Archives for the ‘Press Releases’ category - 2008

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) today laid out five urgent priorities that the federal government must address in its upcoming budget if it wants to secure the forest products industry – that provides 12% of Canada’s manufacturing GDP, more jobs than auto and banking combined and is the lifeblood of 300 Canadian communities – as a cornerstone of the Canadian economy.

When it comes to “securing jobs for families and communities” as described in today’s federal Speech from the Throne, the Forest Products Association of Canada says the federal government needs to pay closer attention to a sector that is the lifeblood of 300 communities in Canada.

Addressing an audience at the Business of Climate Change conference in Toronto today, Avrim Lazar, the President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) called on the federal government to step-up targeted action on climate change. “The question is not should we move on the environment but how do we move to make competitiveness the lens through which we design aggressive environmental progress,” said Mr. Lazar.

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have developed a Canadian buyer’s guide for purchasers  of wood and paper-based products.It provides important guidance on what to consider when writing procurement policies and programs that need to be based on sustainable and socially responsible forest practices. As well, the new A Buyers’ Guide to Canada’s Sustainable Forest Products shines the spotlight on the importance of biodiversity – the theme for National Forest Week now underway in Canada.

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) that sees First Nations and forest industry leaders agreeing to work together to strengthen Canada’s forest sector through economic development initiatives and business investments, strong environmental stewardship and the creation of skill development opportunities, particularly targeted to First Nations youth. These are also the quality of life issues that will be discussed at the Council of Federation meeting.

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) today welcomed the recommendations of the Competition Policy Review Panel and urged the Government of Canada to take immediate action to implement these measures to improve Canada’s competitiveness. The Panel’s report, titled Compete to Win, addresses the pressing need for Canadian business to adapt and move forward in order to compete in a changing global economy.

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) today welcomed the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources’ report and urged the government to take immediate action to implement the Report’s key recommendations.

According to preliminary data from the Pulp and Paper Products Council, recycling rates climbed in Canada last year to reach 58%. This marks an improvement in recycling efforts by 33%, or one-third, from 2002. As Earth Day nears, the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) wishes to congratulate Canadians for their leadership and enthusiasm to date in recycling paper, as their efforts have exceeded expectations. While the progress is good news, Canadians must do more to ensure that no good paper goes to landfill.

The Forest Products Association of Canada believes the federal Government’s Budget 2008 is an inadequate response to the challenges facing the industry, said Avrim Lazar, FPAC’s President and CEO. “The forest products industry is facing the worst economic conditions it has seen in many decades, and while Government cannot solve this problem it is not doing its part,” Lazar said.

Federal and provincial governments must commit now to working with the Canadian forest products industry to create a world-class business culture in which the sector can thrive and ensure prosperity for the 300,000 people it employs and 300 communities it supports, said Avrim Lazar, President and Chief Executive of the Forest Products Association of Canada, in Montreal Thursday as part of an executive panel discussion about the sector’s future.