Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement is no longer
a credible tool for conservation
On December 6, 2012, Greenpeace Canada exited the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CFBA)
citing lack of tangible results and any measurable increase of permanent protection for the forest.
As of March 1, 2013, after nearly three years of work, the Agreement has failed to produce
consensus on a single hectare of legislated protection in the Boreal Forest. Only 25 per cent of the
agreement’s original milestones have been completed with only 10 milestones actually reached on
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time.
Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement at a glance
In 2010, Greenpeace along with eight other environmental groups and 21 forest companies in the
Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) signed the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement
(CBFA). The CBFA was meant as a truce in the long-standing conflict between environmental groups
and the forest industry. It sought to protect large tracts of Canada’s vast Boreal Forest, conserve
threatened species such as woodland caribou, and sustain a healthy forestry industry for the
communities who rely on it. It committed 28.5 million hectares of forest off-limit to logging and road
building in exchange for the suspension of markets campaigns by organizations such as
Greenpeace. It also called for the respect of all Aboriginal treaty rights and traditional territories in the
Boreal Forest.
The Agreement promised to deliver forest protection and conservation and support for communities
according to a series of 75 milestones. The first series of protected areas proposals were due to be
delivered six months after the Agreement was released – in November 2010.
With less than three months remaining in the three-year agreement (expires May 18, 2013), the
CBFA has failed to produce consensus on a single hectare of permanent protection in the Boreal
Forest.
When the five caribou conservation plans and five protected areas proposals that were originally set
for delivery in November 2010 were not completed, signatories agreed to extend the deadline to
November 2011 with the support of the Boreal Business Forum. After missing this second deadline, a
third deadline of May 18, 2012 was set for these plans. Despite revised timelines and many attempts
to reset priorities, today only one of the caribou conservation plans has been completed and no
protected area proposals have been produced.
Unmet milestones include (but not limited to):
 Caribou Action Plans for the Lac St. Jean (Quebec) and Caribou Forest (Ontario) regions –
areas managed by Resolute Forest Products
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http://canadianborealforestagreement.com/media-kit/CBFA%20-%20EPMM%20Progress%20Final%20Report.pdf
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Protected Areas proposals for the Lac St. Jean, Caribou Forest and Abitibi River Forest
(Ontario) regions – areas managed by Resolute and/or operated in by Resolute Forest
Products
Caribou Action Plans and Protected Areas proposals for the rest of the CBFA area across
the country (aside from the Abitibi River Forest)
Carbon life-cycle analysis of Boreal Forest products
Ecosystem-Based Management practices for sustainable management of the Boreal Forest
Release of the second Independent Assessment for the year 2011.
CBFA: By the numbers
 Number of hectares originally off-limits to logging pending the completion of conservation
plans: 28.5 million
 Days since Agreement signed: 1030 of 1095 days (3 years)
 Number of hectares that should have completed protected areas planning: 72 million
 Number of hectares with completed protected areas proposals: 0
 Number of hectares that should have completed caribou action planning: 72 million
 Number of hectares with completed caribou action planning: 3 million (4% of plan area)
 Number of milestones completed on time: 10 of 75
Moving forward for Boreal Forest protection
Greenpeace played a significant role in the creation of the CBFA and honored its commitments to
suspend its public and markets campaigns. Greenpeace actively engaged in the Agreement’s
implementation at every level: in national and regional level working groups, Steering committee, and
Executive committee. We convened the Boreal Business Forum to keep major customers of Boreal
Forest products apprised of progress made under the Agreement and sought their assistance in
getting plans completed in a timely manner. We communicated our concerns and solutions to the
highest levels of leadership within forest companies for more than a year, and attempted problem
solving at both the executive and regional levels of the Agreement.
The best judge of the Agreement’s success is whether it has achieved the change in the forest it
promised the world. It has not. The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement is no longer a credible tool
for forest protection.
Greenpeace is pursuing other avenues to achieve the goals of saving woodland caribou herds and
achieving legislated protected areas. We are establishing partnerships with companies that are
committed to achieving Boreal Forest protection within a meaningful timeframe that respects and
meets the needs and interests of affected First Nations.
A proven track record of collaboration
Around the world, Greenpeace has a proven track record for successful collaboration with companies
based upon strong work plans and the respect of Indigenous people’s rights and title. In Canada’s
Great Bear Rainforest, an eleven-year collaboration with forest companies has achieved protection
over 2.1 million hectares, fully one-third of the region. A five-year collaboration with soy traders has
helped reduce deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and a two-year collaboration with a palm oil
company in Indonesia has reduced the amount of peat forest under threat.