Over 100 professionals from 40 different countries have agreed that sustainable wood value chains are relevant for all 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This was one of the key messages resulting from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) event "Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World" Global Meeting. Scion's sustainable architect Andrea Stocchero was at the global meeting representing the international wood design and construction sector, New Zealand and Scion. He was featured on a panel addressing how wood product-use contributes to sustainability and climate change mitigation, and participated in the ‘Sustainable wood products for the SDGs’ breakout group.  

FAO have recently released their official report from the event which summarises the speaker contributions, including Andrea's point that "using sustainable wood in construction fosters integration across a multi-industry value chain that spans forestry, wood product manufacturing, building design and construction, including waste management, energy production, logistics and transportation. This provides employment opportunities for all genders and levels of qualifications, in both rural and industrialized areas worldwide."

The final report makes a number of clear conclusions, including: 

• Sustainable wood value chains are relevant for all 17 SDGs, especially for decent work and economic growth (SDG8), responsible consumption and production (SDG12), climate action (SDG13) and life on land (SDG15).
• Sustainable forestry is recognized as a significant component of sustainable landscape management.
• Promoting environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically sound wood value chains is an important step forward in transitioning to sustainable landscapes.
• To enhance local livelihoods, there is a need to connect global/regional/local value chains and to diversify forest products beyond wood to make effective use of ‘baskets of value chains’.
• Sustainable wood value chains are critical to mitigating climate change in several ways, including carbon storage in standing forests and in harvested wood products, as well as for the substitution of fossil-based raw materials and products. The substitution of higher carbon footprint materials provides important contributions to mitigation efforts especially in the construction sector.
• Enhancing investments to promote sustainable wood value chains requires critical assessment of investment barriers and opportunities along the value chain and better security and monetisation of the full range of forest products and services. Creation of a virtual multistakeholder investment promotion facility would help tailor finance to support sustainable wood value chains.

Andrea and other participants are committed to continuing to work together in 2018 conveying the key messages and learnings of the event for action to influence policy.

Read more about the Sustainable wood for sustainable development event