Session #: F-7

Session Content: The session brings together a rich collection of research-based evidence on ecosystem service management and the emerging interactions between businesses, industrial plantations and local livelihoods. Along this, the session addresses impacts from changing international trade flows and foreign investments on the sustainable future of forest industry. Key examples are drawn from the Asian context with a reference drawn from other parts of the world. An important aspect is to bridge the gap between the future of forest-based industrial business and recent UN Sustainable Development goals and their inferences on human and environmental development perspectives.

There were 6 oral presentations. In addition, three related posters were available in exhibition hall.

 

Key Findings, Discussion Points, Knowledge Gaps:

Strategic choices regarding environmental investments are important for Chinese pulp and paper sector. Improvement of corporate performance of Chinese pulp and paper industry under the context of carbon emission mitigation call for industry restructuring and upgrading, and a monitoring system for this is proposed.

Community perspectives on the ecosystem servicers related impacts due to establishment of industrial plantations are found to be dominantly negative in Guanxi province of China. Some positive livelihood impacts are however visible due to e.g. employment opportunities and investments in infrastructure.

A local ecological footprint tool developed at University of Oxford was presented. Some examples of its applications for industry cases are discussed in high conservation areas.

From research done in China, a leading indicator tool based on purchasing manager index was presented for forest industry. In a follow-up presentation, the tool was found to function fairly well for a period of 2012-16 in tracking industry ups and downs. Procedures for sampling the data and weighting different score areas were discussed and more scientific work based on data was suggested.

The session was closed by an applied presentation, provided in the programme by local organizing committee. Presentation focused on a case company FuturaGene, that works locally in China to aid in restoration of arid landscapes based on genetically modified crops of yellow horn.

 

Expected Publications: None

Approximately 45 attendees.