Forest stewardship in China

China makes and uses more paper products than any other country, with a large footprint on forests within and beyond its borders. In 2015, WWF and Apple kicked off a five-year project to help improve stewardship of China’s forests, setting a goal of nearly 1 million acres under Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification or under a category of forest management referred to as “improved.” FSC-certified forests are managed to ensure wildlife is protected, rivers are not polluted, large trees remain standing, and more.

That goal has nearly been reached, with 320,982 FSC-certified acres and another 436,499 acres under improved forest management. A document, created through this project, that summarizes best management practices aims to help other landowners manage forests well and inspire Chinese government officials to create better management policies and programs.

The project represents an emerging model in forest conservation: companies looking beyond their own supply chains to conserve forests more quickly and at a greater scale.

Eucalyptus, a fast-growing tree, often only needs between four and six years to be ready for harvest.

ACRES OF FSC-CERTIFIED FORESTS

ACRES UNDER IMPROVED FOREST MANAGEMENT

GOAL: NEARLY 1 MILLION ACRES
Roughly the size of Rhode Island

THREATENED FOREST SPECIES
Giant pandas, snow leopards, and golden monkeys

TREES OF LIFE
China’s forests harbor over 2,800 tree species