Fashion and forests are intrinsically linked. Today, 6.4 percent of textiles are produced with wood-based feedstock, according to sustainability nonprofit Textile Exchange. With deforestation responsible for up to 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, pivoting to “forest-positive” sourcing for man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCF) such as viscose, lyocell, modal and acetate, has never been more critical. Deforestation isn’t just about mowing down trees, said Julia Kozlik, textile program lead at the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), which published on Wednesday a white paper detailing the role clothing purveyors can play in preserving the well-being of forest ecosystems. Forests, she told Sourcing Journal, are “quite complex.” Trees aside, they support a sprawling web of biodiversity. More than 80 percent of all terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects, for instance, call forests home. There are also the frequently overlooked social risks that forest loss and mismanagement pose, Kozlik said.