Legal/illegal logging
Illegal logging contributes to deforestation, habitat destruction and climate change, given the loss of forest cover and subsequent loss of CO2 absorption. It also undermines the viability of legally harvested and traded forest products, and is a serious detriment to forest sustainability. Root causes of illegal logging include high demand for products, poverty, weak governance and corruption. Although much of the illegally harvested wood goes into timber and products, a significant amount of wood taken from forests globally is used for basic energy needs such as cooking and heating.
Illegal logging is not an issue in Canada because of its multi-faceted governance structure for sustainable forest management, which includes well-developed public policies, legislation and regulations, enforcement, regular monitoring, and public reporting.
Canada does, however, recognize the importance of illegal logging as a global environmental, social and economic issue. As such, Canada is committed to working with international organizations to help combat illegal logging and find solutions that will minimize its impacts on the world's forests, forest peoples, and forest product markets.