A Proud Record of Leadership in Addressing and Adapting to Climate Change.

This article discusses several issues in addressing and adapting to climate change in Canada. Forests are a vital component of the cultural, social and economic fabric of Canada. They provide both products and services that are essential to Canadians and people around the world. In the global context, Canada's forest mosaic includes some of the largest intact forest ecosystems, representing over 10% of the world's forest cover, 25% of the global natural forest, and 30% of the world's temperate rainforest. To date in the forest sector, discussions and actions pertaining to climate change have focused primarily on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase carbon sequestration. Canada's forest industry takes pride in its record of leadership in GHG mitigation. Since 1990, the pulp and paper industry has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 28% while increasing production by over 30% surpassing its Kyoto targets by more than four times. The Canadian forest industry's commitment to sustainable forest management practices ensures that it regenerates what it harvests, planting some 630 million seedlings annually, assisting in carbon sequestration. while maintaining eco-system integrity.