The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE), representing the European beverage carton industry, applauded the recent progress report on the European Forest Strategy. Annick Carpentier, ACE Director General, acknowledged the strides forward highlighted in the progress report, and added, “We are pleased to see the European Commission’s emphasis on the role of sustainable forest management in achieving a sustainable economic growth, while protecting biodiversity. This is a priority we share.”
ACE members have long been committed to promoting sustainability in forest management. Beverage cartons they produce only use wood fibres that are fully traceable and sourced sustainably, allowing for biodiversity to restore. To move the value chain closer to achieving sound environmental management, the beverage carton industry sees the need to strengthen the link between sustainable forest management practices and life-cycle assessments (LCAs).
As proof of this commitment, ACE was pleased to facilitate a novel process gathering experts from different fields to discuss how LCA can better assess and safeguard biodiversity. Organised together with the UN Environment and the WWF in the surroundings of a sustainably managed Nordic forest, a workshop culminated in a concrete set of recommendations, ‘The Gimo Recommendations’, that help bridge the current gap between sustainable forest management and LCAs.
The three-pronged approach outlined in the recommendations demonstrates how it can actively contribute to the protection of life on land (SDG15). Commenting on the future needs, Carpentier added, “It is the responsibility of all of us to protect our ecosystems and for our industry enhancing sustainable forestry is a way to go. Sound LCAs have a potential to guide decisions across value chains and contribute to this objective.”
