Forest Products Industry

JCB has updated its LiveLink telematics platform with a series of developments designed to help customers improve profitability, safety and sustainability across their operations. Source: Timberbiz The latest updates see expanded safety and security functionality added across the platform. These include new remote machine management features including JCB IntelliSense integration – available on Hi-Viz Loadall telescopic handlers. JCB LiveLink is designed to help customers monitor and maintain their machines more effectively. Currently connecting more than 580,000 machines worldwide and supporting over 40,000 customers, JCB LiveLink is accessible through a web browser and mobile app and covers JCB and mixed fleets. The system provides information on machine location, utilisation, fuel consumption, maintenance requirements and security, helping customers maximise uptime, improve fuel efficiency and make more informed operational decisions. “Customers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce operating costs, improve machine utilisation and maintain safe, efficient worksites. JCB LiveLink continues to evolve to support those 1fleet, overseeing a project or operating a machine themselves, customers need access to information that is relevant to their role and helps them make informed decisions,” JCB Group Managing Director – Global Aftersales, Mario Moser, said. “By helping customers make better-informed decisions, LiveLink can bring increased profitability, safer working environments and more sustainable machine operation.” JCB’s Hi-Viz Loadall telescopic handlers – the 535-125, 540-140 and 540-180 models now benefit from enhanced remote management functionality through LiveLink. Fleet managers can remotely adjust a range of machine settings including Auto Stop parameters, speed limit controls, IntelliSense activation, tyre pressure monitoring settings and remote PIN management. LiveLink provides detailed information on machine operation including working time, idle time, fuel consumption and CO₂ output. Automated reports and flexible monitoring tools help business owners, fleet managers and site teams track machine performance across multiple assets and locations. By identifying underused equipment, excessive idle time and unnecessary fuel consumption, customers can improve working practices, lower operating costs and support preventative maintenance programs. LiveLink also provides fuel consumption and CO₂ reporting, helping customers measure efficiency improvements and support wider sustainability objectives and contractual compliance. The platform is also supported by the JCB Operator App, enabling operators to complete machine checks and helping ensure equipment remains safe, compliant and ready for work.

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Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance sustainable forest management and strengthen the country’s forestry sector. Source: Timberbiz Global demand for wood products is set to rise more than 40% by 2050 compared with 2020. Conservation and sustainable use of forests work together, not against each other, and this partnership puts that principle into action. The Directorate General of Sustainable Forest Management (Ditjen PHL) and FSC agreed to build closer synergy between Indonesia’s Timber Legality and Sustainable Assurance System (SVLK) and FSC certification. SVLK is Indonesia’s mandatory national system for verifying the legality and sustainability of timber, required for the country’s forest product exports. Ir. Laksmi Wijayanti, Director General of Sustainable Forest Management, signed on behalf of the Ministry, and Subhra Bhattacharjee, Director General of FSC International, signed for FSC, with government, business, and civil society representatives attending the ceremony. The MoU centred on a combined audit mechanism, which lets a single audit team assess both SVLK and FSC standards together, saving time and cost while keeping full credibility. Its scope includes: integrated audits across the supply chain, from forests to exporters and importers stronger forest management performance and aligned remedy frameworks supporting Indonesia’s Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030 target capacity building, network strengthening, and market data exchange expanded market access for SVLK- and FSC-compliant Indonesian forest products   Laksmi Wijayanti said the partnership strengthens synergy between national and international approaches, delivering real benefits for the environment, communities, and forest businesses, and driving global market confidence in Indonesian forest products. Subhra Bhattacharjee said the collaboration supports the long-term resilience of Indonesia’s forests, including its natural forests, and reflects FSC’s commitment to one of the world’s most important tropical forest countries. She added that the combined audit mechanism streamlines certification while boosting the sector’s competitiveness. SVLK stands for Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas dan Kelestarian, Indonesia’s national timber legality and sustainability assurance system. It verifies that wood products meet Indonesia’s legal and sustainability requirements at every stage, from harvest to export, and is mandatory for the country’s forestry exports.

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Ministers and senior representatives meeting in Shenzhen, China recently called for stronger action to protect the Asia-Pacific forests, warning that illegal logging, mangrove loss and rapid urban growth are putting one of the region’s greatest economic assets under pressure. Source: Timberbiz Convening at the sixth APEC Ministerial Meeting on Forestry, ministers and senior representatives focused on how digital technologies can strengthen sustainable forest management. “We gather here today in China to renew our shared aspirations and charter the future of forest together, an occasion of great significance in the midst of global transformation,” Administrator of National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China Liu Guohong said, opening the meeting. Illegal logging accounts for an estimated 15% to 30% of the global timber trade, costing the Asia-Pacific an estimated US$51 billion a year. Senior representatives from 21 APEC economies stressed the importance of combating illegal logging and expanding legal trade, especially through wider adoption of technologies such as predictive artificial intelligence, DNA profiling and blockchain tracking, tools that help legitimate businesses prove their timber is sourced legally and build trust with buyers across the region. The APEC Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade is carrying this work forward by maintaining user-friendly resources like Timber Legality Guidance Template that allow businesses to quickly verify legal timber requirements as well as engaging small forestry enterprises to better understand challenges they face, among other initiatives. Ministers also highlighted opportunities to move the forestry sector up the value chain by expanding forest products and processing, while building out services like agroforestry and eco-tourism to diversify income and build resilience for forestry-dependent economies and communities. Home to roughly 48% of the world’s mangroves, the Asia-Pacific has a critical role to play in protecting them. Ministers called for faster conservation and restoration efforts, pointing to mangroves’ importance for disaster resilience, food security and economic growth. As economies grow and cities across the region expand, ministers called for the same urgency in building environmentally friendly urban spaces, using technology and data to guide the design, protection and expansion of such spaces. International organizations also highlighted how partnerships are translating policy into action, from the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation’s long-running forest restoration projects across the Asia-Pacific to the International Mangrove Centre, the world’s first intergovernmental organization dedicated to mangrove conservation. “The Asia-Pacific region, with its connected mountains and rivers, shares benefits and challenges. Let’s take this meeting as a new starting point, work hand in hand, and forge ahead together to inject greater positive momentum to the building of a clean and more beautiful Asia-Pacific,” Liu concluded. Continuing the groundwork from these discussions, the Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade met on 29 and 30 July to further practical work on advancing forest resilience and the ecological well-being for all across the Asia-Pacific.

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Established in 2015, the Richard Stanton Memorial Leadership Award is a perpetual tribute to the enduring legacy of the late Richard Stanton, renowned for his pioneering contributions to Sustainable Forest Management in Australia and internationally. Source: Timberbiz This esteemed award recognises individuals who have made significant strides in Forest Management or Chain of Custody Certification within the Responsible Wood Certification Scheme. In 2024, with the support of the late Richard Stanton’s widow, Sonya Stanton, the award now extends its eligibility to early-career professionals in forestry, environmental science, wood technologies, and design, as well as university students pursuing relevant studies, including those completing post-graduate degrees. The award recognises the multifaceted approach to sustainable forest management, emphasising environmental, social, cultural, and economic aspects, along with innovation in the use of forest products. Open to all individuals contributing to Sustainable Forest Management under AS/NZS 4708 or Chain of Custody under AS 4707 or PEFC ST 2002, the award welcomes participants from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to: Certified Forest Owners and Managers Chain of Custody Certificate Holders Certification Bodies Forest Scientists and Researchers Builders and Designers advocating for sustainable timber utilisation.   Candidates must be nominated, with nominations accepted from Responsible Wood members, certificate holders, stakeholders, lecturers, or senior leaders within academic institutions. Nominating someone takes only minutes using the online form below. Alternatively, email info@responsiblewood.org.au with your responses to the following three questions, along with the nominee’s name, email address, phone number and organisation: How has the nominee demonstrated a commitment to Sustainable Forest Management and/or Chain of Custody Certification in their work? Tip: Consider actions taken, leadership shown, or outcomes achieved. In what ways has the nominee gone above and beyond what’s expected in their role? Tip: This could include innovation, long-term dedication, community engagement, or overcoming challenges. What impact has their work had – and why do you believe they deserve to be recognised with this award?   Nominations close at 5:00 pm on Friday 14 August 2026 – use the form below to nominate: https://form.typeform.com/to/O2RpQD6B

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What makes Kaingaroa Forest Estate in New Zealand different is the scale and contiguity. It is largely a single, predominantly connected landscape of 235,000 hectares that allows it to be managed as one. This continuity makes it easier to plan operations and logistics well. Source: Timberbiz “Our forest footprint means we can operate as one big, connected unit,” said Gareth Bowen, Kaingaroa Tipu (KT) Harvesting and Logistics Manager. “Off highway trucks, internal roads, and rail integration all work together as a single system, which is very different to anywhere else.” By managing every stage of the value chain, from nursery and planting through silviculture, harvest, and replanting, Kaingaroa Tipu avoids the fragmentation common in smaller or multi-owner forests. Boundaries and access are regulated. Biosecurity is easier to control. Roads and haulage routes are engineered for safety, efficiency, and environmental performance with less reliance on public networks. The result? Fewer vehicle movements mean lower emissions, and a lighter carbon footprint across the supply chain. “Supply chain influences sustainability,” said Colin Maunder, Kaingaroa Tipu General Manager Sustainability. Much of KT’s harvest is moved through an established internal roading network to supply local processors, including Donnelly’s Sawmill, Sequal, Carter Holt Harvey Wood Products, and Oji Fibre Solutions. The same network also links harvest sites to KiwiRail’s Murupara and Kawerau railheads, where logs travel via the 57km Murupara Branch line to the East Coast Main Trunk and on to the Port of Tauranga. “The KiwiRail portion of our supply chain is significantly lower carbon emissions than trucking that volume to port,” Mr Bowen said. By shortening the “first mile” between forest and rail, many long-haul truck movements on public roads can be largely avoided. The private road system and rail link form a lower-emission supply chain operating at industrial scale. Kaingaroa’s progress stands on decades of refining its ways of working. For Kaingaroa Tipu Chief Operating Officer, Dean Witehira, the link between operations and climate outcomes is straightforward. “We’ve spent decades refining how our infrastructure, systems, and contractors work together. That integration is what allows us to move fibre efficiently and reduce the volume of transport movements required in our supply chain,” Mr Witehira said. “With a contiguous estate and a well organised supply chain, we’re already achieving real efficiency gains. The next step is harnessing modern technology to take that even further.”

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Forest & Wood Communities Australia says the NSW Government’s application for carbon credits from the Great Koala National Park should not be approved until fundamental questions about additionality, leakage, regional impacts, governance and long-term funding are independently resolved. Source: Timberbiz Environment Minister Penny Sharpe has confirmed that the project has been submitted to the Clean Energy Regulator and claims it must be approved before the NSW Government can legislate the Park. She has also announced that any ACCUs generated would be prioritised for selected NSW manufacturers and excluded from sale to coal and gas projects. FWCA Chair Steve Dobbyns said this was a procedural condition created by the Government, not evidence that carbon finance caused, enabled or was necessary for the park. “The Great Koala National Park was first promised by NSW Labor at the 2015 election and was taken to voters again in 2019 and 2023,” Mr Dobbyns said. “The Government subsequently announced the Park’s boundary, committed public funding and stopped harvesting before the INFM method was approved. “Penny Sharpe cannot make a decade-old election promise additional simply by declaring that legislation now depends on carbon-credit registration.” Contemporary election reporting confirms Labor promoted the Park in 2015 and 2019, while the 2023 election was the third time it took the promise to voters. The NSW Government later described the Park as an election commitment it was already delivering. The final INFM method also contains an exception recognising the September 2025 Great Koala National Park harvesting moratorium as an interim measure that does not disqualify the project under its previous-decision requirements. “That looks less like a carbon method independently testing a new project and more like a method accommodating a political decision already made,” Mr Dobbyns said. “A government cannot manufacture additionality by describing an existing commitment as conditional or interim. “Wanting carbon revenue to help pay for a decision is not the same as proving the decision would never have occurred without carbon credits.” Mr Dobbyns said the approval process also raised serious questions about how adverse social and economic impacts were assessed. Under section 106 of the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011, the commonwealth minister was required to have regard to whether projects operating under the method were likely to cause adverse environmental, economic or social impacts before making the determination. ERAC’s published advice records that it considered the Offsets Integrity Standards, 371 public submissions and advice from the Clean Energy Regulator. It also states that ERAC was not directed to consider additional matters under section 123B of the Act. “The Act does not permit the Commonwealth decision-maker to consider carbon accounting in isolation,” Mr Dobbyns said. “Yet the published material does not demonstrate a comprehensive assessment of lost employment, stranded businesses, reduced sovereign timber supply, increased imports, impacts on housing and manufacturing, or the permanent removal of productive public assets. “The Commonwealth should release the adverse-impact assessment relied upon when the INFM method was approved. “A broad method-level process is also no substitute for a transparent, project-specific socio-economic assessment of the Great Koala National Park and the communities carrying its costs.” The INFM method requires an independent assessment of indirect leakage but restricts the deduction to between zero and 40%. Recent research estimated that reduced Australian native forest harvesting has produced a long-run timber-harvest leakage rate of 81.3%, with most displaced demand supplied by countries carrying elevated risks of illegal harvesting. “Stopping production in NSW does not stop demand for hardwood timber,” Mr Dobbyns said. “It transfers production to private forests, other states, overseas suppliers or more emissions-intensive substitute materials. “A method that caps indirect leakage at 40% cannot credibly account for evidence showing that more than 80 per cent of lost domestic supply may return as imports. “That creates a clear risk of issuing credits for carbon benefits that are substantially cancelled out beyond the project boundary.” FWCA said greater transparency was also needed around the development and independent review of the method. The NSW Government’s original proposal states that the INFM method was prepared with an Australian National University research team led by Professors Andrew Macintosh and Don Butler. Professor Macintosh previously co-authored research comparing native forest harvesting with carbon-credit alternatives and has supported the use of carbon markets to facilitate reductions or cessation of native forest harvesting. He has also been one of the strongest public critics of the integrity of other ACCU methods, claiming in 2022 that 70% to 80% of credits issued under certain methods did not represent real and additional abatement. “Those facts make it essential that the Government disclose how independence, competing viewpoints, declarations of interest and genuinely arm’s-length peer review were documented throughout the method-development process”, Mr Dobbyns said. “The same demanding additionality and integrity tests Professor Macintosh has applied to other carbon methods must be applied to the INFM.” The final method gives projects a 15-year crediting period but requires a 100-year permanence commitment. “The Government is promising that ACCU revenue will help fund the Park, but carbon-credit generation ends after 15 years while management obligations and costs continue for a century,” Mr Dobbyns said. “That leaves an 85-year funding exposure unless the Government produces a fully costed and independently verified long-term management plan. “Fire management, weeds, feral animals, roads, visitor infrastructure and ecological monitoring will not disappear when the crediting period ends. “Future taxpayers should not inherit a permanent liability after a temporary revenue stream has run out.” Mr Dobbyns said restricting the credits to selected manufacturers and excluding coal and gas projects did nothing to repair the underlying accounting problems. “Changing who can buy the credits does not fix a bad credit,” he said. “If the claimed carbon benefit cannot withstand proper leakage analysis, and the project cannot withstand a rigorous socio-economic assessment, it should not be approved. “The Great Koala National Park should not be built on exported environmental impacts, regional job losses and an 85-year taxpayer funding cliff.” FWCA is calling for the release of the project’s complete additionality case, leakage assessment, […]

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AFPA has echoed serious concerns raised by Forestry Australia over the Federal Government’s controversial new carbon credit method, warning it undermines the integrity and credibility of Australia’s carbon market. Source: Timberbiz Forestry Australia has identified significant technical flaws in the new Improved Native Forest Management in Multiple-use Public Native Forests Method (INFM), with its forest carbon experts warning it could substantially overstate carbon abatement. The latest analysis also shows the method could over-credit projects by between 40% and 100 %, even before accounting for carbon leakage and harvested wood products. AFPA Acting CEO Richard Hyett said the alarming independent research reinforced concerns the sustainable forest products industry had been raising for more than 18 months. “As we have highlighted on several occasions, this method does not meet the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) scheme’s own requirements for integrity, transparency or additionality,” Mr Hyett said. “The decision to register the method clearly prioritised politics over science and will damage public confidence in the integrity and transparency of the scheme.” Mr Hyett said the method would generate carbon credits without delivering genuine additional emissions reductions and relied on science that had been challenged by independent experts and government scientists. “We are very concerned the new method could flood the market with low-integrity ACCUs, undermining confidence in legitimate carbon projects and weakening investment in genuine climate action. “Australia’s carbon credit scheme is designed to encourage real carbon abatement and high-integrity environmental outcomes, and it’s important the scheme remains focused on delivering genuine emissions reductions rather than being used to retrospectively fund policy decisions. “Our carbon credit scheme is a critical part of Australia’s framework to meet net zero ambitions and it’s vital that its integrity is maintained to deliver genuine carbon abatement.”

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