VANCOUVER, August 11, 2011- Despite having the
richest forest resources in Canada, BC lags behind other provinces
in generating jobs making higher-value wood products, and is at
increased risk of losing further ground as it exports more raw logs
and low-value wood products to China.
These are the conclusions of a new report issued by a new report
from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
However, the report says that, with targeted efforts,
thousands of new forest industry jobs could be created while
boosting the health of BC's forests.
"BC is missing out on major opportunities to create green,
sustainable jobs in a revitalized forest sector that places a
premium on healthy carbon stores in our forests and forest
products," says author Ben Parfitt, resource policy analyst with
the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
The report identifies a number of areas where BC could boost
jobs including:
- 2,630 additional manufacturing jobs turning raw logs that are
currently exported into higher-value forest products.
- Another 2,400 jobs per year converting usable logs left behind
at logging sites (and often burned) into forest products
instead.
- Another 10,000-plus jobs over time in the production of
secondary forest products such as pre-fabricated housing
components, a job increase that would begin to catch BC up with
Ontario and Quebec who are outcompeting BC in production of
value-added forest products. And,
- An additional 5,200 seasonal tree-planting and tree nursery
jobs, funded by an annual $100 million public investments in
reforestation.
"BC has shown
leadership in its commitments to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
But it has not done near enough to take advantage of numerous
opportunities to increase the health of its forests by storing more
carbon in its trees and forest products. There is great potential
for more sustainable jobs in the forest sector," Parfitt says.
"It's time to get on with the job."
Making the Case for a Carbon Focus and Green Jobs
in BC's Forest Industry is available for download. This
report is part of the Climate Justice Project, a five-year research
project led by CCPA-BC and the University of BC.