Staples, Dogwood Alliance Promote Forest Carbon Offsets

Once upon a time at loggerheads, Staples and the Dogwood Alliance have come to an agreement that should help protect forests by developing more sources of paper and wood products that are certified to Forest Stewardship Council standards.

Staples will be involved a project called the “Carbon Canopy,” which is geared toward preserving forests in the southern U.S. by encouraging landowners to change management practices and explore using forests as carbon sinks that can be marketed as carbon offsets, according to a press release.

The Carbon Canopy project will help landowners attain standards approved by the Voluntary Carbon Standard and the Climate Action Reserve Network. Staples and Interface will pay landowners for increases in carbon stored and sequestered as a result of improved forest managment practices.

As of early 2008, Staples had begun to earn slight praise from the Dogwood Alliance, garnering a B+ in the group’s “Green Grades.” However, the press release announcing the Carbon Canopy project called Staples the “one-time foe” of Dogwood Alliance.

Also involved in Carbon Canopy are:

• Columbia Forest Products
• Pacific Forest Trust
• FSC US
• Rainforest Alliance
• Green Press Initiative
• Domtar
• The Home Depot
• Environmental Defense
• The Forestland Group
• The Keystone Center.