Resolute Forest Products Inc. (NYSE: RFP) (TSX: RFP) today announced its strong endorsement of the Alliance forêt boréale call for a working group to address recent issues regarding some Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certificates in the Province of Quebec.
Earlier today, Alliance forêt boréale held a press conference in Saguenay, Quebec, and issued a press release calling on the Government of Quebec to form a working group comprised of regional and provincial government officials and FSC representatives to better understand all aspects of FSC certification and the path to restoring recently suspended regional FSC certificates, as well as to address ongoing misinformation spread by certain activist groups.
As one of the largest holders of FSC sustainable forest management certificates in North America and as a supporter of the FSC standard, Resolute strongly supports this initiative and requests that industry also have the opportunity to participate in the process. Alliance forêt boréale unites the communities and current and retired forestry sector workers in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region to promote development linked to the sustainable management of the boreal forest. Alliance forêt boréale today stated their strong belief that the Quebec government should undertake a socio-economic evaluation of any additional constraint to forest management in the region.
"A sustainable approach and sustainable outcomes require a range of interested and constructive stakeholders to collaborate, carefully balancing environmental, social and economic considerations," stated Richard Garneau, Resolute's president and chief executive officer. "The initiation of such a process by Alliance forêt boréale is an important step forward, especially in light of the very real impact recent events have had on workers in the region and the prosperity of northern communities, which rely heavily on the health of the forest products industry."
