Posted on 13 October 2022

WWF is joining forces with SIG, one of the top packaging companies in the world, in a new five-year partnership to protect, restore, and improve management of thousands of hectares of forests. Under the partnership, announced during the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) General Assembly, SIG will invest directly in significant forest projects to restore and enhance important forest ecosystems. In addition to providing funding, SIG will be involved in project coordination, monitoring, and impact measuring to ensure that projects on the ground will deliver biodiversity improvements, positive social impacts, restoration of landscapes, and hectares of thriving forests.

SIG is also joining WWF's Forests Forward programme to scale up its ambition to work with suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the industry's commitment to sustainable forest management.

SIG and WWF's first joint forest project supports the Central Pacific Corridor, which is home to some of Mexico's richest natural landscapes and acts as a superhighway connecting Mexico's forest ecosystems - a fundamental requirement for the survival of highly mobile species such as the jaguar. This region not only provides food and water for people and protects them from hurricanes and tropical storms, it is home to different cultures and languages of Mexico as well as the second largest jaguar population in the country. WWF and SIG will help restore 750 hectares of damaged forests by working with local communities to improve connectivity and resilience. In addition, forest management will be improved over an area of 100,000 hectares to ensure that cultivated areas are permeable to wildlife and resilient to climate change.