The Forestland Group (TFG) is pleased to present its 2020 Impact Report. TFG’s second annual impact report reviews the company’s performance in environmental, social, governance and leadership impacts. It includes quantitative data on 80+ metrics that are categorized according to the Sustainable Development Goals and IRIS+ framework. The publication also highlights 12 case studies that demonstrate TFG’s commitment to land stewardship, community engagement, and cross-sector partnerships.
TFG delivered important outcomes and milestones in 2020, including:
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- Negotiating the sale of the entirety of Belize forestlands – over 235,000 contiguous acres – to a conservation consortium led by The Nature Conservancy, keeping forests as forests
- Managing over 550,000 acres of protected forest lands that contribute to the ecological health of over 4.5M acres of adjacent protected lands
- Maintaining a business model that provides the equivalent of 145 full-time forestry jobs and supplies almost 500 mills with sustainable third-party certified timber
- Submitting our first Transparency Report as a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (“PRI”)
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TFG CEO Blake Stansell remarks, “This year, more than any individual impact, I am most proud of the team at TFG. I cannot remember a year that tested our ingenuity more than 2020… This company demonstrated an ability to learn new things and find new paths forward for our operations amid unprecedented uncertainty.”
TFG’s Commitment to ESG
The 2020 Impact Report is part of a broader effort at TFG around continued leadership in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) corporate best practice. ESG leadership necessitates rigorous performance monitoring and transparent reporting to the full range of stakeholders in TFG’s mission. That mission, ”Sustainable management of natural forests to create economic and ecological value” drives TFG’s 25-year commitment to balance financial and environmental concerns in forestland investment decisions.
This is a commitment that has led TFG to capitalize on economic opportunities that stem from compliance and voluntary carbon markets. Since 2012, TFG has been the largest seller of emissions offset credits into the California market, using forests to generate revenue and mitigate the effects of climate change. In 2020, TFG sequestered 6.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent through its unique approach to natural forest management.
Vision for the Future
“TFG’s ambition is to build on our legacy and become the timber manager of choice for investing in credible, measurable, and permanent climate change mitigation. Natural forests are and will remain a critical carbon sink. Moving forward, TFG will aspire to be the international leader in managing these important assets,” explains Blake.
Accomplishing this vision means taking action. Some examples of efforts in motion at TFG include:
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- Engaging on leading strategic tools such as the Task-Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures
- Working to measure scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions across TFG’s supply chain
- Expanding in-house project development experience with new voluntary forest carbon projects
- Honing Geospatial Information and Analysis skills to identify geographies with critical existing forest carbon stocks and carbon sequestration potential on natural forests
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TFG looks forward to sharing progress toward ESG commitments in future annual impact reports.
About The Forestland Group: The Forestland Group’s investment vehicles harness the dynamics of natural forest management to provide environmental impact and stable, long-term financial performance. TFG delivers large-scale climate change mitigation, strategic conservation outcomes, and non-correlated portfolio returns through the ownership and management of working forests. TFG is an industry-leading seller of forest carbon offsets with a 25-year track record of timberland investing guided by the core value of sustainability. The Forestland Group is proud to have earned and operate under the certification of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C018151) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI-01750).
Media Contact: Tommie Elder, Director of Investor Relations, tommie@forestlandgroup.com
