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The paper industry depends on, and promotes, sustainable forest management to provide a reliable supply of wood fibre, the key raw material for its products. Well-managed forests bring multiple benefits for society, such as livelihoods, ecosystem services and biodiversity.
European forests, from where the region’s paper mills source over 90% of their wood fibre, have been growing by an area equivalent to 1,500 football pitches every day.
According to the most recent figures from the Forest and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nation (FAO), between 2005 and 2020, European forests grew by more than 58,390 km² – an area bigger than Switzerland – this amounts to 1,500 football pitches of forest growth every day! The area of forest in Europe has increased by 9% over the last 30 years
Well managed forests bring multiple benefits for society
About 33 million people (1% of global employment) are estimated to work directly in the formal and informal forest sector. They provide products and renewable energy as well as natural carbon capture and storage and other ecosystem services such as controlling floods and droughts, reducing erosion risks and protecting watersheds that are a source of our water.
The vast majority of terrestrial biodiversity is found in the world’s forests. Together they contain more than 60,000 different tree species and provide habitats for 80% of amphibian species, 75% of bird species and 68% of mammal species.
The forests serve not only wood production, but they also provide many other very important ecosystem services that directly or indirectly contribute to human wellbeing.