Investors in carbon credits have withstood greenwashing and low prices—now they see a turnaround. In related news: Derek Nighbor says wood waste could feed Canada’s electicity grid; the EU deforestation law could sideline Canada’s Indigenous forest management; the United Nations says tropical deforestation pledges must be increased; and Russian forests are shifting from GHG-sink to source. Meanwhile: FPAC welcomes the new national wildland fire strategy; Oregon’s forest agreement is making headway on endangered species; and how the US is faring on its biodiversity 30-by-30 conservation target.
In Business news: Canada launches institute to track indigenous economic prosperity; Ontario’s cabinet shuffle includes its Forest Minister; Kruger and Unifor update Kamloops on fibre shortage; Greenpeace accuses IKEA of destroying Romania’s old-growth; and more on Suzano’s potential acquisition of International Paper.
Finally, Nova Scotia is devastated by loss of the historic Bangor sawmill and museum.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
There are some new names of government ministries as part of a cabinet shuffle by Premier Doug Ford as 
BC Wood will be hosting the 21st Annual Global Buyers Mission (GBM), September 5th-7th, 2024, back again in-person at the beautiful Whistler Village. The GBM is BC Wood’s premier business development activity connecting the value-added wood manufacturers and suppliers with hundreds of qualified international buyers, architects, designers, contractors, builders, engineers, developers, public officials and product specifiers. WoodTALKS™ registered delegates will have opportunities to participate in accredited seminars, trade show with demonstration workshops, project site tours, and GBM networking activities during the 3 days of the event. WoodTALKS™ is designed to inform and inspire on the use of wood in design and construction, and will explore current architectural projects and manufacturing advancements.
Join us in shaping the future of value-added manufacturing in British Columbia. Launched in fall 2023, the Value-Added Accelerators, a collaboration between the First Nations Forestry Council, the BC Value-Added Wood Coalition (including ILMA, IWPA, BC Wood), the Council of Forest Industries (COFI), and the Ministry of Forests (including BC Timber Sales), are dedicated to sustaining and growing value-added manufacturing in BC. Regional Fibre Flow Committees were one of the suggestions that came from the Value-Added Accelerator regional sessions, held in late 2023. Join us for our pilot session, in the Kootenay region, held in Nelson, on June 17th. Our upcoming in-person pilot session, “Growing Roots in the Koots: Regional Fibre Flow Forum” offers stakeholders from across the fibre value chain a platform to network and engage in discussions led by the Value-Added Wood Coalition and COFI, supported by BCTS, Ministry of Forests and the First Nations Forestry Council. 
The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) introduced the 
A week after his presidential inauguration, Joe Biden cited the climate and biodiversity crises as reasons to set a sweeping new goal – to conserve at least 30% of America’s vast lands and waters by the end of the decade. Three years on, new protections have spurred meaningful progress towards meeting the target by 2030. …As Biden took office, about 12% of US land had been protected by previous administrations. About 41m acres has been placed under some form of new protection across public and private lands during Biden’s term, meaning that about 13% of the US’s landmass is now deemed protected, up by about 1%. A far smaller expanse of US waters have been newly conserved under Biden but the aquatic side of the goal is closer with 26% currently protected and with new designations planned for territories in the Pacific Ocean set to push the total above the 30% target.
After more than three decades on Wall Street, Tom Montag thought he’d seen most forms of financial wizardry. Then Hank Paulson asked him to tackle carbon offsets. …The goal was to “unleash as much carbon finance as possible,” Montag said. But a string of scandals threw the anticipated boom into question. …Prices for carbon offsets tracked by MSCI peaked in 2022, when Paulson recruited Montag, and have been on a downward trajectory since. …Montag and other backers on Wall Street haven’t blinked. They’ve remained convinced companies and governments will eventually embrace carbon offsets as an indispensable climate solution in a world racing to reach net zero emissions. And last month, Rubicon signed a deal with Microsoft Corp., one of the world’s largest offset buyers, to generate credits from a tree-planting project in Panama. …Offset bulls recently scored big wins. The US just issued the US government’s first-ever official blessing of the credits.
