Asia, 31 October 2024 - The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has successfully concluded its third annual FSC Forest Week, spotlighting the crucial role of responsible forest management in addressing urgent environmental challenges. With the world set to convene at the upcoming COP16 and COP29 summits, FSC calls on businesses, communities, governments, and individuals to continue their efforts in protecting the world’s forests and urges decisive action to ensure forestry remains a priority in global climate discussions.

This year’s campaign, themed “Small steps together create big change for all”, highlighted the power of collective action in driving positive change for both people and the planet. The campaign drew participation from leading brands and over 1,300 partners across more than 40 countries, who engaged through a variety of initiatives including community outreach, corporate engagement, and forest walks. Their participation showcased a unified approach to tackling pressing issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and promoting the well-being of Indigenous communities.

In Asia, Kimberly-Clark partnered with the local FSC offices to bring FSC Forest Week to life with their employees, business partners and retailers. From biodiversity walk at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai, India to composting, urban farming and tree planting activities in Kuala Lumpur and Johor, Malaysia, these activities helped shed light on the vital role forests play in our planet’s ecosystem. Beyond that, Kimberly-Clark shared their approach to responsible fibre sourcing for products across a number of local market and global brands, including Kleenex and Scott.

This year’s campaign amplified the message that impactful change does not always require large-scale efforts. Rather, everyday choices, such as purchasing FSC- certified products, can contribute to broader efforts of protecting forests and those who depend on them. Additionally, it highlighted the critical role these actions play in combatting biodiversity loss and climate change.

“We are thrilled to see the growing global influence of FSC Forest Week,” said Trevor Armel, FSC International Director of Marketing. “The mounting climate and biodiversity crises demand urgent action, and this initiative has proven to be a catalyst for responsible behavior, inspiring people and businesses to protect our forests and ensure a sustainable future."

Echoing Trevor, Lim Yu Chien, Managing Director of Kimberly-Clark Malaysia and Singapore added, “Addressing climate change isn’t the responsibility of one Government, one business, one NGO or one individual – it is the responsibility of all. We recognize the need for collective actions for significant impacts as aptly put in this year’s theme. Hence, each year, we find new ways to engage a wider group of stakeholders in our FSC Forest Week celebration. This is our third and biggest one yet with major retail giants such as 99Speedmart, AEON and Jaya Grocer jumping onto the bandwagon. These efforts also reinforce Kimberly-Clark’s commitment to protecting the environment and supporting the communities where we operate.

Building on the success of this year’s campaign, FSC calls upon individuals, businesses, and communities to engage on the critical discussions around the climate and biodiversity crisis, and help drive the transition toward a greener, healthier planet for all.

Learn more about the campaign at fsc.org/forestweek

About FSC: FSC is a non-profit organization that provides a proven sustainable forest management solution. Currently, over 160 million hectares of forest worldwide is certified according to FSC standards. It is widely regarded as the most rigorous forest certification system among NGOs, consumers, and businesses alike to tackle today’s deforestation, climate, and biodiversity challenges. The FSC forest management standard is based on ten core principles designed to address a broad range of environmental, social, and economic factors. FSC’s “check tree” label is found on millions of forest-based products and verifies that they are sustainably sourced, from forest to consumer