(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-04-12 09:12

Due to the current shortage of pulp, the development of fast-growing and high-yield plantations can relieve the pressure on natural forests.

APP began its integration project in 1994. Species such as eucalyptus, acacia and poplar trees were cultivated on 300,000 hectares in 10 provinces in China, Ko noted.

Compared to natural forests, plantations have a more fragile ecosystem, which requires scientific management. APP China has set up research and development centers and nurseries in Hainan and Guangxi to develop fast-growing and high-yield plantations, and had adopted sustainable management procedures.

According to the APP China's environmental and social sustainability report audited by the third-party certification group Det Norske Veritasin 2006, APP China adhered to a scientific procedure in planting forests.

It selects seeds of verified species in accordance with geographic conditions and planting needs to avoid genetic narrowing.

Permitted by the government, it uses wasteland, barren mountains, abandoned farmland and ecologically degraded scrub forests as cultivation sites.

The firm uses a sustainable model by regular felling of trees and planting. Only one-sixth of the trees that grow to their full size in six years will be felled, leaving the others standing.

By adopting sustainable plantation management practices, six plantation companies under APP China have already implemented the ISO 14001 environmental protection management.

Several APP pulp and paper companies including Gold East Paper (Jiangsu), Gold Huasheng Paper, Ningbo Zhonghua Paper and Ningbo Asia Pulp & Paper have received certification from the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC). PEFC is an independent, non-governmental and non-profit organization promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification.

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