Forests provide a bounty of economic, environmental and social benefits. To us, sustainable forest management means ensuring these benefits are shared by our communities, employees and customers today and in the future.
We are committed to providing a safe workplace, and to developing and maintaining respectful relationships with all our stakeholders, including our employees, investors, customers, communities, and Indigenous people of the traditional territories on which we operate.
Forest management practices grounded in sustainability and shared benefit are at the core of everything we do. But we also recognize as a guiding principle our responsibility to contribute to managing for the overall ecosystem health and biodiversity of British Columbia’s forests.
We believe our forests contribute immensely to sustainably meeting multiple human needs, and that they can continue to do so. In order to maintain the resiliency of this treasured resource, we need to protect and enhance the diverse benefits forests provide, including clean air, water, soil and critical habitat biodiversity.
Forest Management
We are privileged to call Mackenzie, British Columbia home. Located in Northern B.C., on the western edge of the majestic Rocky Mountains and east of the Omineca Range, Mackenzie is home to our sawmill, power plant, most of our employees, and the endless forests that surround it, where you’ll find the highest-quality softwood in North America.
In B.C., 95% of forests are publicly owned. Portions of the forest are managed through long-term licenses by companies like ours. At Conifex, we are committed to being leaders in responsibly managing this important resource on behalf of the people of British Columbia.
ENVIRONMENT
Air quality, soil health and water conservation are vital building blocks to a healthy environment that in turn supports the natural resource needs of society. We take seriously our role as stewards of the lands on which we operate and are committed to protecting air, soil and water, as well as to doing our part to mitigate climate change. We do so through mindful forest management practices and improved manufacturing processes that minimize the impacts from our operations.
Air and Emissions
We are committed to reducing airborne emissions from our operations. Our mill has benefitted from investments to upgrade to more energy-efficient technologies and better utilization of resources like heat, steam, and other energy created during the manufacturing process. We focus on continuous improvement of our processes to minimize or eliminate situations that may impact our emission levels.
We believe one of the strengths of our company is in the integration of a biomass power plant with our Mackenzie sawmill. This bioenergy plant takes residual fibre from the mill and forest that would previously have been burned or decayed (producing GHG emissions in the process) and generates clean energy for British Columbians. Since the start of 2020, the Mackenzie sawmill has reduced the amount of wood waste being landfilled by over 90% through operational improvements and wood waste recovery transfer to the biomass plant.
Healthy, growing forests are a natural means of carbon sequestration – a process of removing carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere. Young forests especially sequester carbon, which is why our ongoing reforestation program is so important to the circular regeneration of our forests.
Water
Water is one of the most important natural resources we have. It is essential for human life, as well as for growing trees and making forest products. Reducing water use and protecting water quality is an extremely important aspect of sustainably managed operations.
We specifically address, manage and monitor our logging operations in and around rivers, streams, lakes and other water bodies and operate under strictly mandated and monitored government regulations regarding water in the areas where we operate.
Our water strategies include the goals of water conservancy and water efficiency. Together they contribute to ecosystem stability and allow us to be better prepared in times of water shortage and support best management practices.
Bioenergy
CERTIFICATION
Sustainable Forest Initiative
Our woodlands operations are guided by Forest Stewardship Plans submitted to and approved by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range and are independently managed by the internationally recognized Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI).
Programme For Endorsement Of Forest Certification
Conifex is also committed to implementing and maintaining the requirements of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Chain of Custody Standard PEFC ST 2002:2013. Our adherence to the PEFC Standard provides our customers and the end consumers the confidence that the raw materials of our products originate from sustainably managed forests.
Conifex Sustainability Policy
Conifex is committed to responsible stewardship of the environment. We recognize that environmental excellence, particularly sustainable forest management, is crucial to our long-term business success.