship between people TO SFI-CERTIFIED MILLS DELIVERED BY who live near and work in forests and TRAINED HARVESTING PROFESSIONALS the goals of a sustainable marketplace and healthy forests. SFI IS PRESENT IN COMMUNITIES RESOURCE THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND CANADA, AND HARVESTING PROFESSIONALS engaging locally to strengthen participated in training in 2019 to ensure 10,965 understanding of water quality, biodiversity, and partnerships and mutual understanding to reduce friction and build solutions other sustainable forest practice requirements (cumulative total since 1995: 213,977*). that are better for the planet and support the needs of consumers and *This total may include individuals who have completed training programs more than once. Data provided by Forest Resources Association. workers alike. SFI NETWORK 375 MILLION ACRES % OF 152 MILLION HECTARES provincial, state, and 96 IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR regional SFI Implementation 34 Committees OUTDOOR RECREATION $77 MILLION INVESTED BY SFI IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEES IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1995 NEARLY to support training of In 2019, the INDIGENOUS GROUPS resource and harvesting investment professionals, outreach to totaled family forest owners, and NEARLY environmental education. $2.6 million AND THEIR BUSINESSES HAVE ADOPTED, SUPPORT, AND ACTIVELY UTILIZE THE SFI FOREST MANAGEMENT 40INDIGENOUS STANDARD SFI COMMUNITY GRANTS COMMUNITIES enhanced capacity of SFI Implementation 15 Committees to support local communities and created impacts at scale with 78 partners SFI DIRECTLY SUPPORTS HABITAT across U.S. and Canada. FOR HUMANITY CANADA’S INDIGENOUS HOUSING PARTNERSHIP EDUCATION PLT U.S. BUILDING A NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP THAT WILL TAKE 3 MILLION RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES STUDENTS REACHED AND MARKET NEEDS IS ONE OF THE THROUGH AND BEST INVESTMENTS A SOCIETY CAN NEARLY SINCE PLT BEGAN MAKE. SFI works with educators and + IN 2019 others who help teach environmental 14,000 750 EDUCATORS WORKSHOPS knowledge, using modern techniques and the latest information about how to create a world where more people HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND know how to make better choices for LESSON PLANS FOR PRE-K–12 OVER the planet. Project Learning Tree, SFI’s PLT’S CARBON & CLIMATE 250 environmental education program, CURRICULUM WAS advances environmental literacy, SELECTED A LEARNING® stewardship, and career pathways using MAGAZINE 2020 TEACHERS’ of PLT’s lessons trees and forests as windows