On February 2, 2022, Jean-Michel Servant, President of France Bois Forêt and Frédéric Carteret, President of France Bois Industries Entreprises presented to the press a common manifesto carried by the wood industry.
"Humanity is facing two major crises, that of climate change and that of the fall in biodiversity. Our forest-wood sector is a victim of climate change, but we also want to be part of the solution,” said Jean-Michel Servant, president of France Bois Forêt, during a press conference on February 2.
The aim of this conference was to make public a manifesto for the forest-wood sector, in particular with a view to the 2022 national elections, and to define the stakes and challenges of the sector for the future of the country, in the medium and long term. term.
Jean-Michel Servant, president of France Bois Forêt and Frédéric Carteret, president of France Bois Industries Entreprises in video conference on February 2. © E.Wood/Batirama
To meet the many challenges facing the industry, it needs state support, the two presidents said. Frédéric Carteret, president of France Bois Industries Entreprises, mentioned a question he had been asked about this: "How can we claim state solidarity if we don't have a sector?" But we want to be part of the chain,” he immediately added.
Around the table and in order to represent this sector, Luc Charmasson, president of the strategic committee for the wood sector at the CNI, Paul Jarquin, president of Fibois France, Dominique Weber, president of the Committee for the Development of French Furniture Industries and du bois, Jacques Ducerf, president of FNB, Fabrice Denis, managing director of the Construire Autre division of Bouygues Construction and Dominique Jarlier, president of the National Federation of Forest Municipalities were also present.
An industry driven by the 2020 Environmental Regulation (RE2020)
The sector, which today represents 60 billion in turnover, 455,000 direct or indirect jobs and 60,000 companies, is in full expansion, driven by new environmental measures and RE 2020. Wood, as an essential biosourced material, is also a material particularly loved and acclaimed by the French (96% of French people have a positive image of the forest, and for 75 % of them the presence of wood has a positive influence in the choice of a rental, and for 80% of them for a purchase).
©Adocom RP
Used for construction up to 50%, wood is also used in everyday consumption (22%), wooden or cardboard packaging (12%), as a source of energy (10%) and for furnishings (7%).
In addition, the French forest with 17 million hectares in France, is managed in a reasoned way, continues to expand each year, and is not yet exploited to its full potential (only 60% of samples are used for processing). On the other hand, the demand for wood is constantly growing and the players in the sector now want to better organize themselves in order to meet this growing demand, while continuing to protect this resource.
For two years, the sector has entered into a dynamic of collective work in order to contribute to the acceleration of the energy transition of the country, by developing the use of wood in all areas. The sector has mobilized to ensure that RE 2020 in the construction sector is ambitious, in particular by maintaining dynamic life cycle analysis (LCA), i.e. the measurement of the carbon footprint of materials weighted depending on the timing of emissions to respond to the climate emergency. Thus, "the carbon impact of wood, which sequesters and stores carbon at the beginning of its life cycle, is recognized at its true value", indicates the manifesto.
"Our ambition is not to build entirely in wood, but to use the right material in the right place" specified Frédéric Carteret, also adding that wood was "the biobased material of the future", and the best bet for the future.
In order to illustrate with the help of a few examples the difficulties facing the sector, Jacques Ducerf notably mentioned the furniture crisis in France, which is facing strong competition from abroad, particularly China. He also indicated that one out of three oaks was exported before being processed, which is a loss for the added value that this could produce in France. Finally, he mentioned the fact that certain forest species needed to be developed, for example the cherry tree, a noble wood that is nevertheless "outdated".
A manifesto, 23 proposals for the candidates for the presidential election
Firstly, the sector returns to the necessary support for the development of French industrial capacities to meet the increase in demand for wood , material and energy. The challenge is daunting for a sector whose companies plan to make nearly one billion euros of investment per year for 10 years and which faces competition from more competitive and strongly supported foreign players.
Next, the sector calls on all public actors to take up the immense challenge of adapting French forests to climate change, in particular by making this challenge a national cause, by making available the means massive financial resources necessary for the development of resilience and the renewal of stands. It is a question of perpetuating all the functions of the forest, economic, social and environmental.
Furthermore, recognizing the persistent recruitment difficulties, the sector is seeking increased public support to strengthen the skills it needs and develop the attractiveness of its professions.
Finally, wishing to involve all French citizens in its action, it offers candidates to support an inclusive approach aimed at informing and bringing citizens of the sector closer together, around common issues.
The 23 proposals
The first 8 proposals aim to develop all uses of wood and French industrial capacities:
The following 6 proposals aim to adapt forests to climate change in the long term:
Next, these 5 proposals aim to strengthen the attractiveness of jobs in the sector and develop skills to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow:
And finally, the last 4 proposals aim to bring citizens closer to the forest and the forest-wood sector:
It only remains for the candidates to study these proposals and to respond to them... The entire forest-wood sector is now awaiting their feedback.
Source: batirama.com / E.Wood / Photo © HansLinde
