As COP15 opens in Montreal, an American organization ranks Canada among the bad students in terms of forest management and ranks it 3e world rank in terms of the loss of primary and intact forests, considered as the capital reserves of biodiversity on Earth.
The American organization National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) accuses Canada of laxity with regard to the forest industry, and this, because data from the organization Global Forest Watch places the country just after Russia and Brazil in terms of area of primary and intact forests cut down, forever gone.
“For Canada, it’s not deforestation, it’s ‘logging.’ However, primary forests are unique reservoirs of biodiversity and participate in the fight against climate change. These trees cannot simply be replaced by others. This is major loss and degradation of unique and irreplaceable ecosystems,” said Jennifer Skene, NRDC Climate Change Solutions Manager.
“This places Canada at odds with its recent commitments and the image it projects on the international scene,” she complains.
According to the NRDC, no less than 550,000 hectares of wooded areas were heavily cut last year in the vast mixed and boreal forests of Canada. And the forests of the Northern Hemisphere, including the rare intact and primary forests found in Canada, Alaska, Siberia and a few other Nordic countries, are now considered one of the main carbon sinks on the globe. This is particularly the case with the rainforests of British Columbia.
Some studies estimate that these forests sequester about 25% of the carbon emitted by humans on Earth, and thus play a crucial role in the fight against climate change. Intact boreal forests capture twice as much carbon as tropical forests, and between 30% and 50% more than logged forests.
“Because of the sheer size of the territory, Canada’s actions have a direct effect on the future of the planet. However, we still tolerate unsustainable forestry practices that contribute to the loss of biodiversity,” deplores Ms.me Skene.
The forest industry accounts for 10% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada, in addition to those due to the degradation of boreal forests, according to the NRDC. “That’s as much as the GHG emissions associated with oil sands development. »
Green or not?
In 2019, Justin Trudeau posed as a defender of the environment by calling on his G7 partners to denounce the deforestation of the Amazon forests. But Canada closes its eyes to what is happening on its own territory, underlines Mme Skene.
Canada has even recently lobbied the European Council to limit and delay the application of a draft regulation aimed at ensuring the traceability of forest products sold on the continent and the fact that they do not come from primary forests, recently reported the British newspaper The Guardian. “This proves that Canada takes care first of all of its industry, part of whose products still come from primary forests,” laments the solutions manager.
In its 2021 report on the state of its forests, Canada says that of its 362 million hectares of forests, only 756,000 hectares have been logged (0.21%), and barely 50,000 hectares (0 .01%) deforested. However, the federal government still qualifies as “forest” the deforested territory whose use remains reserved for logging. Only forests cleared for other purposes (agriculture, construction, etc.) are considered “cleared”.
“Why not limit forestry activity to areas that have already been logged, rather than continuing to cut down primary forests? suggests Jennifer Skene.
Ephemeral products
According to Pier-Olivier Boudreault, director of conservation for the Society for Nature and Parks (SNAP) Quebec, it is clear that Canada and Quebec have failed to protect certain primary forests – and the slow disappearance of many species is the sign. “The disappearance of the forest-dwelling caribou is the canary in the mine of the disappearance of primary and ancient forests in Quebec. This is an acknowledgment of the failure of the management of our forests. The government is lagging behind in protecting these unique habitats,” he says.
According to the latter, the industry eats away more territory each year towards the north to obtain supplies of timber from forests that are crucial for several indigenous peoples and several wildlife species.
“Industry claims that logging is a sustainable way to keep the carbon stored in it, but only 30% of the carbon in a tree cut is actually stored in a board or cabinet. About 25% is lost during processing, and the rest remains in the roots, stumps and unused branches, ”says the spokesperson for SNAP Quebec.
Above all, Mr. Boudreault is indignant that 55% of the wood harvested in Canada — also from primary forests — is destined for the manufacture of low-value disposable products, including toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, as well as the production of pulp and paper or firewood pellets. “As with single-use plastic, we must question our consumption of these products and that Ottawa commits to formulating policies to reduce their use,” he said.
Despite everything, CPAWS qualifies the judgment comparing forest management in Canada to that of Russia and that of Brazil, where forests are notably burned to be converted to agricultural purposes. “This deforestation has a much worse carbon footprint,” says the director of conservation.
Contacted about these criticisms, the Minister of Natural Resources of Canada, Jonathan Wilkinson, recalled through the voice of his press secretary that Ottawa had notably undertaken to plant two billion trees in 10 years. “Canada’s forestry practices are internationally recognized, with approximately 75% of managed public forest lands certified to at least one sustainable forest management standard,” Keean Nembhard wrote. As the country is home to 25% of the area of temperate rainforest and 33% of the remaining boreal forest, the Government of Canada supports forest management based on scientific research and respect for ecological values. »