Consumer perceptions of environmental and social sustainability of wood products in the Finnish market

Abstract

Consumers in today's world can perceive an additional benefit associated with responsible business practices and the sustainability of purchased products. However, in Scandinavian context, there is a lack of knowledge of consumer perceptions toward environmental and social sustainability of wood products. Our data on adult Finnish consumers (private end-users) (N=227) were collected during 2004–2007 as interview exit data from home retail centers selling building materials. The perceived environmental and social sustainability of wood products was investigated using exploratory factor analysis, and the phenomenon was observed to be a two-dimensional construct consisting of “General environmental and social sustainability” and “Specific social sustainability” reflecting strong consumer need for product safety. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the “General” dimension also explains the consumer's self-declared willingness to pay for sustainable wood products. The results also indicate that the respondents may be segmented based on their perceptions on product level environmental and social sustainability: the most environmentally and socially conscious group can be profiled by gender (female), older age, and summer cottage ownership.     

我国主要木制品产业发展概况

概述了我国主要木制品产业（包括木制家具、木质门、木地板、橱柜、木制玩具及一次性筷子）的发展现状,分析了产业发展中存在的问题,指出了木材资源不足及产品附加值低等问题严重阻碍了我国木制品产业的健康可持续发展。同时,针对木制品产业发展趋势,提出了发展建议,为我国木制品产业未来的健康可持续发展提供参考。     

柔性设计在现代木家具制造中的应用研究

相比传统木家具定型设计方案,融入柔性设计的家具产品更具有现代气息,不仅满足消费者个性化需求,而且能够更加合理地利用空间环境。为更好地适应家具产业定制化发展趋势,进一步改善市场供需平衡状况,概述了现代木家具制造中的柔性设计理念,重点对柔性设计在应用中的优势进行分析,这对于开拓国内外终端消费市场,促进木质家具的可持续发展具有重要意义。     

Cleavage in the understanding of sustainability: Sustainable pulp industry versus sustained local livelihood

Abstract

“Sustainability” is used as a catchword, with different meanings depending on the actor. This paper examines how the term “sustainability” is used by the Brazilian pulp maker Veracel Cellulose, and other major cellulose pulp producers in South America, and the cleavage between the companies and the local communities in their understanding of the term sustainability. The analysis was based on annual or sustainability reports from companies in Brazil (Aracruz, Fibria, Suzano and Veracel) and Chile (Arauco and CPMC), and Nordic Stora Enso and UPM. The main emphasis is on Veracel for 2008 and 2009, which is contrasted with a letter to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) from the local Bahian NGO, CEPEDES. Although the companies use “sustainability” as a catchword, in the actual reporting the wording “environmental and social responsibility” is preferred. A new reporting standard, GRI, encourages a narrower focus on selected business-related indicators, rather than a broader view in accordance with the Brundtland and Rio definitions. The cleavage between business- and a livelihood-oriented understanding of “sustainability” reflects a difference in understanding of the underlying concept of “development”. To ensure long-term sustainability of company operations, sustainable business development of the pulp and paper industry should include local livelihood perspectives to a greater extent than at present.     

生态产品价值实现:概念辨析

科学认识生态产品的内涵及分类有助于有效推动生态产品价值实现。文中通过梳理生态产品概念的演进过程，提出了符合目前发展阶段的“生态产品”概念；进一步分析国内外与生态产品一词相关的概念，以深化对生态产品概念的认识；在梳理国内学者对“生态产品”分类的基础上，从产品的表现形式、所有权、经营性质3个方面对生态产品进行分类；探讨目前对生态产品认识的误区，并提出国家应尽快出台生态产品相关标准、学术界要加强理论研究并与推动实践相结合、社会公众应提高生态产品认知，以促进生态产品价值实现，进一步推进新时代中国特色社会主义生态文明建设。     

中国原木进口与木质林产品出口的动态分析

1992-2014年中国木质林产品出口总值增长37.7倍,年均增长率达到17.94%;而原木进口总值增长25.6倍,年均增长率为15.89%。原木进口与木质林产品出口存在相同的增长趋势。文中以原木进口总值和木质林产品出口总值数据为基础建立VECM模型,并通过正交化脉冲响应函数和方差分解分析证明,中国原木进口与林产品出口之间存在正相关关系,原木进口显著推动了中国木质林产品的出口,但原木的供应不足也将制约林产品出口规模的进一步扩大。因此,缓解原木供求矛盾和优化林产品出口结构成为推动林产品贸易健康发展亟待解决的问题。     

欧盟尽职调查法案对我国木质家具贸易的影响及对策分析

近年来,非法采伐及相关木材贸易问题引起了国际社会的广泛关注.木质家具是中国木质林产品出口中最重要的产品,同时出口欧洲的份额正呈现出不断增长的趋势,尽职调查法案的实施必将对我国木质家具贸易产生重大影响.笔者简述了欧盟尽职调查法案的出台背景、历史沿革和主要内容,分析了我国与欧洲联盟的木质家具贸易现状,探讨了尽职调查法案实施后对我国木质家具贸易的消极影响和积极影响,从政府和企业两个层面提出相应政策,在应对当前困境的同时以促进我国木质家具贸易的可持续发展.     

A reality check on the landscape approach to REDD+: Lessons from Latin America

Developing and institutionalizing cross-sectoral approaches to sustainable land use remains a crucial, yet politically contested, objective in global sustainability governance. There is a widely acknowledged need for more integrated approaches to sustainable land use that reconcile multiple landscape functions, sectors and stakeholders. However, this faces a number of challenges in practice, including the lack of policy coherence and institutional conflicts across agricultural and forest sectors. In this context, the global climate change mitigation mechanism of “reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation” (REDD+) has been flagged as a unique opportunity to stimulate the development and institutionalization of more integrated, “landscape” approaches to sustainable land use. In this article, we provide a reality check for the prospects of REDD+ to deliver on this promise, through analyzing three pioneer cases of REDD+ development and implementation in Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico. We analyze how REDD+ has operated in each of these three contexts, based on field work, key-informant interviews, and analysis of primary and secondary documents. Our findings suggest that REDD+ has stimulated development of “niche” sustainable land-use investments in each case, which aim to integrate forest conservation and agricultural development goals, but has done so while competing with business-as-usual incentives. We conclude that national and international political commitment to more integrated and sustainable land-use approaches is a precondition for, rather than a result of, transformative REDD+ interventions.     

生态产品价值实现:国内实践

生态产品价值实现是贯彻“两山”发展理念、推进生态文明建设、实现“双碳”目标的重要途径。近些年, 我国各地都在积极探索生态产品价值实现路径,形成了生态产业化经营、生态补偿、生态权属交易、生态修复及价值提升等模式。文中分别以东北、中部、东部和西部为研究区域,介绍不同经济区域生态产品价值实现的典型做法和具体成效,分析我国在生态产品价值实现探索过程中面临的理论和实践层面的关键问题,提出了在不同地区促进生态产品价值实现的建议,以期建立健全生态产品价值实现机制、推动中国特色生态文明建设。     

Sustainable development and sustainable forestry: analogies,differences, and the role of flexibility

Various approaches have been developed to achieve sustainability in forestry, under changing social needs and, consequently, changing definitions of sustainability. This has led to the confusing situation in which various groups have different understandings of the meaning of ‘sustainability’. Likewise, the concepts utilized to achieve sustainability, often with a poorly defined objective, are sometimes not clear and/or inconsistent as a systematic overview regarding definitions and concepts is lacking. Based on a literature review, this paper discusses related terms such as sustainability, sustained yield management, sustainable forestry, sustainable forest management and sustainable development: their history, concepts and relationships, from a European perspective. Finally, flexibility is proposed as a solution to overcome the identified shortcomings at all scales, while focussing on the enterprise level. The origin of the sustainability concept in forestry was first driven by forest experts, while participatory elements have been considered since the more recent idea of sustainable development. Since then, much effort has been made to achieve intragenerational fairness by creating an improved participatory process. Concurrently, the original idea of sustainable forestry as long-term and future-oriented management, considering future generations’ needs fell behind. An increasing standing timber volume in Europe and the discussion on climate change brought new interest in how to cope with risks in the context of pervasive future uncertainties within the scope of promoting sustainable development. Although the consideration of risk has been concentrated on as a topic in forest science in recent years, studies have mainly focused on the enhancement of forest resistance against disturbances. However, precaution and risk avoidance alone are probably insufficient to achieve an improved sustainable development that focuses on intergenerational fairness, as these more defensive approaches may disregard important management opportunities involved with an uncertain future. A perhaps more promising approach, the idea of future options and the ability to respond to changing social and biophysical circumstances (i.e. flexibility) as criteria for sustainable development have only shown a shadowy existence up to now. To further develop the consistency of sustainability concepts, a shift of sustainability approaches from continuity towards flexibility options is proposed.     

Calculation of CFP and verification of effect on CO2 emission reduction for the use of certified wood in Kyoto Prefecture

The representative carbon footprint of product (CFP) value of “certified wood in Kyoto Prefecture” was calculated as 241?kg-CO₂/m³. The CFP value was 158?kg-CO₂/m³ when wood was not kiln dried and final processing was not involved, whereas that of “kiln-dried, finished wood” was 284?kg-CO₂/m³. Comparisons of different types of wood were also conducted to examine CO₂ emission-reducing effects of “certified wood in Kyoto Prefecture”. We compared the CFP of lumber produced (in Japan) from logs supplied from Japan and other countries and that of “certified wood in Kyoto Prefecture”; the lumber products as a target for comparison are shipped to markets throughout the country. The CFP of “certified wood in Kyoto Prefecture” was approximately 50% lower compared to that of North American wood lumbered in Japan and shipped to markets throughout the country, and about 30% lower compared to the mean CFP of lumber produced (in Japan) from logs supplied from Japan and other countries and shipped to markets throughout the country. We then compared the CFP of “products imported from other countries after being cut into lumber” to that of “certified wood in Kyoto Prefecture”. The CFPs of lumber products from North America and Europe were lower than that of “certified wood in Kyoto Prefecture” (kiln-dried, finished wood). However, when only woodchips were used as a heat source in the process of kiln drying, the CFP of “certified wood in Kyoto Prefecture” was lower than any other kiln-dried lumber products. Regarding “certified wood in Kyoto Prefecture”, the use of woodchips as a heat source in the process of kiln drying or a shift to air drying decreases the CFP.     

中国与“一带一路”国家木质家具贸易现状及趋势

鉴于地理距离和区域消费习惯对家具贸易影响程度较大,文中按照地理位置差异将“一带一路”地区分为6大板块,利用世界贸易中心（ITC）数据库2013—2017年中国与“一带一路”国家木质家具贸易数据进行分析发现:中国与“一带一路”国家木质家具贸易总额不断增长,贸易顺差较大,进出口市场分布不均,出口产品种类相对集中,进口产品较分散;为提高我国木质家具在“一带一路”国家的竞争力提出如下建议:制定战略规划以支撑国家“一带一路”倡议,优化产品设计以满足差异化需求,依托大型基础建设项目推进木质家具生产与销售,以高科技赋能家具产业和产品,重视木质家具产品的设计保护,加强政府政策引导。     

湖南省经济林产业可持续发展的战略思考

湖南地处中亚热带,自然条件优越,经济林资源丰富,主要经济林品种产业化发展在建国以后已取得了长足的进步,为发展农林经济、致富农民乃至生态建设都起到了很大的作用．但是,目前湖南省的经济林发展,普遍存在着数量大、质量低、规模小、深加工产品少、管理滞后、消费群体单一、科技创新能力弱、技术标准质量监督体系不健全等问题,严重地影响了湖南省经济林产业的可持缓发展．分析了湖南省经济林产业的现状、存在问题和发展潜力,在此基础上提出了湖南经挤林可持续经营的技术措施．     

木制品碳足迹评价及其标准化发展现状

我国已成为世界木制品生产和出口贸易第1大国, 进行木制品碳足迹评价及标准体系研究对于加快我国林业产业低碳经济发展步伐, 实现我国低碳贸易健康发展具有重要意义。文中介绍国际碳足迹评价及标准体系发展现状, 总结以世界人造板工业为主的木制品碳足迹评价及标准化建设工作, 同时提出我国木制品低碳标准体系框架, 以期为我国制定木制品低碳评价方法和评级标准、建立木制品国内碳标签制度及开展低碳产品认证提供参考。     

江苏省宜兴市毛竹资源利用历史变迁及现状

毛竹是森林资源的重要组成部分,研究毛竹资源利用及竹产业可持续发展极具现实意义。文章基于历史文献调查和对江苏省宜兴市竹材加工企业的问卷调查,分析了1916—2021年宜兴地区毛竹资源利用的历史变迁及发展现状。结果表明,宜兴市竹材加工业在20世纪60年代通过引进国外先进生产技术而得以迅速发展,在竹制品种类、加工方式等方面发生了明显变化。现阶段竹材加工企业以年轻中小企业为主,研发能力弱,竹制品同质性明显且附加价值低,主要盈利模式为薄利多销。文章建议,建立区域竹材储备体系以确保竹原材料稳定供给,竹产业与旅游业结合发展提高竹制品附加价值,同时积极响应“以竹代塑”倡议开发新产品,为推进宜兴竹产业可持续性发展提供新机遇。     

Fostering transparency in the transnational supply chain: From Russian forest producers to consumers in Europe and the USA

This paper examines the role played by different units in the supply chain that ensure consumer confidence in the process of production. Analysis of interviews with the managers of various units in the chain of custody showed that, as we move from the buyer to the production units, the building-up of trust by managers is becoming increasingly technical. Thus, end consumers include the intangible value of the product in their understanding of trust regarding Russian wood. The lower the unit is in the chain of custody and the closer it is situated to the logging sites, the more restricted is the construction of trust by managers, undergoing minimization and, ultimately, reduction in the bid to ensure a “normal” business or purely technical approach. The differences observed in the constructions of trust in various units of the chain can be explained in light of two factors: firstly, the challenges faced by each individual unit, and secondly, the value system of the managers at every level.     

木质音箱的数控加工

为充分利用木材的天然特性,科学高效地使用木质材料,提高木质产品附加值,本试验应用计算机辅助设计与制造(CAD/CAM)和数控加工技术探讨了复杂木质音箱的加工生产特性.试验根据产品结构要求,绘制三维模型,进行数控编程及数控加工,并对加工工艺进行优化设计.研究结果表明,CAD/CAM和数控加工技术可高效地生产高质量的木质产品.     

Spatial mapping of the social value of forest services: A case study of northern Jordan

ABSTRACT

Despite the growing body of research on ecosystem services and their valuation, Jordan still faces many challenges with integration of ecosystem service concepts into forest sustainability policy and management planning. One major challenge is the incorporation of local communities into policy design, planning, and implementation. This article aims to provide information about the social value of forests’ provisioning and cultural services in a spatial context using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The study utilizes a new approach to mapping value in rural areas by projecting local forest value from interview data. A value index is created based on indicated importance of services as well as proximity to households, permitting interpolation of value in forested areas between survey points. The resulting maps illustrate ecosystem service “hotspot” areas of significance to planning and management. This mapping technique can be applied in other locations where homes are situated near and within the ecosystems being assessed. The resulting maps serve to inform forest management policy and planning by better integrating communities’ preferences into development and conservation efforts, ensuring more efficient utilization of ecosystem services.     

Users' priorities for good governance in community forestry: Two cases from Nepal's Terai Region

Two community forests (CFs) within Nepal's southern Terai Region, with similar ecological and socio-economic characteristics were compared to evaluate governance by the users of each CF, as well as their awareness of climate change mitigation initiatives. Data from eight focus groups were analyzed from each Community Forest User Group (CFUG). Many focus groups identified the same relevant factors for good governance, with the most important factors for both communities being “Accountability,” “Benefits,” “Distribution & equity,” “Education & information,” and “Participation.” In one user group, the importance of “Transparency” was stressed. Qualitative differences in the implementation of governance initiatives between the CFUGs emphasize their respective respondents' difference in satisfaction, and have policy implications. The most significant are that there be local determination of the practicability of the priorities for national and international governance objectives, which local stakeholders are inherently aware of and can articulate within their context. There was very limited awareness of climate change initiatives.     

Measuring forest and wild product contributions to household welfare: Testing a scalable household survey instrument in Indonesia

Systematic comparisons of human dependence on forests and environmental resources have been challenging, as a result of heterogeneous methodologies. Specialized Forestry Modules have been developed, with the goal of filling current information gaps concerning the economic importance of forest and wild products in household welfare and rural livelihoods. Results from a pilot assessment of the Forestry Modules in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, are presented, showing that the Forestry Modules perform well in extracting the expected information: mean per capita forest and wild product income shifts according to the geographical “forest gradient”. Significantly, in the forest-rich upstream village, mean forest and wild product income and mean forest-related wage and business incomes exceeds current mean agricultural income statistics for West Kalimantan and mean non-agricultural rural household incomes in the lowest bracket. Consumption of forest products and importance as a coping strategy was higher in the most upstream village, where sale of forest products in times of shock was more marked in the most downstream village (where forest coping strategies were also least important). The Forestry Modules' detailed and systematic approach can help ensure that contributions of forest and wild products are not underestimated in national figures.