Bamboo has the power to transform timber supply chains, says Wiseman

Troy Wiseman, CEO of EcoPlanet Bamboo, has stated that bamboo has the potential to transform timber-dependent supply chains by offering a sustainable solution that can reverse the effects of deforestation while meeting global demand for fibre.

The article was published in a climate change focused publication released for the G7 summit in Bonn, where environmental issues, ranging from energy to protecting the marine environment, dominated the agenda.

EcoPlanet Bamboo was set up with the aim of providing Fortune 500 companies with a commercial tree-free and deforest-free solution to meeting global demand for fibre. It also works with local communities to provide opportunities.

In the opening statement of the article, Wiseman explains, “In pre-industrial revolution times, much of the world’s development can be traced to the use of wood and extraction of timber from forests that took thousands of years to grow. Exploration, discovery, colonisation and subsequently trade and commerce were fueled by access to a timber resource.

“Indeed, it was the impeding shortage of timber to fuel Britain’s fleet that first led to the widespread use of coal, and the subsequent industrialisation that overtook the world. History has shown that a lack of supply forces change, which in turn spurs innovation.”

The article notes that supply chains that rely on timber as their raw resource have attempted to revamp their supply chains to make them greener, driven by consumer awareness, exposure and advocacy campaign, in recent years. However, it argues that other challenges, from water consumption to climate change, are arising.

“We are at a transitional point in environmental history, a tipping point from where we can continue along the ‘business as usual’ path and ignore the warning signs, or as nations, corporations or individuals, have the courage to create large scale disruptive change,” Wiseman continues.

He added that while investors and financial institutions have historically been afraid of things that cause too much disruption to existing business models, a new model can see sustainability creating profitable business rather than profitability resulting in unsustainable resource extraction.

The article argues that sustainably grown and certified bamboo fibre has the potential to trigger that change because a “framework for sustainability has been established from the start”.

The article appears to have resonated with many businesses seeking to ensure their operations are sustainable and their future profits are protected.

Commenting on how the article was received, Wiseman said, “We have received calls from major companies, from all over the world, who want to work with us. It has been very well received and seems to have hit the mark perfectly.”

Photo: odonata98 via Flickr

Further reading:

Meet EcoPlanet Bamboo: the Apple computer of timber

EcoPlanet Bamboo signs three veteran Weyerhaeuser chief executives

EcoPlanet Bamboo receive US government Award for Corporate Excellence

From B.U.M to Bamboo