Region Archives: International

Business & Politics

Alabama Republicans are asking Commerce to set tariff rates on lumber to 60%

By Ari Hawkins
PoliticoPro
May 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States, International

Alabama Republicans are asking the Trump administration to set the duty rate on timber and lumber products to at least 60 percent, as it pursues a Section 232 investigation, according to a letter first obtained by Morning Trade. “In recent years, our $12 billion domestic cabinet industry has been devastated by unfairly traded imports of kitchen cabinets and cabinet components,” wrote Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, as well as Reps. Barry Moore, Gary Palmer, Mike Rogers, Dale Strong and Robert Aderholt in a note sent Thursday to Lutnick and Undersecretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler. The Alabama Republicans note that the U.S. kitchen cabinet industry supports 250,000 jobs around the country and 5,000 in Alabama, and warn some U.S. manufacturers are operating at as low as 30 percent capacity. [to access the full story a PoliticoPro subscription is required]

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Why the US and China pulled back from the edge

By Victoria Guida, Daniel Desrochers, Megan Messerly & Phelim Kine
Politico
May 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

President Trump’s deal to dramatically slash tariffs on China thrilled markets and offered a sliver of relief for businesses across the country. It also revealed an important lesson: Even Teflon Don can’t outrun economic reality. The deal in which both sides agreed to lower tariff rates by triple-digit percentages, came as anxiety mounted about a potential downturn in the US. …The agreement is an acknowledgment that a full-on economic divorce of the US and China would be too painful for both sides. …For U.S. corporations operating across borders, the de-escalation might offer some solace. But the remaining 30 percent tariff added to Chinese goods will cut heavily into profits — and be cost-prohibitive in some sectors. …One former Trump administration official said the meeting between the U.S. and China resulted from pressure on the White House from a variety of industries. …Beijing, too, was watching its economy falter.

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America has given China a strangely good tariff deal

The Economist
May 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

America has agreed to cut the “reciprocal” tariffs it imposed on China last month from 125% to a more digestible 10% for at least 90 days. China has agreed to do the same. It has also agreed to roll back other retaliatory measures, such as restrictions on sales of rare-earth minerals. …The result is a combination of tariffs that are far higher than Mr Trump inherited but much lower than seemed likely a few weeks ago. …On May 12th Mr Bessent all but conceded that tariffs on China had gotten out of hand. The result was the “equivalent of an embargo”. Financial chaos following Liberation Day, which included a bond-market revolt and a plunging dollar, helped Mr Bessent persuade Mr Trump to offer a 90-day reprieve to all of America’s trading partners on April 9th. After the Geneva talks, China has now been added to the list. [to access the full story an Economist subscription is required]

Related by the WSJ Editorial Board: The Great Trump Tariff Rollback – The President started a trade war with Adam Smith. He lost.

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Dow set to soar after US dramatically lowers tariffs with China

By David Goldman
CNN Business
May 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

US stock futures surged after President Donald Trump’s top trade officials brokered a surprisingly dramatic de-escalation in trade tensions with China over the weekend, dropping tariffs to much lower levels, which some economists say could stave off a US recession. …Both sides agreed to axe tariffs by 115 percentage points, still leaving the levies considerably higher than where they were before Trump took office in January – but much, much lower than the historic level over the past month that deeply concerned American businesses, consumers, economists and investors. Bessent said the US and China had put in place a mechanism to avoid raising tariffs on each other again, suggesting that the worst of the trade war may be behind us. …Bessent said “The April 2 tariff level for China was 34%, so we have moved that down from 34% to 10%.”

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What the US-China Trade Agreement Means for Markets

By James Mackintosh
The Wall Street Journal
May 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

The temporary lifting of triple-digit trade levies between China and the US while trade talks get under way removes the threat of an immediate stagflationary hit to the economy. This is very good news. It goes much further than investors thought possible—the current deal reduces the extra tariffs on China to 30%, made up of the base of 10% that will be matched by China, plus a 20% duty meant to make China do more to combat fentanyl. But an even better reason for such a big bounce is that it looks like Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is now in control of trade policy. Put simply, the grown-ups are in the room. …Don’t get your hopes too high. Tariffs are unlikely to go back to pre-Trump levels. …Bessent is after deep reform of China’s economy. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]

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Smurfit Westrock announces capacity reductions and facility closures in the US and Germany

Smurfit Westrock
April 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

DUBLIN — Smurfit Westrock announced it will permanently close its coated recycled board (CRB) mill in St. Paul, Minnesota, US and will discontinue production at its containerboard mill in Forney, Texas. The specialty coating facility at Forney will not be impacted. As a result, the Company’s containerboard and CRB capacity is expected to reduce by over 500,000 tons. Smurfit Westrock has also initiated consultations with local works councils in Germany with a view to permanently closing two converting facilities there. Approximately 650 employees in the US and Germany will be impacted as a result of these closures. …“While closing facilities is never an easy decision, it is based on a realistic expectation of current and future capacity needs, operating costs and an unrelenting focus on improving our business,” said Tony Smurfit, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, Smurfit Westrock. 

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UPM Plywood and the Industrial Union signed a new collective labor agreement, strikes at the mills in Finland are ending

UPM Plywood
May 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

UPM Plywood and the Industrial Union have today signed the new collective labor agreement for UPM Plywood mills in Finland. The strikes at the mills are ending and work will start immediately. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement and to be able to start the work in our mill operations. We managed to find a solution that secures the purchasing power of our employees and supports the future success of UPM Plywood mills,” says Juhani Tenhunen, Vice President, Operations at UPM Plywood. The new company specific collective agreement is set to take effect today and is valid until the end of 2027. The dispute centered on wage increases, which had delayed a resolution despite most other agreement terms being settled in August 2024. …Production at the company’s Otepää mill in Estonia remained unaffected during the strike.

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New Zealand government kick-starts trade negotiations with India

Radio New Zealand
May 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

Todd McClay

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay says a government delegation has landed in New Delhi to kick-start free trade negotiations. Following significant remote engagement over the past month, the first in-person round of negotiations towards a comprehensive India-New Zealand free trade agreement will take place in India this week. …”With a population of 1.4 billion and a GDP estimated to grow to US$5.2 trillion by 2030, India offers significant opportunity for New Zealand exporters,” McClay said. “Strengthening ties with India is a key part of the Government’s strategy to diversify and grow New Zealand’s export markets and double trade by value in 10 years.” …After returning from India in March, Trade Minister McClay called for public submissions on free-trade negotiations. Several industry organisations such as the NZ Timber Industry Federation indicated strong support to the proposed free trade deal.

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Stora Enso completes the acquisition of the Finnish sawmill company Junnikkala

Stora Enso OYJ
May 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

Stora Enso has completed the acquisition of the Finnish sawmill company Junnikkala Oy, announced in October 2024. The acquired sawmills will be integrated with Stora Enso’s packaging board site in Oulu, Finland, and secure a cost-efficient wood supply to the site, where a new packaging board machine recently started ramping up production. The total enterprise value for the transaction is up to EUR 137 million, a significant part of it being contingent upon achieving specific production milestones. The acquisition is expected to gradually generate synergies of approximately EUR 15 million annually once Junnikkala’s new sawmill in Oulu is fully operational. The products of the Junnikkala sawmills will complement Stora Enso’s wood products portfolio. Stora Enso’s annual wood procurement in Finland will increase by approximately 1.7 million m³.

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Australia’s environmental not-for-profit Planet Ark goes into voluntary administration

By Maddy Morwood
ABC News Australia
May 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

Planet Ark Environmental Foundation, one of Australia’s largest environmental non-for-profits, has entered voluntary administration following a board review of the organisation’s “financial position and future viability”. …Established in 1991, Planet Ark is known for National Tree Day and National Recycling Week. …Environmentalist and Planet Ark co-founder Jon Dee, who left the organisation in 2007 … said he was disappointed to hear the organisation had gone into administration. Mr Dee, who co-founded the organisation in 1991 is currently Chair of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in Australia and New Zealand, said he had held longstanding concerns on the direction Planet Ark took after his departure. …In 2012, the two founders reported they were upset over Planet Ark’s links with the timber industry. The organisation allowed its logo to be used on advertisements for timber, paid for by Forest and Wood Products Australia, which was part of a sponsorship deal in which Planet Ark received $700,000 from the timber industry.

Media Statement – Planet Ark Environmental Foundation Enters Voluntary Administration

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Finance & Economics

How major global and economic sectors are reacting to US tariff policy

Window + Door – National Glass Association
May 12, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States, International

The effects have been felt by building industries in terms of increased costs, disrupted supply chains and economic uncertainty. Last week’s webinar, “Trump’s Tariffs: Transition or Turmoil?… focused on the near-term effects of tariffs, how trade environments have shifted in response, and what the next steps of the Trump Administration might be. …Ari Hawkins, a Politico trade reporter, agreed that the administration is likely looking to the USMCA renegotiations to “really get into the weeds of a lot of these tariff disputes” with Canada. …Hawkins says that further Section 232 investigations could lead to new tariffs in the coming months on a range of products, including semiconductors, lumber and critical minerals. While the administration might make exemptions on materials like lumber before those investigations are completed, Hawkins says, they are still likely to face the Section 232 tariffs as part of the administration’s focus on incentivizing manufacturing and development within the US.

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Canfor Corporation reports Q1, 2025 operating loss of $29 million

Canfor Corporation
May 8, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, International

VANCOUVER — Canfor Corporation reported its Q1, 2025 results. The Company reported an operating loss of $28.5 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to an operating loss of $45.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. …These results largely reflected improved lumber segment results and, to a lesser extent, the pulp and paper segment. Canfor’s CEO, Susan Yurkovich said, “While improved lumber benchmark prices provided some relief, rising global economic and trade uncertainty, and US lumber duties, create a challenging backdrop. Through our diversified operating platform in Canada, the US South and Europe, we are positioned to mitigate these challenges, while remaining focused on what we can control. …“For our pulp business” Yurkovich added, “this was another solid quarter with improved results and a strong operational performance. However, global economic uncertainty is also putting pressure on global softwood pulp markets in the near term.”

Related coverage: Canfor Pulp reported Q1, 2025 operating income of $11 million

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Mercer International reports Q1, 2025 net loss of $22.3 million

Mercer International Inc.
May 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, International

NEW YORK, NY — Mercer International reported first quarter 2025 Operating EBITDA of $47.1 million, a decrease from $63.6 million in the same quarter of 2024 and $99.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, net loss was $22.3 million compared to $16.7 million in the first quarter of 2024 and net income of $16.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. Mr. Juan Carlos Bueno, Chief Executive Officer, stated: “There was continued strength in pulp markets and an improving lumber pricing environment in the first quarter of 2025. However, our operating results in the quarter were negatively impacted by annual planned maintenance downtime at our Celgar mill and the impact of the weaker dollar against the euro.

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China rolls out more stimulus and agrees to trade talks with the US as tariffs hit economy

By Ken Moritsugu and Elaine Kurtenbach
The Associated Press in the Canadian Press
May 7, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, International

BEIJING — China announced a barrage of measures meant to counter the blow to its economy from US President Donald Trump ’s trade war, as the two sides prepared for talks later this week. Beijing’s central bank governor and other top financial officials outlined plans Wednesday to cut interest rates and reduce bank reserve requirements to help free up more funding for lending. …Trump’s tariffs on imports from China, have begun to take a toll on its export-dependent economy at a time when it’s already under pressure from a prolonged downturn in the property sector. China has retaliated with tariff hikes of up to 125% on US goods and stopped buying most American farm products. Late Tuesday, China and the US announced plans for talks. …The agreement to talk comes at a time when both sides have remained adamant, at least in public, about not compromising on the tariffs.

Related news in CNN: US stocks open higher as US-UK trade deal announcement nears

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Agriculture isn’t nearing trade war tariffs crisis, ‘it is full blown crisis already’ farmers say

By Lori Ann LaRocco
CNBC News
April 28, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, International

The clock is ticking on trade deals that the US will need to strike with many nations, most notably China, to avoid what Trump’s Treasury Secretary has described as an “unsustainable” tariffs war. But in the U.S. farming sector, the damage has already been done and the economic crisis already begun. US agriculture exporters say the global backlash to President Trump’s tariffs is punishing them, especially a decline in Chinese buying of US farm products, leading to cancelled export orders and layoffs. Peter Friedmann, of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition …says “massive” financial losses are already being shared by its members. …A wood pulp and paperboard exporter reported to the trade group the immediate cancellation or hold of 6,400 metric tons in a warehouse and a hold of 15 railcars sitting in what is known in the supply chain as “demurrage,” when fees are charged for delayed movement of goods.

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Drax: Wood Pellet Production Up In Q1

Biomass Magazine
May 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

Drax Group plc on May 1 released a first quarter trading update, reporting strong performance for both its North American-based pellet production and U.K.-based biomass power generation business segments. The company said its pellet production business is performing well, with production levels that are up when compared to the first quarter of last year. Pellet operations have benefitted from good operational performance and benign weather conditions, Drax added. 

  • Strong performance – FlexGen, Pellet Production and Biomass Generation
  • Full year 2025 expectations for Adj. EBITDA around the top end of consensus estimates
  • Continuing to target post 2027 recurring Adj. EBITDA of £600-700 million – FlexGen, Pellet Production and Biomass Generation
  • £300 million share buyback programme progressing, c.£207 million complete
  • Final dividend of 15.6 pence per share, subject to shareholder approval at today’s AGM – Total dividend for 2024 of 26.0 pence per share (2023: 23.1 pence per share)

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Drax abandons AGM after confrontation with green activists

By Jillian Ambrose
The Guardian
May 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

The owner of the Drax power station has abandoned its annual shareholder meeting after a confrontation with activists who staged a protest against burning trees to generate electricity. The Guardian understands that between 10 and 20 activists were forcibly removed from the London venue after challenging the board of the energy company on its use of woody biomass at its North Yorkshire facility. The demonstration included groups that claim that Drax has contributed to air pollution in low-income Black communities in the US where it operates biomass pellet production facilities. …The board called an end to the meeting at about 11.30am on Thursday, before many of the shareholders were able to put their question directors, blaming the “threatening behaviour” of activists. 

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Stora Enso reports Q1, 2025 net income of EUR 107 million

Stora Enso OYJ
April 25, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

FINLAND — Stora Enso reported its Q1, 2025 results. Highlights include: Sales increased by 9% to EUR 2,362 million, mainly due to higher prices and deliveries. The average sales growth was 4.6%. Adjusted EBIT increased, for the fourth consecutive quarter compared year-on-year, to EUR 175 million. Adjusted EBIT margin increased to 7.4%. Operating result was EUR 171 (141) million, and net income was EUR 107 million. …The new consumer packaging board line at the Oulu site in Finland started production ramp-up in March. The line is expected to reach EBITDA breakeven by the year-end 2025 and full capacity during 2027. …Stora Enso has received regulatory approval to proceed with the acquisition of the Finnish sawmill company Junnikkala Oy, announced in October 2024.

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UK Housing starts lag behind completions for sixth consecutive quarter

By Tom Lowe
Housing Today UK
April 28, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

UK — Housing starts in the UK have lagged behind completions for the sixth successive quarter, including to the latest official data. Around 32,000 homes were started in the last quarter of 2024, compared to just over 49,000 completed during the same period, according to the Office for National Statistics. The number of starts is down from 37,000 in the preceding quarter and well below the average of 42,000 homes which have been started per quarter since the ONS resumed gathering the data after the pandemic in April 2022. Completions have remained more stable, rising in the last quarter of 2024 from 41,500 in the third quarter, with an average of just over 49,000 completions a year since the pandemic. Pocket Living chief executive Paul Rickard said: “By any measure these are a disappointing set of figures and continue to highlight the massive challenge the government has.”

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Canada Wood Market News & Insights

Canada Wood Group
May 5, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, International

This newsletter includes:

  • Survey Reveals Shifting Perceptions on Timber Use in Japanese Buildings 
  • How Japan’s New Energy-Saving Standards Will Impact Timber Construction
  • Eye on Platform Frame Construction: Building Homes to a Higher Standard 
  • Thermally modified western hemlock gains traction in Vietnam 
  • Project Case Studies Showcase Non-residential 2×4 Building in Japan 
  • FII China Brings Industry Leaders Together to Advance Wood Construction
  • Celebrating Canadian Wood with Japanese Pro Dealers!
  • Canada Wood Partners with Japan Pressure Treaters
  • February 2025 Japan Housing Starts Report 

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Lego Vietnam unveils company first paper-based packaging production site

Packaging Insights
May 6, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

The Lego Group opened Lego Manufacturing Vietnam as the first Lego factory to exclusively produce paper-based pre-pack bags. The new plantis Lego’s sixth global production facility and second site in Asia. Lego Manufacturing Vietnam is said to be the group’s most environmentally sustainable factory to date. The toy company is working on eliminating single-use plastic in Lego boxes and replacing plastic pre-pack bags with new bags made with paper sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests and FSC-controlled wood. …Located in the Binh Duong province, Lego says its manufacturing site in Vietnam will operate entirely on renewable energy by 2026.

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Scotland’s First Minister opens advanced timber frame facility in Scotland

Timber Development UK
May 7, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

The First Minister of Scotland, the Right Honourable John Swinney MSP, has now opened one of the UK’s most technologically advanced timber frame construction facilities in Irvine, Scotland. The facility is operated by Alexander Timber Design (ATD), a company owned and run by Glennon Brothers. The £18m investment in this new facility brings Glennon Brothers’ total investment in Scotland to over €80 million. Located in Irvine, North Ayrshire, this cutting-edge manufacturing plant combines advanced robotics, precision engineering and the latest next-generation design systems to deliver high-quality Scottish timber homes, while excelling with world-class standards of efficiency, sustainability and resource maximisation. …As the UK construction industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, the opening of this plant offers a scalable, sustainable solution that aligns with national and international climate goals. Timber frame construction is widely regarded as one of the most environmentally friendly building techniques available.

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Strong by Form launches wooden cladding product, Woodflow-skin

By Dakota Smith
The Woodworking Network
May 2, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

MADRID, Spain — Strong by Form, a company that develops timber-based composites using their proprietary technology, Woodflow, has launched their interior cladding product line at Milan Design Week. Called Woodflow-skin, it combines the sustainability and aesthetics of wood with the performance and productivity of advanced composites, creating lightweight panels that offer unique designs. The company aims to offer eco-friendly alternatives to traditional materials like concrete and steel, particularly in industries like construction and mobility. In a rapidly evolving industry where sustainability, performance, and design increasingly intersect, Strong by Form is carving a new path that reimagines how wood is used altogether. Woodflow blends principles from nature with cutting-edge digital fabrication, offering a glimpse into the next generation of timber innovation. Woodflow-core, their lightweight slab solution, is a CLT-based, hollow-core sandwich slab that’s 60% lighter than CLT and consumes up to 75% less trees.

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Mass Timber Centre of Excellence launches at BE-ST Campus in Scotland

Planning, Building & Construction Today
April 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

The Mass Timber Centre of Excellence offers access to the UK’s most advanced mass timber manufacturing equipment, with the largest commercially available CNC machine in the country. Supported by Scottish Funding Council and host institution Edinburgh Napier University, the Innovation Campus at BE-ST will now house £1.5m pounds of newly acquired, state-of-the-art mass timber post-processing equipment and SuperBlower extraction system. The Mass Timber Centre of Excellence will complement existing capabilities and further enhance precision finishing, production capacity, and health and safety processes. Mass timber solutions offer a variety of advantages, such as lowering carbon emissions associated with construction, strengthening local supply chains, creating jobs, and improving the efficiency of the delivery of the built environment. It hosts the largest commercially available CNC machine in the UK, while offering the full-scale production of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), Nail Laminated Timber (NLT), and Glue Laminated Timber (Glulam).

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Forestry

How the EU deforestation law aggravates the trade dispute with the United States

The Financial Times in Bytes Europe
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, International

The EU has made little headway and an attempt to appease the US by delaying controversial import controls has fallen flat. The US forestry industry has accused the EU of erecting trade barriers by favouring its own industry under amended deforestation rules. The EU’s deforestation law, which will ban the import of products from sectors including rubber, cocoa, wood and paper if they come from deforested land, should have come into force last year. Under pressure from the bloc’s trading partners it was delayed until the end of the year. Despite this respite, the nine biggest US forest product organisations accused the EU of setting “severe” compliance challenges, opening a new front in the growing transatlantic trade conflict. The EU has categorised the US — and all its own members — as “low risk”. Heidi Brock, head of AF&PA, said the law amounted to a “non-trade tariff barrier” for US paper and wood products.

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‘Active Management’ Harms Forests — And It’s About to Get a Whole Lot Worse

By Dominick DellaSala, David Lindenmayer and Diana Six
The Revelator
May 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Over the past few years, many decisionmakers and forest managers have increasingly called for “active management” of natural forests — human intervention via mechanical thinning and other forms of commercial logging and road building — in response to increasing wildfires, beetle outbreaks, and intense storms. Many activists oppose these methods, saying they do more harm than good. For instance, actions that seek to suppress naturally occurring wildfires may make those fires more intense when they happen. But active management activities have scaled up in response to economic drivers, misinformation on natural disturbance processes, and more climate-driven extreme events that trigger large and fast-moving fires. …Our research daylights the expanding active management footprint while creating science support for decision-makers to choose more prudently on behalf of maintaining or restoring integrity and for activists to push back when policy is inconsistent with conservation science principles.

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Australian forestry agency should be shut down for repeatedly breaking law, critics argue

Lisa Cox
The Guardian
May 10, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

David Heilpern

NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia — A former magistrate and one of Australia’s most experienced scientists have launched an extraordinary attack on the New South Wales government’s logging agency, describing it as effectively a “criminal organisation” that should be shut down after a string of court convictions. Prof David Heilpern, a NSW magistrate between 1998 and 2020 and now the dean of law at Southern Cross University, said the state’s Forestry Corporation should be “disbanded” as it was was no longer fit for purpose. …A NSW Forestry Corporation spokesperson said Heilpern’s suggestion that the corporation be compared to a bikie gang was “ridiculous”. “Forestry Corporation will not respond to this analogy,” they said. …Heilpern’s comments follow a judgment in the NSW land and environment court last year that fined the Forestry Corporation $360,000 after it failed to accurately map two environmentally significant areas in the Yambulla state forest.

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Government remains on track to ban full Farm-to-Forest conversions

By Honourable Todd McClay
The Government of New Zealand
May 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has confirmed that restrictions on full farm-to-forest conversions on LUC 1-6 farmland will be in place this year, and reaffirmed that they will take effect from 4 December 2024 – the date of the original announcement. Enabling legislation will be introduced to Parliament during Q2 of this year. “The Government is focused on maintaining strong food and fibre production while supporting sustainable land use. We remain concerned about the effect that farm conversions are having on highly productive land — particularly sheep and beef farms in Northland, the East Coast and parts of Otago and Southland,” Mr McClay says. The new rules, now progressing through Cabinet, will ensure balance and recognise the value of both forestry and farming, while providing certainty for our food producers.

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Tech on the treetops: How AI can protect forests

TechXplore
May 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the newest tool in the arsenal to prevent the degradation and depletion of forests, with new research revealing how the technology can help protect the ecosystem. Charles Darwin University (CDU) researchers have collaborated on an international study, led by the University of Sri Lanka, to develop an AI model which detects changes in forest cover, or the amount of land surface covered by trees. According to the United Nations, between 2000 and 2022 there was a net forest area loss of 100 million hectares. Researchers took U-Net architecture—which is used for image segmentation often in biomedical image analysis—and adapted it to compare past and present pictures of the ecosystem and detect where forest loss has occurred. This custom model was fed a dataset of images from Google Earth and was able to detect forest cover changes with an accuracy of 94.37%.

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Russia devastates ecology in Ukraine with strikes causing forest fires

By Vira Kravchuk
Euromaidan
May 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Forest fires caused by Russian military strikes and mine detonations engulfed 85 hectares in Kharkiv Oblast, damaging residential areas and prompting civilian evacuations near Izium city. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Ukraine has suffered over €72.9 billion in environmental damage from more than 7,000 recorded environmental crimes, according to Olha Yukhymchuk, Ukraine’s deputy minister of environmental protection. The ongoing destruction continues to devastate Ukraine’s natural ecosystems and wildlife. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the blazes started when Russian multiple rocket launch systems hit Borivka community in Izium district, while explosives left by retreating Russian forces continue to detonate within the burning forest.

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Logging devastated Victoria’s native forests – and new research shows 20% has failed to grow back

By Australian National University researchers
The Conversation
May 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Following the end of native logging in Victoria on January 1 2024, the state’s majestic forests might be expected to regenerate and recover naturally. But our research shows that’s not always the case. We quantified the extent of regeneration following logging in the eucalypt forests of southeastern Australia between 1980 and 2019. This included nearly 42,000 hectares of logged mountain ash forest in Victoria’s Central Highlands. We analysed data … and discovered that nearly 20% (8,000 hectares) of logged areas failed to regenerate. …All that remains in these areas are grassy clearings, dense shrublands or bare soils. …Our research shows more needs to be done to restore Victoria’s forest after logging. …Our research shows the regeneration of forests after logging is not guaranteed. Nature often needs a helping hand. But we need to find ways to fund these projects. …leaving nature to its own devices would mean losing a fifth of the forests logged over the past 40 years. 

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Gisborne District Council introduces new forestry consent conditions

By Gisborne District Council
The Government of New Zealand
April 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Gisborne District Council has reached a major milestone with the introduction of new standard forestry consent conditions, developed after more than a year of collaboration and consultation with industry stakeholders. The new conditions, which respond directly to the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use, represent a significant step forward in advancing sustainable land management in the region. Council Chief Executive Nedine Thatcher Swann says the conditions strike a careful balance between enabling the forestry sector and protecting the environment. …The conditions represent Council’s interim position and will guide decision making on forestry resource consent applications on a case-to-case basis. They form part of a wider programme of work, with Council continuing to develop a more integrated and holistic approach through its forestry plan change.

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Simpler EU deforestation law sparks debate

By Stephen Frost
Ecotextile News
April 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

BRUSSELS – For fashion companies grappling with the EU’s ambitious anti-deforestation law, a recent tweak from the European Commission may appear to offer some relief. As the December deadline looms for the landmark EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Brussels has eased what some companies claimed were daunting reporting requirements. Instead of the initially mandated declaration for every shipment of goods linked to forest destruction, companies now only need to submit a single annual due diligence statement. …The Commission hopes this new simplification – which also includes allowing authorised representatives to file for company groups and enabling reuse of statements for re-imported goods – will shave off a significant 30% in reporting burdens and associated costs for affected businesses. However, the EU Commission’s simplification is being met with concern by environmental campaigners. As Reuters reported, the streamlining of paperwork has sparked fears that the teeth of the EUDR might be blunted.

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Tunisia Launches $24 Million Project to Restore Forests and Revitalize Rural Economies

African Development Bank Group
April 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The Government of Tunisia, in partnership with the African Development Bank Group, has launched a flagship $24 million initiative to restore degraded forest landscapes and boost climate resilience in rural ecosystems. The Agroforestry and Degraded Forest Landscape Restoration Project (PARFD) was officially launched on 23 April in Tunis. The project, estimated at $23.72 million (over 73 million Tunisian dinars), is being funded by the African Development Bank through the Climate Investment Funds’ Strategic Climate Fund, which is contributing $17 million. The Tunisian Government is providing $6.06 million, while project beneficiaries contribute $660,000. The initiative aligns with Tunisia’s national development priorities, including the 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy and the country’s commitment to reducing carbon intensity by 45% by 2030. It is expected to generate nearly 4,500 green jobs across the governorates of Béja, Siliana, and Bizerte.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

UK ‘could take more US wood pellets to burn for electricity’ amid trade talks

By Rebecca Speare-Cole
UK Independent
May 14, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

The UK could potentially take more US wood pellets to burn for electricity amid ongoing trade talks, Donald Trump’s agriculture secretary has said. Brooke Rollins, who met with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Energy Minister Michael Shanks on Tuesday, said America is “100% confident” that its wood chips meet the UK’s sustainability requirements. Ms Rollins has been promoting US agricultural produce, including American wood pellets, on a visit to London this week as trade talks between the two countries continue following the preliminary deal struck on Thursday. But the biomass sector has long faced accusations of sourcing and burning wood from environmentally important or rare forests. Campaign and media investigations have alleged that Drax, which runs the UK’s biggest power station in Yorkshire, has used wood from environmentally important forests in North America.

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Even as emissions level off, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is growing faster than ever. Here’s why

by Issy Borley, Cathy Trudinger and Ray Langenfelds
The Conversation in Phys.org
May 8, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Over the last decade, humanity’s emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) have stabilized after a period of huge growth. Average growth is now down to just 0.6% per year, compared to 2% per year in the previous decade. But leveling off isn’t the same as declining—and we’ve leveled off at a very high rate of emissions. The Global Carbon Project estimates human activities released a record high of 10.2 gigatons of carbon (GtC) in 2024. …CO₂ concentrations are increasing because we are still pumping massive amounts of long-buried CO₂ into our atmosphere. …natural carbon sinks are struggling to keep up. …This is a crucial moment. Our current rate of emissions will only cause CO₂ concentrations and global temperatures to rise. Natural carbon sinks will not pull out enough carbon to stabilize our climate on a timeframe meaningful to humans. The earlier the action and decrease in emissions, the better our future.

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European Space Agency unveils longest-ever dataset on forest biomass

Phys.Org
May 5, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

As the new Biomass satellite settles into life in orbit following its launch on April 29, ESA has released its most extensive satellite-based maps of above-ground forest carbon to date. Spanning nearly two decades, the dataset offers the clearest global picture yet of how forest carbon stocks have changed over time. Developed through ESA’s Climate Change Initiative, this new long-term record integrates data from multiple satellite missions—and will soon be further enhanced by data from the Biomass mission itself. It tracks the carbon-rich woody parts of vegetation, mainly trunks and branches, across the globe for different years between 2007 and 2022, at resolutions ranging from 100 m to 50 km. Importantly, it is tailored to support climate and carbon modeling, forest management, and national greenhouse-gas reporting activities as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement.

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United Nations Study Urges Focus on Boreal Forests

Mirage News
May 6, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Representing 27% of all forests worldwide, boreal forests are the planet’s terrestrial “second lung” after tropical forests. Encircling the North Pole, they span North America, Europe, and Asia, playing a vital role in global carbon sequestration and storage, biodiversity, and supporting societies and economies. Despite their importance, boreal forests do not receive the same visibility and attention among policymakers and the public as their tropical forest counterparts. A new study published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), presented today at the United Nations Forum on Forests in New York, highlights the urgent need to increase the understanding of this global “treasure trove” and to safeguard its important contributions… Boreal forests, like other forest biomes, are important to global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 12, 13 and 15, the six Global Forest Goals and the Targets of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030.

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There Is No Solution to Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss Without Healthy Forests

The United Nations
May 5, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

The United Nations Forum on Forests commenced its twentieth session today, as speakers spotlighted the connection between healthy forests and a sustainable future, the increasing threats to this important global resource and the subsequent need to invest in its protection despite a shrinking fiscal space. The Forum will hold its twentieth session from 5 to 9 May in New York. Established in 2000 by the Economic and Social Council, the Forum has universal membership and is tasked with reviewing progress in the implementation of sustainable forest management. This session — a technical one — will focus on Global Forest Goals 1 (reversing forest loss), 3 (protecting forests and using sustainable forest products) and 5 (promoting inclusive forest governance). “This Forum is unique,” observed Ismail Belen (Türkiye), Chair of the Forum’s twentieth session — noting that “it is the only global intergovernmental platform with universal membership that focuses on all forest-related issues”.

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Forest Fires

Wildfire spreads around Jerusalem as Israel asks Italy, Greece for help

By Rina Bassist
AL – Monitor
April 30, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Israel asked Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy and Croatia to help extinguish major wildfires that broke out Wednesday morning in several locations near Jerusalem and along Highway 1 leading to the city as communities along the road were instructed to evacuate. At least one man suspected of involvement in igniting the fires was arrested, according to Israeli broadcaster Kan, which reported that the suspect is now detained at the Oz police station in east Jerusalem. Israel police did not confirm or give any details on what started the fires. …Foreign Minister Gideon Saar asked his counterparts in the four countries to send firefighting airplanes and helicopters to Israel, including supertankers. Ynet reported that Greece and Italy are sending supertankers and that the Palestinian Authority offered to send firefighters, though Israel has not yet responded to the offer. International aid is expected to arrive Thursday morning.

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