甚麼是永續林業?

Written by Kristin Dispenza

減少紙的用量已成為這綠色運動中，最具有指標性也最易令人理解的訴求。縱使森林管理是對保存森林棲地和木材供應最關鍵的方式，然而，我們對此的認知仍然模糊。現在，大部分的消費者了解到，在木製品上尋找森林管理委員(Forest Stewardship Council (FSC))的標章是一個環保的選擇，以保證這些產品是在永續的情況下被製造的。但是，這標章究竟代表甚麼? 我們還可以再更深入地探討永續林業嗎?

Reducing paper usage has been one of the most iconic and understandable of the green movement’s mandates. The intricacies of forest management have remained obscure to most of us, however, although forest management is the real key to preserving woodland habitats as well as our wood supply. Most consumers now recognize that it is an eco-friendly choice to look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label on wood products, to guarantee that they are sustainably produced … but what does this label mean, exactly, and is there more to the story of sustainable forestry?

為了有最佳的表現，世界上的森林必須能夠維持它們生態上的功能，同時提供人類經濟文化上的需求。當我們汲汲營營地想要達到這樣投機的平衡時，各種(而且通常互相衝突的)森林管理模式出現了。有些維持了非常高的環保標準，但掙扎於產品訂價和供應量。其他的有可能不及特定的環保標準，但幫助規模較小的森林擁有者，和更多的消費者，提升他們的對環保的底限。

永續林業第一次被聯合國重視是在1992年，在里約熱內盧舉行的環境與發展會議(UNCED)。至今，聯合國持續研擬保護全球森林的政策。

To perform optimally, the world’s forests must be able to maintain their ecological functions while still providing for the economic and cultural needs of humans. As we strive to achieve this tricky balance, various, and often competing, forest management programs have been created. Some maintain very high environmental standards but struggle with product pricing and availability; others may fail to meet certain ecological benchmarks but help smaller forest owners, as well as a broader consumer base, elevate their baseline green standards.

Sustainable forestry was first recognized as a priority by the United Nations at the 1992 Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro. The United Nations continues to work today to develop policies that will protect the world’s forests.

全球性永續林業認證系統：

Global Sustainable Forestry Certification Programs

森林管理委員 會(FSC)是一個非政府、非營利組織，成立於1993年。
提供：
‧森林管理(FM)認證—給森林管理者和擁有者

‧連鎖管理(CoC)認證—追蹤原料從森林到消費者中間每個階段
    的生產過程

‧限制木材認證—(在完全永續木材的供應達到消費者的需求之
    前)容許製造者達到特定最低標準，能使用部分未認證的原
    料。

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established in 1993. The FSC offers:

•Forest Management (FM) certification, for forest managers and owners;

•Chain of Custody (CoC) certification, which tracks all stages of a forest material’s production from the time it leaves the forest until it reaches the consumer; and

•Controlled Wood certification, which (until such time as the supply of fully sustainable wood can meet consumer demands) allows manufacturers to meet certain minimum standards while also utilizing some non-certified material.

 森林認證認可計畫(PEFC)是一個非政府、非營利組織，成立於1999年。提供了很大比例的小型或家庭森林擁有者，是一個保護傘組織，認可許國家級森林認證系統。

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established in 1999. The PEFC serves a large component of small and/or family forest owners and acts as an umbrella organization, endorsing many national forest certification systems.

北美森林管理系統：

North American Forest Management Programs

永續林業倡議組織(SFI)於1994年，由貿易團體美國林木及紙業公會(AD&PA)創立，但現在已經是美國國內稅收法501(c)(3)條款下的註冊獨立慈善組織。

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Inc. was established in 1994 by the trade group the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) but is now an independent, registered charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

美國林場系統是美國森林基金會家庭森林的中心，是一個非營利環保與教育機構。這個永續計畫是從1941年，時行過度採收的解決方案發展而來的。

 The American Tree Farm System is a program of the American Forest Foundation's Center for Family Forests, a nonprofit conservation and education organization. The sustainability program has evolved from its 1941 inception as a solution to overharvesting, which was common practice at the time.

 加拿大標準協會(CSA)是一個非營利會員組織，發展了大範圍的安全和健康標準。CSA在森林管理計畫上和PEFC合作

現在，美國綠建築協會(USGBC)的LEED計劃只有獎勵FSC認證。然而，USGBC持續努力發展他們自己的對於負責任的森林活動的標準，理論上會開放其他認證系統參與競爭。

The Canadian Standards Association (CSA), a not-for-profit membership-based association, develops a broad range of safety and health standards. CSA chose to align with PEFC for its Forest Stewardship Program.

Currently, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED program awards points for FSC certification only. However, the USGBC is involved in an ongoing effort to come up with its own language and benchmarks regarding responsible forest practices, which will, in theory, open the arena to other certification programs.

綜觀永續林業

Synthesizing Sustainable Forestry Efforts

 由於加拿大擁有全球百分之十的森林，木材代表了主要的天然資源。因此，加拿大正迅速地加強他們在森林管理上的努力。

1913年，加拿大紙漿和紙業協會成立。2001年成為加拿大林木產品協會(FPAC)，將範圍擴大至所有林木產品。根據FPAC市場事務主任Joel Neuheimer，此協會有雙重角色：處理貿易遊說和環境問題。

自從2002年，當FPAC要求所有會員的森林管理程序皆取得第三方認證，它成功地將有第三方認證的永續林業數目增加。FPAC和FSC、SFI和CSA合作(後兩者皆由PEFC背書)。在2010年底前，加拿大佔了幾乎三分之一的FSC認證和超過一半有PEFC背書的認證。

Neuheimer指出：「和美國比起來，讓加拿大更容易執行改變的因素之一是：大部分的森林都是公有的。林業公司在長期租約下運作，但他們並不實際擁有土地。」

去年，FPAC和一些合作夥伴在工業和環境團體間，促進了一個指標性的協定—加拿大北方森林協議，處理一些加拿大北方森林特有的問題，像是保護林地北美馴鹿的棲息地。包含了七千兩百萬公頃(177912000英畝) FPAC成員領有執照的公有林地。

Because Canada has 10% of the world’s forest cover, wood represents one of the country’s main natural resources. Therefore, Canada is rapidly moving forward in its forest management efforts.

 In 1913, the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association formed; in 2001 it became the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and expanded its scope to include all forest products. According to Joel Neuheimer, Director of Market Affairs for FPAC, the association has a dual role: It handles trade lobbying as well as environmental issues.

Since 2002, when FPAC implemented a condition of membership that all members have their forest management operations third-party certified, it has been successfully driving an increase in the number of forests that have third-party certification of their sustainable forestry practices. FPAC works with the FSC, SFI, and CSA (the latter two are both endorsed by PEFC). By the end of 2010, Canada had contributed almost one-third of all FSC certifications worldwide and more than half of all PEFC-endorsed certifications.

 “One of the things that makes it easier to implement change in Canada, compared to the U.S., is the fact that there are so many publicly owned forests. Forestry companies operate on long-term leases, but they do not actually own the land,” points out Neuheimer.

 Last year FPAC and a number of partners facilitated a landmark agreement between industry and environmental groups. Known as The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, it addresses some of the concerns particular to Canada’s boreal forests, such as protecting the habitat of woodland caribou. It covers 72 million hectares (177,912,000 acres) of public forests licensed to FPAC members.

這項協定企圖綜合現有的這三個組織各自最好的部分，並且代表一個在林業公司和環保組織間，新的溝通合作的階段。兩方合作以「在北方森林發展永續森林活動的提案，並向政府推薦它們。」這項協定被期待能促進加拿大的永續運動，甚至贏得了世界自然基金會(WWF)的讚揚。同時，林木產業也會受益，因為在這協議生效之後，這環保組織會以這些公司的名義在市場上和政府機構前非常活躍，他們改善的伐林措施會使他們在市場上具有競爭力。

永續林業是一個特別棘手的環保議題，或許是因為和許多產業相比，林業本身不是非常具有適應性。不像設計和生產，木材的生長和收穫無法立刻反應市場的改變。幸運的是，基於FPAC創造的激勵性的結果，似乎藉由工業團體和環境學家的對話合作，林業逐漸轉向更環保的方向。

The Agreement seeks to blend the best parts of all three of the certification programs currently in use and represents a new level of communication and collaboration between forest product companies and environmental organizations. Neuheimer explains that the two work together to “develop proposals on sustainable forest practices in boreal forests and recommend them to the government.” The agreement is expected to improve sustainability practices in forests across Canada and has even won praise from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). At the same time, forest product companies will benefit because, after the agreement is implemented, the environmental organizations will perform active outreach in the marketplace and to the government on the companies’ behalf. Their improved forestry practices will also give them a competitive edge in the marketplace.

 Sustainable forestry has proved to be a particularly thorny environmental issue. Perhaps that is because, compared to many industries, forestry by its very nature is not quickly adaptable. Unlike design and manufacturing, the timber growing and harvesting business is unable to produce agile responses to market changes. Fortunately, based on encouraging results like those seen by FPAC, it seems that through dialogue and cooperation between industry groups and environmentalists, the forestry business is gradually being steered in an increasingly eco-friendly direction.

資料來源:沛渥綠思， Buildipedia.com