Blog

To protect a forest, it takes a village

From over 20 years working together, our partners have taught us that collaboration is vital for conservation.

Our range of partnerships with the local authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and academic research groups have brought science, policy and business together with the shared goal to protect Nouabale-Ndoki National Park (NNNP) for the long term. Indeed, the protection of an area, even a very large one, can only be effective if measures are put in place to ensure the co-existence of responsible economic activities and protection in its periphery.

To support scientific research, we work with various partners. Recently, we launched a new collaboration with Nature+, a non-profit organisation focused on sustainable management of African forest ecosystems, and Le Groupe Millet, a customer wishing to ensure the responsible origin of its supplies. This partnership develops research and awareness-raising on the dynamics of natural forest ecosystems.

For the past 20 years, an innovative tripartite agreement with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Congolese government has allowed communities, biodiversity – and business – to thrive side by side. This partnership has since provided ongoing support for the establishment of anti-poaching units. These ecoguards work tirelessly under the supervision of the state and in collaboration with local populations, patrolling several tens of thousands of kilometres per year to protect wildlife and local biodiversity. They removed more than 4,500 metal traps in our concessions in 2022 and released 86 animals seized alive.

The partnership has also helped identify and expand important forest areas for protection. In March 2023, we shared the expansion of the national park with the incorporation of the Djéké Triangle – a 9,500-hectare, ecologically important forest. Read more about the Djéké Triangle here.

Going further with corporate responsibility

We have taken extra measures to reduce our environmental impact by exploring innovative and best-in-class wood processing technologies to minimise waste. Wood in various dimensions is used to make semi-finished and finished products, while improving local skills and production capabilities.

We also invest in technology to valorise wood waste for energy. Since 2014, the energy derived from wood waste has powered our factories, offices, and employee housing. Today, employees residing in 850 houses in Pokola enjoy free access to electricity.
 

“What sets us apart is our openness to collaboration with partners. These partnerships have helped our approaches to forestry evolved over the past 20 years. Sharing experiences and learning from others contributes to improved management systems for forests around the world. Forest management is not just about timber, but also about the people who live there, the natural ecosystems that thrive there, and is a great source of innovation that should benefit everyone.”

-        Vincent Istace, Head of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability at CIB

Supporting local communities and livelihoods

Local communities are vital to help us create a resilient business that lasts. By contributing to jobs creation and training, we ensure that our success is shared by the communities that we work with.

We’ve created and improved roads in support of the local government and partners. These roads have become a vital connector providing forest-dwelling local communities with access to new livelihoods and a better quality of life without resorting to poaching wildlife for the illegal trade.

Today, we support the health and well-being of over 60,000 people, including 25,000 indigenous people in our concessions. By creating value for the whole population, we are considering the full range of our impacts and anchoring our activities in the future.

We adopt a net positive approach and aim to put back more into food and farming systems than we take out. Find out more in our Living Landscapes Policy, which outlines our commitment to the creation and restoration of natural and social capital in Congo and places where we operate.

*FSC Certification Numbers: SGS-FM/COC-004705 / SGS-FM/COC-010641 / SGS-FM/COC-008483 / SGS-FM/COC-011928 / SGSCH-COC-002697 / SGSCH-PRO-600038.