Sustainable logging can prove more profitable than traditional logging, according to two reports released by the World Wildlife Fund. One report compares the performance of four Swedish forestry companies that had obtained certification from the Forest Stewardship Council, which promotes sustainable forest management, to the performance of four similar Finnish companies that had not. The Swedish companies achieved a 62 percent greater investment return than their Finnish competitors between 1994 and 1998, and WWF attributes part of this advantage to their certification, noting that companies can get a higher price for certified wood products. Another WWF report found that certification of one of Europe’s largest forestry companies is expected to boost it into a more competitive position.
