Paul Newman, Executive Director of Canada Wood Group/COFI returned to China after four years out of the market. He said China did not seem much changed from the one he last visited. Far fewer foreigners were evident though. Source: Timberbiz
Over the course of a week, he had some very informative meetings with a number of key technical building contacts and institutions.
He also participated in a workshop with the Chinese Academy of Forestry. It was obvious to him that the Chinese were eager for engagement and wanted more interaction with foreign stakeholders. Plans were made for future connections.
He said it was also clear that these organizations are sophisticated and, in some respects, ahead of Canada in many work areas – carbon reduction, conformity assessment and anticipating global over-the-horizon procurement requirements.
An example of the latter were preparations to comply with the EU’s future ‘Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism’ (CBAM). This is a European scheme (full implementation – 2026) to put a fair price on the carbon emitted during the production of non-EU carbon intensive goods entering the EU. At the moment wood is not on the list of applicable products. It could be added in a planned expansion phase in 2030. This was the first meaningful discussion Mr Newman said he had on the CBAM.
Tensions between China and western nations are real but on the other hand China remains an engine of global manufacturing and a massive buyer.
Other trading partners like the USA, New Zealand and Australia are working to shore up their China linkages. If climate change strategies are to be effective China will be central to decarbonization efforts.
