FWPA organised and hosted a five-part webinar series on current opportunities and obligations associated with sustainability reporting in the Australian forestry sector.
Following these important opportunities for industry awareness raising and consultation, it was agreed by stakeholders to explore the potential for an industry-wide approach.
The sessions were conducted in light of the increasing obligations faced by individual companies and the industry as a whole, from regulators, investors and global supply chains, to report on a wide range of sustainability issues.
“It was felt there may be opportunities for collaboration at a regional, state or national level, to create common data collection templates, develop a system for data aggregation, or set common targets,” explained Ric Sinclair.
The sessions were well-attended by industry stakeholders from across the supply chain, as key national and international speakers shared details on the various mechanisms for reporting on the sector’s environmental credentials.
A range of sustainability-focused topics was covered including global programs and practical tools, what banks and investors want to know about the industry before making a financial commitment, natural capital accounting, and how other sectors are approaching similar challenges. Recordings of each session are available upon request.
During the interactive sessions, participants were encouraged to consider and share their thoughts on the different approaches, as well as current obligations and trends.
Following the webinar series, interested participants were invited to join a collaborative online workshop to discuss opportunities for regional or sector-wide reporting. During this session, it was agreed to explore approaches to localising the World Business Council on Sustainable Development’s Forest Sector Road Map.
More details on the next steps in this project will be shared in future editions of ForWood.
