SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – This week, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) recognized Hans Wegner, Chief Sustainability Officer of the National Geographic Society, with the SFI President’s Award during its annual conference in San Antonio. Wegner’s many contributions – both personally and on behalf of National Geographic Society – have been instrumental in raising awareness of the benefits associated with utilizing forest certification as a proof point for sourcing forest products responsibly and for modeling sustainability principles into daily decisions.
“Hans’ commitment to sustainability is matched only by the depth of his knowledge and his passion for raising awareness among others,” said SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow. “Hans believes that as a publisher, National Geographic Society has a crucial role to play in encouraging responsible forestry practices and helping to build the foundation of a sustainability model for all users of forest products. He is a true leader in the cause of sustainable forestry.”
“We, as publishers, are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate that we are sourcing our paper responsibly,” said Hans Wegner, Chief Sustainability Officer of the National Geographic Society. “Our commitment to the SFI Forest Partners Program is a tangible way to increase the supply of certified fiber that helps us meet our responsible procurement objectives.”
Wegner recommended National Geographic take part in a SFI certification pilot project in Maine that became the foundation for the SFI Forest PartnersSM program. Joining the National Geographic Society, market leaders Time Inc., Macmillan Publishers and Pearson added their support to the SFI Forest Partners program to develop innovative approaches to certification with the goals of increasing the amount of fiber available from certified forestlands through chain-of-custody and fiber sourcing certification by establishing a goal of expanding certified U.S. forestland by 10 million acres by the end of 2017.
Under Wegner’s leadership, the National Geographic Society undertook a complete carbon footprint analysis of the operations of its headquarters and implemented a variety of measures to achieve carbon neutral status for its complex.
The National Geographic Society has been inspiring people to care about the planet since 1888. It is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, and the promotion of environmental and historical conservation.
ABOUT SFI
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) advances sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. We are an independent, nonprofit organization that leverages four interconnected pillars of work: standards, conservation, community, and education. SFI works with the forest sector, conservation groups, academics, researchers, brand owners, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and governments. Collaborating with our network, we leverage SFI-certified forests and products as powerful tools to help solve sustainability challenges such as climate action, conservation of biodiversity, education of future generations, and sustainable economic development.
MEDIA CONTACT
Christine Leduc
VP, Communications and Government Relations
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
613-706-1114
media@forests.org
