Last Thursday, April 20, we were in the company of Charlène Lainé, Project and Advocacy Manager for nonprofit Envol Vertfor our webinar "1 hour to calculate your forest footprint".
It was an opportunity for all participants to gain a better understanding of the ins and outs of deforestation, but also, and above all, of our role as consumers in this process. Indeed,nonprofit has developed a fantastic awareness-raising tool, the Forest Footprint, which enables you to calculate the impact of your consumption on deforestation.
If you were unable to attend the webinar, you can watch the replay here👇
The topics discussed and information shared during the webinar were rich and varied, we'll try in this article to transcribe the great ideas as best we can!
The importance of forests
Forests account for 31% of the world's land surface, and are essential in many ways. Firstly, as we know, they play a crucial ecological role . They regulate the climate, are home to 80% of the Earth's biodiversity, help combat erosion, promote soil fertility and are essential to the proper functioning of the water cycle. Forests also play an economic role through tourism, forestry, non-timber products and the offset sector.
Finally, forests have a strong social importance. Nearly1.6 billion people depend on forests, and 200 million indigenous people make their living directly from them. Forests are also essential to our physical and mental well-being.
Yet, despite all that forests bring to our daily lives, they are under threat.
Also read: 3 steps to engage your teams during European Sustainable Development Week
Causes and consequences of deforestation
According to the FAO, around 2,400 trees are cut down every minute worldwide. To get a better idea, imagine the equivalent of a soccer field's worth of forest disappearing every 60 seconds. It's colossal.
The risks of deforestation are numerous. Forest destruction is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (up to 11%). It also brings human beings into contact with new ecosystems and animal populations, leading to the emergence of new zoonoses (coronavirus, for example). Destroying forests also means destroying habitats for many animal and plant species, which implies a huge loss and weakening of biodiversity. Deforestation also leads to increasingly frequent extreme weather events such as droughts and floods. Last but not least, it destroys the livelihoodsof millions of indigenous peoples.
The role and impact of mankind on deforestation is well established. Agriculture accounts for 90% of global deforestation. France (and the EU in general) contributes 16% of this deforestation (known as imported deforestation) through the import of raw materials.
Forest footprint
As mentioned above,nonprofit Envol Vert has developed the Forest Footprint tool to raise general awareness of our role in deforestation as consumers. This tool analyzes our consumption of various raw materials and translates this consumption into the m2 of forest required for their production. The average forest footprint of a French person is 352 m². In other words, to produce the products consumed by one French person, 352 m² of forest are deforested on the other side of the world. The raw materials analyzed by the Forest Footprint tool are diverse, but they all have one thing in common: their significant impact on deforestation. This is the case for soy-fed meat (mainly chicken), animal by-products (leather, eggs, dairy products), palm oil (used in processed products, agrofuels and cosmetics), as well as coffee and cocoa (of which the French are fervent consumers). If you too would like to calculate your forest footprint, click here!
👉 See also our article on CSRD
How to reduce your impact
As you can see, our consumption plays a significant role in deforestation. But fortunately, there are solutions to reduce our impact. Envol Vert shares some of them with us:
1. Adapting consumption practices and patterns
For meat and animal products:
- Reduce your consumption of meat and livestock by-products
- Buy locally and/or organically
- Opt for the vegetarian menu at the restaurant
- Avoid processed products
- Buy vegetable leather or second-hand
For coffee and cocoa:
- Reduce your consumption of coffee and chocolate desserts
- Buy robust certifications guaranteeing full traceability, fair remuneration and the fight against deforestation (e.g. SPP).
2. Making our voice heard and demanding regulatory frameworks
Support organizations that deal with these issues:
- On social networks
- By signing petitions
- By making a donation
To make a donation to Envol Vert, go here! - By volunteering
3. As a company: become a driving force without delay!
If your company is concerned by deforestation, don't wait any longer to carry out a diagnosis of your activities, raise awareness among your teams and take strong measures to reduce your impact! Envol Vert can help. Contact them at !
Forest protection is a major issue in many respects, and as you can see, we all have a role to play!
.svg)
.svg)