There is a new online tool that will enable global companies, including H&M, Kimberly-Clark, Inditex/Zara and DK Books, to identify where Ancient and Endangered Forests are in the world. ForestMapper, developed by international environmental not-for-profit Canopy, is the first-ever interactive map of its kind and is designed to support companies worldwide in making better sustainability decisions when purchasing paper, packaging, lumber and/or viscose fabrics. It promises to be a key tool in the global push by brands, governments and conservationists to halt deforestation, advance protection of key forest landscapes and combat climate change.
More than 100 companies already publicly support ForestMapper, and are committed to using it to assess and reduce their risk of sourcing from the world’s Ancient and Endangered Forests.
“The ForestMapper tool, which maps out Ancient and Endangered Forests, has the potential to generate positive impacts on the world’s forests, species and climate. This practical tool will help us to make the best sourcing decisions that protect species-rich ecosystems, and ultimately ensure that we reach our sustainability goals”, said Félix Poza, Inditex Chief Sustainability Officer.
With thirty percent of the climate solution attributed to keeping carbon-rich forests standing, tools such as ForestMapper are in demand. Additionally corporate consumers are increasingly aware that Ancient and Endangered Forests are critical to sustaining biodiversity, ensuring species survival and maintaining community livelihoods.
Businesses that do find risk in their supply chains will be supported to conduct additional diligence with their suppliers while producers operating in areas that contain Ancient and Endangered Forests are encouraged to work by local partners to establish rigorous conservation planning in the region, such as in the Great Bear Rainforest. Conservation planning will help identify which areas need to be conserved or restored and which areas will support sustainable forestry.
“As one of the world’s largest buyers of wood pulp, we know that protecting our forests is critical to addressing climate change, conserving biodiversity and enduring a resilient, healthy supply chain,” said Lisa Morden, Kimberly-Clark’s vice president of Safety and Sustainability. “The ForestMapper tool gives us visibility into the issues that are impacting forests worldwide and enables us to better identify and assess potential sourcing risks. As a company, we can leverage this tool to make responsible decisions about our supply chain to reduce our impact on forests.”
“We applaud Canopy’s work in linking forest conservation to supply chains and providing companies with a roadmap to source more responsibly,” said Géraldine Vallejo, Director of Sustainability Programs, Kering. “ForestMapper is an important science-based tool to help verify Kering’s supply chains to ensure that we do not have any negative impacts on these important natural systems. The business community needs to make every effort to protect and steward old-growth forests so that they remain functioning systems for long-term resilience against climate change.”
ForestMapper has already garnered support among the scientific community. Dr. James Hansen and Professor Tim Flannery are among the group of renowned scientists whorecognize the scientific importance of ForestMapper as the first mapping tool to identify Ancient and Endangered Forests globally.
