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The third annual Global Legal and Sustainable Timber Forum will take place from 23–24 September 2025 in Macao SAR, China. Under the theme “From Forest to Home – An International Dialogue on Emerging Consumer Trends and Supply Chains Innovation”. Source: Timberbiz The forum will promote international dialogue on strengthening legal and sustainable timber supply chains in the face of evolving consumer demands and market dynamics. Co-hosted by the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, the forum will bring together around 700-800 participants including wood enterprises and trading companies, industrial and business associations, governments, international organisations, research institutions and others. Specialised sub-forums organised by partner agencies will also focus on issues related to timber legality and sustainability among different stakeholders, including: Timber legality and sustainability in light of global trade barriers Sustainable timber resources, markets, and trade Market Trends and Industry Innovation in Furniture & Customized Home Furnishings Empowering the Value of Ecological Products through Forestry Supply Chain Finance For more information and registration details, visit https://en.glstf.net/  

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In 2023, Komatsu Forest announced an initiative to establish a brand-new development department focused on the electrification of forestry machines. With this investment, the company aims to reduce the net carbon emissions from its forestry equipment. Source: Timberbiz The initiative aligns fully with the company’s goals, where sustainability is a core principle throughout the entire operation. “We have a carbon-neutral production facility, and we are working with the same determination to reduce CO2 emissions from the use of our forestry machines. Our goal is to develop efficient products that are fundamentally designed to minimize environmental impact and reduce CO2 emissions, here electrification plays a key role. The long-term vision is to achieve a ‘net zero emission worksite,” said Erik Nilsson, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Komatsu Forest. Peter Hasselryd, VP Marketing & Sales at Komatsu Forest said the company is seeing growing interest from customers and partners in reducing the environmental impact of forestry machines. “Our goal is to reduce net CO2 emissions through new technological solutions, that we expect to introduce gradually,” he said. Opening the door to electrification in forestry is a groundbreaking technological step for Komatsu Forest but it also presents major challenges. Since the machines operate off-grid, outside the existing power network, many factors must be considered when developing new machine solutions. To enable the use of various energy sources, different energy distribution solutions are needed at the forest worksite. Success in this transition will require collaboration, partnerships, and the development of new technologies and system solutions. “Almost exactly two years ago, we announced our investment in electrification. We have now developed a concept prototype that will be shown for the first time at Komatsu Days 2025. The concept prototype is a forwarder with hybrid-electric technology. Hybridization is a first step in electrification, where the existing renewable HVO100 fuel distribution can be used just like in our conventional machines,” Mr Nilsson said. The machine features a smaller but efficient engine connected to a generator. It is equipped with a battery pack that balances the engine load and improves the coordination of the machine’s functions. Many of the machine’s subsystems are fully electric, making it energy efficient. “The goal of the machine is to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions without compromising productivity, while also achieving improved performance and drivability. The concept prototype will now undergo testing and evaluation before the next step can be taken,” Mr Nilsson said.

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Forest products professionals in the Nordic region are being squeezed by high raw material costs and evolving environmental regulations that have immediate and long term implications. Source: ResourceWise Over the past year, domestic softwood pulplog prices rose in Norway by 25%, in Finland by 15% and in Sweden by 11%. These cost increases are occurring alongside early signs of pulp production slowdowns in some areas. While the reasons vary by market, many producers are closely watching both supply conditions and regulatory developments that could influence fibre availability going forward. Two key policy developments from the European Union are adding complexity to long term forest planning. The Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) regulation aims to improve carbon sequestration through forest management — a goal that may prove difficult to meet without changes to current harvesting levels in Sweden and Finland. In addition, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which goes into effect this December, is expected to reshape sourcing practices for timber and other forest-based materials. These regulations introduce new factors for forest owners and wood-using industries to consider as they plan future harvests and investments. ResourceWise’s Market Insights report provides a more detailed overview of current pulpwood price developments, regional differences across Finland, Sweden, and Norway, and how producers are responding to emerging challenges. It also highlights the potential impact of EU climate legislation on harvesting activity and forest management strategies in the Nordic region. Download the full report here https://www.resourcewise.com/how-high-costs-and-eu-policy-are-reshaping-nordic-forestry?hsCtaAttrib=191266109720

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The movement of mobile plant and vehicles in and around a workplace, including reversing, loading, and unloading, pose a significant risk to pedestrians in the sawmilling industry. Source: Timberbiz The Mobile Plant & Pedestrian Interaction Guidance Document has been produced by the Workplace Health and Safety Subcommittee (WHSS) – a subcommittee of the Softwood Manufacturing Chamber of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA). This Guide is designed to assist anyone in the timber industry to readily identify and manage mobile plant and pedestrian interaction risk. Read the document here – Mobile Plant & Pedestrian Interaction https://ausfpa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mobile-Plant-Pedestrian-Interaction.pdf

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Scion has launched the world’s first field trial of gene-edited conifer as part of research aimed at improving wood quality and producing materials to support New Zealand’s bioeconomy. Source: Timberbiz The Crown Research Institute has developed and implemented an advanced gene-editing technique known as CRISPR that lets scientists turn off a specific gene within the pine’s complex genome. This helps them understand what that gene does – which in turn builds understanding of how wood develops. Two sets of trees have been planted, each with a separate gene turned off. This aims to enhance timber quality and improve the process of converting wood into fibre (pulping) and sustainable chemical feedstocks for the bioeconomy. One of these genes is involved in the synthesis of hemicellulose, a renewable biopolymer (a molecule produced by plants with many versatile, high-value applications. The other is involved in the development of compression wood, which forms on leaning or bent stems to straighten them up. Compression wood behaves differently from normal wood during timber processing, leading to issues such as warping and reduced strength, as well as making the extraction of fibre and chemicals more difficult. The trees in this trial were initially cultivated in a contained greenhouse, where their wood underwent a comprehensive analysis. This research yielded unique and fundamental insights into the mechanisms of cell wall formation. The trees have subsequently been planted in Scion’s Environment Protection Agency-approved GMO field test containment facility to help scientists better understand how they perform under real-world conditions and to collect sufficient wood for relevant biomechanical experiments. Scion senior scientist Glenn Thorlby says the trees’ growth and development continue to be meticulously monitored. “This research will allow us to produce trees that, with optimised wood properties, will support the export of high-value timber and the biomass needed to replace petrochemicals as New Zealand transitions to a low-emissions sustainable bioeconomy. Additionally, Scion has also developed gene-edited Douglas-fir to create sterile trees that could be planted without the risk of exacerbating New Zealand’s wilding pine issue. These sterile trees would potentially act as a form of biocontrol for future genetically modified trees. “This will enable Douglas-fir to grow normally but not reproduce, helping limit its spread,” Glenn says. “By targeting reproductive genes, we offer a potential solution to New Zealand’s wilding pine problem.” Wilding pines occur when forest species such as Douglas-fir spread beyond planted areas, impacting native ecosystems and landscapes across New Zealand. Since 2016, the government has invested $150m in wilding conifer control, mainly targeting Douglas-fir, which is New Zealand’s second most widely planted forest species and plays a significant role in the country’s economy. It generates export earnings, provides employment and supplies structural timber for construction. However, its seeds spread and germinate easily, leading to wilding pines that threaten native landscapes and ecosystems. Planting is therefore restricted and harvested trees are often not replaced, posing a threat to the future of the Douglas-fir forestry industry and the jobs it supports. Scion’s team is using advanced sequencing and analysis tools to pinpoint genes specifically involved in reproduction. Trees with these identified genes inactivated through gene editing have been developed and must now undergo field testing to confirm they grow normally but don’t produce the seeds responsible for spread. Scion hopes to undertake these field trials when future regulations allow. Alec Foster, Scion’s general manager for Forest to Biobased Products, highlighted the opportunity this work offers New Zealand. “This gene-editing achievement represents exactly the kind of transformative science New Zealand needs to secure its economic future. “We’re solving today’s forestry challenges and pioneering solutions that could be worth billions to our economy. The ability to create sterile Douglas-fir trees that grow normally but can’t spread as wilding pines, combined with radiata pine optimised for higher-value timber and biomanufacturing, demonstrates how gene technology can simultaneously protect our environment and drive economic growth,” he said. “With the government’s modernisation of gene technology laws, we’re hopeful we will finally positioned to translate this world-leading science into real-world outcomes that will benefit every New Zealander.”

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