Sustainability is baked into every step of the work we do every day. From climate-smart, ecosystem-based forest management, through responsible procurement in the value chain, to the resourceful use of materials to produce sustainable products.
Within the carbon cycle and for climate change mitigation, wood products have three beneficial roles: as a store of carbon, as an alternative to fossil fuel-based materials, and for generating carbon-neutral energy. West Fraser’s operations have the opportunity to contribute to climate change mitigation by capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) in forests, storing it in the products we make, generating renewable energy and providing renewable alternatives to carbon-intensive materials.
- Our commitment to and practice of certified, sustainable forest management is a high-impact contributor to mitigating climate change by absorbing and storing carbon
- The products we produce are ecological, renewable alternatives to carbon-intensive materials like concrete and steel. West Fraser’s solid wood products (83% of 2019 revenues), averaging 50% carbon by weight. Converting more construction to wood is identified as a solution for chopping global GHG emissions, two-fold emissions benefit because of carbon storage in solid wood in addition to the displacement of higher carbon building materials.
- West Fraser’s high-efficiency primary manufacturing recovers raw materials for a range of valuable secondary products, including pulp, energy and potential substitutes for plastics and petroleum-based chemicals, with 75% of our energy needs met by renewable sources
We support national and international collaborative action and policies to combat climate change, including recognizing the sequestration and storage of carbon through productive, sustainably managed forests and market-based approaches to carbon pricing.
Reflecting the recommendations of the Task Force for Climate-Financial Disclosure (TCFD), West Fraser provides the following information about our strategic approach, risks, opportunities and performance related to climate change.