QUEBEC SFI IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE

Climate Change Adaptation Training Qualifications for Wood Producers

Producing an interactive module for wood producers on climate change and the role certified forests play in mitigation.

Why this Project Matters

Climate change is one of our most pressing global challenges, and sustainably managed forests are among our most important tools for addressing it. Over 150 million hectares/370 million acres of forestland are certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard. In Quebec alone, there are over 31 million hectares/77.5 million acres of SFI-certified forestland. Sustainably managed forests at this scale absorb carbon at impressive rates, making them essential to reducing the impacts of climate change. This project will train Quebec wood producers to enhance the climate mitigation potential of the forests they manage.

How the Project Is Engaging Wood Producers on Climate Change Mitigation

This project will produce an interactive, user-friendly training module on climate change mitigation for wood producers. Video- and web-based learning will be key to engagement efforts. The module will incorporate the best-available information on sustainable forest management and climate change and identify how the activities of forest workers can play a role in reducing its impacts. The project also involves a review of current training offered through the Quebec SFI Implementation Committee according to the themes of forest roads, forest operations, and sustainable forest management. Current training modules will be reviewed and updated to ensure that they are in line with the requirements of the SFI 2022 Standards and Rules.

SFI’s Contribution

The SFI Community Grant Program is supporting this project. SFI is also providing leadership on climate‑smart forestry that will serve to guide this project. Requirements for a new SFI Climate Smart Forestry Objective in the SFI 2022 Standards and Rules are one of the highlights of the new standards. Forests play a central role in the carbon cycle and with proper management, can be one of the most effective nature-based solutions to the climate crisis. SFI-certified organizations will now be required to ensure forest management activities address climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. This project will help Quebec wood producers understand what they need to do to support this new climate‑smart forestry approach.

Training and awareness events will help engage the community of Quebec wood producers. The project also includes an evaluation component to monitor the impact of the training. The Quebec SFI Implementation Committee will also enlist the SFI network and a range of partners and collaborators in engaging wood producers. Collaboration with forestry associations and the Federation of Quebec Forest Producers will make it possible to disseminate this training to forest producers across the province. Project supporters also include universities, provincial and federal government departments, and ENGOs.

Partners

This partnership includes researchers, wood producers, forest sector association members, government officials, and SFI‑certified organizations.

• Project lead: Québec SFI Implementation Committee
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative
• Fédération des producteurs forestiers du Québec
• The Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue—L’Université du Québec à Montréal Chair in Sustainable Forest Management
• The full network of Québec forestry associations
• Centre de recherche en foresterie, Université du Québec en Outaouais

Related Information

SFI Announces New Standards Focused on Solving Some of the World’s Biggest Sustainability Challenges

Fédération des Producteurs Forestiers du Québec (FPFQ)—Update of the “Sound Forestry Practices for Private Woodlots” Field Guide

About the Quebec SFI Implementation Committee

SFI responds to local needs through SFI Implementation Committees at the provincial, state, and regional levels. These committees work with local, forestry, and professional associations, universities, government agencies, landowner groups, conservation groups, and many others to promote SFI standards as a way to broaden the practice of responsible forestry and achieve on-the-ground progress. Since 1995, SFI-certified organizations have contributed nearly $75 million to support local programs through SFI Implementation Committees. This includes logger and forester training to reach the thousands of independent contractors who are the key to the quality of forest harvesting operations. The Quebec SFI Implementation Committee was founded in 2002.
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