As industries increasingly adopt sustainability considerations across their value chains, the importance of environmental product declarations (EPD) cannot be overstated. By systematically assessing the environmental impacts of a product from cradle to grave, businesses can gain valuable insight into their supply chain, pinpoint areas for improvement, and make informed strategic decisions that align with both regulatory requirements and customer expectations. As stakeholders increasingly demand accountability and verifiable environmental performance, embracing EPDs becomes a cornerstone of a forward-thinking and resilient sustainability strategy.
Quebec’s premier is raising concerns about the potential impact of the tariff proposed by US president-elect on the province’s forest industry. In a statement posted to social media on Sunday, François Legault said high interest rates and existing duties on softwood lumber were already putting pressure on the sector, which he said accounts for more than 50,000 jobs in Quebec. “It will be important to protect our economy and our businesses in the coming months, and we are already working on our strategy with the relevant ministers within the government,” he wrote in French. “I have great admiration for all the workers in our forestry industry, whether they are in logging, transportation, sawmills or reforestation.” Legault’s comments echo those of BC Premier David Eby. …“Even before Mr. Trump’s announcement, we were working to support a Quebec industry that is already affected by tariffs in the US: the forestry industry,” Legault said.
RIDDLE, Oregon — Roseburg Forest Products laid off approximately 2.5% of its workforce across all North American locations early last month, while 120 positions are slated to be filled at Oregon facilities through 2026. “As we near the end of 2024, soft demand for wood products and broad-based pricing pressure continue to be a drag on our industry,” said Roseburg Forest Products spokesperson Sarah Smith in an email. “Looking into 2025, we do not expect near-term recovery in demand, and as a result, we are positioning to weather another challenging year.” Roseburg Forest Products manages 600,000 acres of timberland in Oregon, Virginia and North Carolina, according to the company website. Through the harvest of these timberlands, Roseburg Forest Products offers a variety of wood products including plywood, fiberboard and laminate products. …Smith said the move to eliminate these positions was a necessary one to cut “unnecessary costs.”
President-elect Donald Trump plans to implement a 25% tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada to target drugs, particularly fentanyl, and illegal immigration… Trump’s announcement of his plans has spurred questions about what tariffs mean for American consumers, as well as the products that may face additional fees. Oil and “billions worth of wood and paper” are imported from Canada to America, USA TODAY reported. …Congress has the authority to make U.S. tariff policy, and the legislative branch usually set tariff rates before the 1930s… However, Congress has “delegated extensive tariff-setting authority to the President” for decades. Through certain statutes, the president can impose or adjust tariffs, such as adjusting tariffs on imports that threaten U.S. national security or raise tariff rates when the U.S. International Trade Commission finds that an import surge has injured an American industry, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The U.S. exported 839,226.4 metric tons of wood pellets in October, down from 898,128.2 metric tons the previous month, but up from 835,490.8 metric tons in October 2023, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. The U.S. exported wood pellets to approximately a dozen countries in October. The U.K. was the top destination for U.S. wood pellet exports at 700,824 metric tons, followed by Denmark at 92,850.8 metric tons. The value of U.S. wood pellet exports fell to $154.72 million in October, down from $167.05 million in September and $155.41 million in October of last year. Total wood pellet exports for the first 10 months of 2024 reached 8.25 million metric tons at a value of $1.53 billion.
The Lane County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a property tax exemption for Weyerhaeuser’s planned improvements to its Cottage Grove sawmill, a move officials say will help secure high-paying jobs in the region while ensuring the timber company remains competitive. Weyerhauser, a Seattle-based timber company, applied for the exemption to delay paying taxes on a planned $120 million upgrade to the sawmill, which it says currently employs 225 people. Under the agreement, Weyerhaeuser will save $7.2 million in property taxes over five years, but the company must make a 10% “community benefit payment,” which will be shared by the South Lane School District and the Cottage Grove Community Medical Center Foundation. Additionally, state law mandates Weyerhaeuser pay supplemental fees to the school district in the fourth and fifth years of the exemption.
Policymakers are looking out for indications of what President-elect Donald Trump plans to do to ease housing costs next year. …Trump has spoken frequently of his proposed 60% tariff on goods from China, which he has said would create more manufacturing jobs in the US. …But housing economists and other experts say that could be bad news for building more affordable housing. Selma Hepp, chief economist for CoreLogic, a financial services company, said tariffs are one of her main concerns about the effects of a second Trump term. “One of the biggest concerns is not just lumber [costs], but the overall cost of materials, which have been going up,” Hepp said. Kurt Paulsen, professor of urban planning in the department of planning and landscape architecture at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, said building costs are already high from tariffs on Canadian lumber.
Mass timber construction …has exploded in recent years, exemplified by buildings like Ascent, a high-rise in Milwaukee, and the new terminal at the Portland Airport. Industry group Woodworks predicts 20% growth in new projects. And passive house design, the ultra-energy efficient methodology of building, has also exploded, with numerous examples of homes, hospitals, high-rises, and even affordable housing built according to the standard. But this progress is at risk with a new Trump administration coming into power. Proposed tariffs by the incoming Trump administration may increase the prices of many items. But for architects and advocates working on more efficient and sustainable buildings, there’s fear that tariffs could impact specific materials and machines that are key to their work. Higher costs from tariffs, may slow down the pick up of these construction techniques, making such buildings more expensive, and slowing down the effort to cut emissions from buildings and the built environment.
On the whole, modern buildings have large carbon footprints, thanks to pollution-heavy concrete, steel, insulation, and more. …So it’s no surprise that the search is underway to shrink emissions. …These developments are mostly written about in scientific research papers and professional journals … here are just a sampling:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced a new policy for monitoring national forests and grasslands. The policy aligns monitoring, partnerships, and information-sharing efforts to help land managers monitor changes related to climate change and other stressors affecting National Forest System lands and make timely, informed, science-based decisions within staffing and budget constraints. This policy is an important step in implementing the agency’s 2012 planning rule, which requires the agency use monitoring to inform adaptive management. The Forest Service monitors national forests and grasslands to gauge progress toward forest restoration, the effects of disturbance and climate on forests — such as the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, drought and floods — and to help people understand how forests are changing through time.
J.P. Morgan Asset Management announced that institutional investors advised by the firm’s wholly-owned timber investment manager, Campbell Global, have led the acquisition of 40,800 productive acres of high-quality, commercial timberland located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. The firm has named the property Tyee to acknowledge the Cascadia region’s indigenous Native American history. Campbell Global was acquired by J.P. Morgan Asset Management in 2021 and is recognized as a pioneer in timberland management, having managed more than five million acres worldwide for pension funds, foundations and other institutional investors since inception. Tyee will be continuously managed for both carbon capture and timber production to meet growing demand for sustainable building products and other uses. Some details of the property include 100% certified in accordance with Sustainable Forestry Initiative standards.
America’s current approach to international climate policy is worth interrogating in light of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. President Joe Biden put unprecedented resources behind this multilateral diplomacy approach, beginning with the appointment of former secretary of state John Kerry as the inaugural special presidential envoy for climate… Trump likely will again withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement and possibly from the UN climate change framework governing it. Such a move would prevent the U.S. government from formally participating in the COP process, possibly making it difficult for future administrations to rejoin… The current U.S. approach to international climate action is not well optimized to meet a transformed world defined by industrial policy, intensified great power competition, and shifting views on globalization and supply chains.