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Globe Sustainability Policy

The Globe and Mail Mandate for Sustainable Paper Choices

The Globe and Mail is aware of the potential effects of paper production on forests and natural ecosystems, and encourages sustainable forest management and forest conservation. The Globe and Mail believes that with the support of its suppliers, its desire to source paper for its publications from ecologically sustainable sources can be implemented in harmony with The Globe and Mail's commitment to source paper according to product quality, price and availability, and to maximize profits and brand value. The Globe and Mail believes that the following practices are necessary to help ensure that the paper it uses is produced in an environmentally sustainable manner:

  1. The Globe and Mail is opposed to illegal logging and promotes sustainable forest management. To ensure that illegally harvested and unsustainable fibre is avoided, all virgin wood fibre used by The Globe and Mail in its publications should be sourced from sustainable forests, certified by an accredited independent third party. The Globe and Mail encourages its suppliers to continuously improve and upgrade their certification status. The Globe and Mail would prefer to use paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and encourages its suppliers to increase supply.
  2. The Globe and Mail recognizes that high conservation value forests need special protection. High conservation value forests include those forest areas containing significant concentrations of biodiversity, endangered ecosystems, or areas that are critical for watershed protection or to local communities’ basic needs or cultural identity. The Globe and Mail encourages its suppliers to protect forest areas of high conservation value as well as maintain vibrant natural ecosystems across forest regions. The Globe and Mail will work with its suppliers to track and work to eliminate sources that originate from high conservation value forests.
  3. The Globe and Mail encourages its suppliers to provide high-quality post consumer recycled fibre and also encourages the use of paper made with pre-consumer recovered fibre. The Globe and Mail encourages innovation in alternative fibre. The Globe and Mail encourages its readers to recycle, and governments to support improved recycling for newspaper products in Canada.
  4. The Globe and Mail requires its suppliers to track and work to reduce the production of persistent organic pollutants in its product supply chain, and encourages its suppliers to make available paper that is bleached without the use of chlorine.
  5. The Globe and Mail encourages its suppliers to reduce the carbon footprint associated with paper production and transportation, and encourages efficient use of power and water in paper production.
  6. The Globe and Mail believes in open dialogue and will promote its mandate whenever feasible with publishers, paper suppliers, customers and advertisers, and will continue to work with non-governmental organizations to create awareness of, and support, sustainable forest practices in the newspaper industry.
  7. The Globe and Mail commits to examining its own internal business processes with a view to making environmentally sound paper choices. The Globe and Mail will track its performance with respect to the implementation of its mandate.

The Globe and Mail is Canada's premier newspaper exemplifying excellence in journalism and publishing.

This mandate was last updated Oct. 1, 2010.