Foreword

The use of forests to make wood-based products is in the midst of a paradigm shift. Environmental perspectives on harvesting trees from forests have often been moulded from bad examples, poor past practices, and deforestation occurring beyond the UNECE region. Forest harvesting and, by association, wood products have often been characterized as counter to environmental best practices, but this view is changing. In the UNECE region, forests have continued to expand and grow in volume, despite population growth and increasing demands on forests in the region. Moreover, the amenities provided by forests – such as scenery, carbon storage, clean air, wildlife habitat, watershed control and filtration, erosion protection and livelihoods (which are particularly crucial in rural areas) – are now integral parts of forest management. The majority of wood-based products sold in the UNECE region come from forests that are strictly regulated by governments to ensure their sustainability or which have independent certification confirming that the forests in which they are harvested are managed sustainably.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Responsible Consumption and Production

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions