Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) CEO, Ross Hampton, has been appointed as Vice-Chair of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) Advisory Committee on Sustainable Forest-based Industries (ACSFI).
“It’s a great honour to be appointed as Vice-Chair of the FAO statutory body, the ACSFI. I very much look forward to working with the highly respected new Chair, Carina Hakansson, Director General of the Swedish Forest Industries Federation, and the full committee, as we support the FAO in its drive to foster sustainable forest industries globally,” Mr Hampton said.
“This appointment is also a testament to Australia’s forest industries which have a well-deserved reputation internationally as amongst the best managed and most sustainable anywhere.
“I look forward to working with the Chair and full Committee as we seek to progress issues surrounding sustainable forest management, recognition of carbon stored in forests and timber products, bioenergy (including recognition of renewable heat) and the world of emerging bioproducts which are able to replace fossil fuel based materials.
“In the future, sustainable forestry and renewable wood and paper products will only become more prevalent in societies across the globe. In a world that must house, clothe and feed more than 9.5 billion people by 2050, renewable forestry and forest products will play an increasingly important role in sustainably meeting those growing needs,” Mr Hampton concluded.