GRESHAM House has come together with nine other leading forestry companies for the launch of a new global initiative aimed at providing effective international leadership in support of the role of sustainable forest management in the climate transition.
The International Sustainable Forestry Coalition (ISFC) has been co-founded by Gresham House, along with Dasos Capital, F&W Forestry, Marubeni, Mitsui & Co., Ltd, New Forests, Oji Holdings Corporation, Rayonier, Stora Enso and UPM. With a combined nine million hectares of forests under management in 27 countries, the members of the coalition represent a sizeable part of the global forestry industry.
The new initiative aims to achieve greater recognition of the importance of sustainable management and preservation of global forests in the fight against climate change, and will enable effective, unified representation for the sector in the rapidly shifting policy debate around forestry, natural capital and climate change.
The initiative will have an active presence at New York Climate Week in September and COP28 in Dubai in November and December, where it will focus on a range of areas including biodiversity measurement, international methodologies for carbon accreditation, and conservation of ecosystems.
Gresham House is the UK’s largest commercial forestry manager and among the largest worldwide, with £3.4bn of forestry assets under management in the UK, Europe and Australasia. We have a track record of over 40 years of managing sustainable forestry and land investments on behalf of institutions, endowments, family offices and private investors. We have also taken the lead in promoting sustainable approaches to managing forestry assets, having launched our Forest Charter in 2022 to set out a measurable sustainability framework for our forestry investments.
Olly Hughes, Managing Director, Forestry, Gresham House, said, “The consideration of long-term sustainability risks and opportunities is a crucial aspect of our forestry management approach. Sustainability-related risks include climate change and biodiversity loss. We believe that managing forests sustainably can help mitigate these long-term risks and maximise the long-term growth and health of these assets for the ultimate benefit of society as a whole.
“We are delighted to have joined the International Sustainable Forestry Coalition to ensure that the opportunities for forestry to support global climate and biodiversity challenges are fully understood and make a full contribution towards a more sustainable future.”
Executive Director of the ISFC Ross Hampton said, “ISFC’s mission is to advocate for: increasing the global provision of renewable materials in the context of a circular bioeconomy; supporting growth that is compatible with climate and nature recovery imperatives; embedding science-based principles in policy and incentives; and increasing benefits to rural and indigenous people.
The ISFC is committed to help solve the challenges laid out in the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use, being progressed by the Forests and Climate Leaders Partnership (FCLP). The private forestry sector is a vital partner to mobilise capital at the scale required to deliver on these ambitions and the applicable United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”