Terms of Reference

I.     Mandate 

Sector Sustainability Tables were established as a way to improve Canada’s environmental decision-making system to enhance the health and well-being of Canadians, preserve our natural environment, and advance our long-term competitiveness.

The mandate of the Forest Sector Sustainability Table (FSST) is to make recommendations on how to improve the environmental performance of the forest sector. In developing short term and long term recommendations, the FSST will take into consideration the competitiveness of the forest sector and the well-being of Canadians.

From time to time the Government of Canada may ask the FSST to provide multi-stakeholder advice on key policy or regulatory issues. The FSST advice will include recommendations on how to implement multi-stakeholder agreement and how to reconcile differing stakeholders’ views.

In doing all its work, the FSST will take into account how best to: protect our natural environment and the health and well-being of Canadians; the sector’s overall economic competitiveness.

II. Scope and Value Chain

The forest sector is defined as the full range of activities from forest management and harvesting to pulp and paper and wood products manufacturing.

Fulfilling its mandate will include:

• Developing an overall sustainability vision for the forest sector;
• Identifying and managing linkages to other sector tables and mechanisms’;
• Establishing key priorities for action, focusing on areas where integration of  the policy regime is needed, and on long term strategic planning for improved environmental performance and economic sustainability;
• Creating and guiding issue sub-tables (e.g. mandates and timelines);
• Providing guidance on linkages between issue tables;
• Identifying and supporting “single window” approaches.  

3. Membership

FSST membership must appropriately reflect all interested stakeholders representing the full value chain of the sector.  Membership should consist of a reasonable balance between industry, government, and other interested parties with Aboriginal Peoples also at the Table.  Because of the extremely broad spectrum of the forest sector, this balance would be achieved through balance amongst four groups:

• production-related industry;
• other interested parties (including environmental NGOs, other NGOs, labour representatives, academics and Forest consumers);
• governments (all levels); and
• Aboriginal Peoples will also be represented at the Table, in an appropriate manner.

Criteria for Selecting Members

All FSST members should possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities for membership on the FSST:

• Able to work professionally and collaboratively in a multi-stakeholder setting;
• Relevant experience/success (e.g., collaboration; strategic planning);
• Personal/organizational credibility and respect for other participants;
• Able to bring a national and strategic perspective to the Table;
• Able to reflect a sense of the views of their ”constituent” community (e.g., across the value chain for industry) and to liaise back to that community on the views of the Table;
• Knowledge/experience in sector and environmental issues; and
• Commitment to the process.

 4. Operating Principles

 Role of Co-chairs

The key role of the co-chairs is to provide overall leadership for the FSST and its activities.  Co-chairs are responsible for facilitating and coordinating FSST discussions and for carrying forward FSST positions and recommendations.

Quorum

The quorum necessary to convene and conduct a meeting of the FSST is as follows:

• Co-chairs of the FSST; and
• Half of the FSST members with at least one representative from each of industry, civil society and governments.

Decision Making 

Administrative Decisions

Decisions related to the content of the agenda, the date and location of the meetings are taken by the co-chairs after due consideration and with input from all FSST members.

Policy Recommendations

With respect to policy recommendations, members try to reach consensus whenever possible.  In the absence of a consensus, members can request that their dissenting views be included in the recommendations of the FSST.

Frequency of Meetings

The FSST will meet up to three times per year, with each meeting lasting between half a day and a day and a half, depending upon the agenda.

Working Groups

The FSST can establish and task Working Groups to investigate specific issues for a determined period of time.  FSST members are responsible for defining the scope of work, deliverables and reporting requirements for all Working Groups.

Working Groups are led by a member of the FSST or their delegate.  Working Groups meet as often as necessary to complete their assignment and report to the FSST as requested.