VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Western Forest Products Inc. said its recently released 2020 Sustainability Report confirms the positive role its “sustainable forest management practices and wood products have in fighting against climate change.”

The company calculated that its sustainable forest management practices and other sustainability activities detailed in the report were responsible for removing the equivalence of 14.2 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere during 2018 and 2019. The company said this is equal to removing 1.54 million cars from the road per year. In addition, Western said the forests it manages sequester 1.4 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

"Sustainability is ingrained in Western's vision and values and I am tremendously proud of the progress we have made to confirm the positive impact our business makes," said Don Demens, president and CEO. "Our sustainable forest management practices and the wood products we manufacture play a key role in reducing global greenhouse gases. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of nurturing and building positive relationships with our people, First Nations, customers, communities, and other stakeholders."

Highlights of Western’s 2020 Sustainability Report include:

• 100% of its managed tenures are third-party certified;
• 100% of identified wildlife features were retained in 2020;
• The number of big trees conserved in 2020 increased 27% compared to 2019; and
• More than three trees were replated for every tree harvested in 2020.

The report also notes that the company experienced zero work-related COVID-19 transmissions and that 38% of its board of directors and executive officers are women, “well above industry averages.”

Western is an integrated forest products company focused on supplying logs and lumber to global softwood markets. The company operates eight sawmills and four remanufacturing facilities with a capacity in excess of 1.1 billion board feet. They are primarily located in British Columbia or Washington state. 

Read Western’s 2020 Sustainability Report.