ROLLAND BLOG: Green Champions - Canopy Sees Environmental Leadership Shifting to Companies

Interview by Renee Yardley, originally Published in the Rolland Inc. blog.

 

Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy, a Vancouver-based non-profit that harnesses the power of the marketplace to help protect the world’s endangered forests, speaks about the environmental role of businesses, creative solutions, and the rare spirit bear.

 

Q: On a scale of one to ten, what is the current risk level for the world’s old growth forests?

A: Risk is at ten. On the same one to ten scale, I would match that with my hope for developing a solution for large-scale conservation of old-growth forests at ten.

Q: Why are you hopeful in the face of high risk?

A: Strengthening momentum in the marketplace. Large corporate paper customers want to see solutions, and to contribute to forest conservation and climate solutions. Their actions include sourcing papers that help them meet their own sustainability goals.

Marketplace support has translated into breakthroughs, like the Great Bear Rainforest agreement finalized in 2016, which conserves a 6.5 million-hectare landscape. Fifteen years ago, 90% was open for logging, and now 85% is formally protected or off-limits from logging – and parallel to that is a vibrant sustainable forest products industry.   Cause for hope!

 

Read the rest of Nicole Rycroft's interview here .