Canadian Wood webinar series: The building materials industry has a collective responsibility to adopt certified, sustainably sourced lumber

FII India, better known as ‘Canadian Wood’ is a crown agency of the government of British Columbia (B.C.) with a mandate to promote B.C. forest products in the offshore markets. Continuing with its effort in the pandemic era, Canadian Wood has conducted numerous webinars on topics of relevance to the woodworking industry while sharing information on a range of topics like best practices in manufacturing furniture, doors, door frames, windows and window frames, use of wood for architecture (post-and-beams, wooden frame construction, Tongue & Groove style etc.) and more.

The 6th Canadian Wood Webinar Subject:

The recent webinar conducted by Canadian Wood was the 6^th in the series titled ‘Certified Wood From Sustainably Managed Forests. The webinar was attended by reputed Manufacturers, Architects, Interior Designers, Builders & Developers across India.

Session 1

The first one titled ‘Certified Wood From Sustainably Managed Forests’ by Ms.Nirmala Thomas, Director – Market Development, FII covered in-depth information on the rigorous sustainable forestry management practices in B.C. that ensure the legal sourcing and certification of every piece of Canadian lumber.

Noteworthy facts about Canada presented along with video footages on the sophisticated and interconnected processes right from planting forests to harvesting and manufacturing lumber products in B.C. Canada-

• Having almost 0% de-forestation over the last 20 years
• The highest number of certified forests in the world

Speaking about the webinar Ms Thomas said, ‘As one of the largest producers of softwood in the world, B.C. Canada’s lumber products, today make use in a wide range of applications around the world. Moreover, they showcase their aesthetic and versatile qualities that include strength and durability.

What is most critical is that the sourcing is legal, and the lumber is PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified.

As the woodworking industry grows increasingly eco-conscious and so does the end consumer, Therefore, Canadian wood species present themselves as seasoned, graded, sized, almost ready to use lumber. Therefore, it makes for a definite responsible choice while considering building with wood.’

Session 2

Mr.Arun Kumar Bansal, Chairperson PCA WG NCCF (NCCF-PEFC) and Guest Speaker gave the second presentation titled ‘Business Case On Chain Of Custody Certification’. An extremely knowledgeable speaker and an industry honorary, Mr.Bansal elaborated on the intensive mechanism of a chain of custody certification. According to him, it can help ensure the traceability of wood material from a certified forest to any point along the supply chain. His presentation included specific& elaborate references to PEFC – one of the most recognized international wood certifications.

The Significance Of Canadian Wood Webinar

Speaking on the Canadian Wood webinar, Mr Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, FII said, ‘While we hope that the pandemic ends soon, social distancing till then is a reality in the new normal and it is here to stay for some time.

Thus, FII decided to reach out to its target audience through a series of webinars to carry on its program. They focused on creating awareness and educating the market about Canadian wood forest products from B.C. Canada.  This has helped us stay engaged with our Indian stakeholders with our commitment to sharing knowledge and expertise.’

Further adding on the topic of the webinar, Mr.Chhibber commented, ‘Certification stays a critical parameter which ensures that sustainably managed forests legally source the wood used by

• Architects
• Developers
• Manufacturers
• Contractors etc.’

Hence, Mr Arun Kumar Bansal honoured us with his presence. He is  a senior forestry professional and a stalwart in promoting certification in India through NCCF, an affiliate of PEFC.’

He further added, ‘PEFC as you may know- “The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification” an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that promotes sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification. We are proud to say Canada is a world leader in forest certification and the majority of forests in B.C. Canada is PEFC certified.’

To watch the full webinar, Click Here.