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Nippon Paper Industries, Chinougijutsu and Iwakuni Sangyo Unyu have conducted a successful trial of a remote-controlled robot that scrapes wood chips in the hold of a wood-chip carrier. Source: Timberbiz This trial, which was conducted on 5 April at Nippon Paper Industries’ Iwakuni mill in Yamaguchi Prefecture, aims to address safety and the workforce shortage in wood-chip scraping operations. Through the development of the scraping robot, the four companies will work to realize a safe and sustainable cargo-handling environment. In the future, the four companies aim to realize a cargo-handling environment where not only men but also women, elderly people, and people with disabilities can engage in cargo handling by operating robots from remote locations away from the cargo-handling site. In this trial, a prototype scraping robot was operated on a wood-chip carrier engaged in a long-term transport contract with Nippon Paper Industries and NYK. The four companies operated the robot remotely in the ship’s hold for about two hours during cargo unloading and achieved the goals, including confirming the scraping robot’s functionality. Wood chips loaded into the hold of a wood-chip carrier are traditionally gathered by excavators and unloaded by cranes. The wood chips that have accumulated in the corners of the holds or adhered to the walls are collected and scraped off by workers using shovels, forks, and other tools because heavy machinery cannot reach those wood chips or may damage the hold walls when scraping. There is room for improvement in the current work environment because the scraping process requires climbing up and down the 10-meter holds, the tendency for the holds to be cold or hot due to seasonal factors, and the risk of oxygen deprivation due to the wood chips absorbing oxygen. There are also concerns about future staff shortages due to the aging of the workforce. A remote control moves the arm of the scraping robot’s hydraulic excavator and the attached scraper (spatula) and brush. The robot can extend its arm up to three metres high to remove chips from walls, while wood chips that have accumulated in corners can be directly gathered by the lowered arm or pushed out by the brush. The scraping robot can also scrape wood chips trapped in tight spaces, such as structural gaps.

Demand for mass timber, a sustainable construction alternative, has grown steadily over the past several years. However, a new trend is driving risks for the construction sector: mass timber being used for taller buildings, not just residential structures. Source: Insurance Business According to one expert, this shift is observed in Europe, Asia, and North America. Michael Bruch, global head of Risk Advisory Services at Allianz Commercial, noted that the increasing adoption of mass timber for higher-rise construction indicates a broader acceptance of the material beyond traditional low-rise buildings. “The emergence of mass timber as a sustainable construction alternative represents a significant opportunity for the building sector to reduce its carbon footprint while also satisfying a demand for a more cost-efficient material but as durable as steel and concrete,” said Bruch. “However, in any industry, deployment of new materials or processes can result in new risk scenarios, potential defects, or unexpected safety consequences, as well as bringing benefits, and mass timber is no different.” Bruch pointed to Allianz Commercial’s recent report on the risks posed by mass timber. According to the report, the construction sector is responsible for almost 40% of global CO2 emissions caused by concrete, steel, and fossil fuel-driven energy consumption. Shifting to mass timber, a more cost-efficient material as durable as concrete and steel, allows the construction industry to lower its tremendous carbon footprint. Mass timber emits significantly less CO2: around 50% less than concrete and more than 25% less than steel, Allianz Commercial said in its report. However, the potential risks associated with mass timber construction are significant, particularly regarding fire hazards and natural calamities. “The good news from our research is that you can manage these risks,” Bruch said. Fire is potentially the top risk of mass timber construction. Fire stands as the most expensive cause of all construction and engineering insurance losses, accounting for more than a quarter (27%) of the value of 22,000 claims analyzed over a five-year period, according to Allianz. To mitigate this risk, Bruch emphasized proactive measures such as designing for fire resistance, using flame-retardant materials, and implementing proper construction practices. He also noted that while natural hazards vary by region, the resilience of mass timber structures shouldn’t be underestimated. “Natural catastrophe risks like hurricanes and gale-force winds can potentially affect beams, columns and panels. But mass timber is really strong,” said Bruch. “Mass timber buildings weigh approximately only one-third of comparable concrete structures, and they have the highest strength-to-weight ratio, which enables mass timber to perform very well during seismic activity. “Natural hazards can differ from region to region, but those risks can be managed well for mass timber buildings.” Additionally, construction businesses face supply chain and labour exposures as mass timber demand grows. Mass timber must be obtained in sustainable ways, necessitating specialized production facilities. “This means thorough logistical planning and management of building materials are essential to avoid costly project delays,” said Bruch. “On top of that, construction firms may face challenges finding experienced workers for mass timber construction projects. But overall, mass timber buildings can be constructed faster than traditional buildings, so that’s a big pro that we’re seeing.” The global mass timber market is still in its nascency, but it has tremendous growth potential, according to Allianz Commercial. Despite the risks involved, Bruch is optimistic about the potential of mass timber to meet sustainability goals and lower emissions. At the same, effective risk management practices and industry collaboration are needed to ensure the widespread adoption of sustainable construction materials and technologies. Brokers and insurers can help construction clients transition to sustainable materials and technologies by providing risk management solutions and investment incentives. Bruch stressed that each mass timber building is unique and presents specific risks that must be assessed and managed throughout its lifecycle. “Given this market’s expected future growth, companies should do all they can to develop a greater understanding of their exposures, including fire, water damage, repetitive loss scenarios and even termite infestation, and ensure they have robust loss prevention measures to combat these,” said Bruch.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Assurance Services International (ASI) announce the launch of a new transaction verification (TV) loop on wood panels made out of birch in the larger Eurasian region. The objective of this TV loop is to identify and take action against instances of false claims or other violations of FSC requirements. Source: Timberbiz The scope of this Eurasia birch wood panels TV loop is: Geographic areas: China and central and eastern European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine). Product type: Plywood Species: Birch (Betula) FSC-certified companies within the scope of this TV loop are required to submit their transaction data for 2023 that carry an FSC claim by 15 June 2024 to their certification bodies. The supply chains investigated in this TV loop include over 700 certificate holders. Until February 2022, a significant amount of FSC-certified birch was sourced from Russian forest management companies. With FSC’s withdrawal from Russia, chain of custody certificate holders in birch supply chains have had to find other sources of certified timber. With this TV loop, FSC and ASI expect to identify high-risk sources of certified birch for downstream chain of custody certificate holders. If any potential volume mismatches and false claims are identified, then those will be further investigated. The Eurasia birch wood panels TV loop and the birch plywood TV loop that was launched by ASI in 2023 will complement each other, even though this one has a much wider geographic scope. For this TV loop, FSC and ASI are exploring the possibility of combining transaction verification with two technology-based investigative tools: FSC Blockchain: This tool will enable FSC to track transactions by certificate holders, thereby identifying instances of potential volume mismatches and false claims. Wood identification (ID) technologies: This tool will enable FSC to determine species, and compare the isotope profiles of samples collected from certificate holders included within the scope of this TV loop against a reference sample library that is managed by World Forest ID. In 2022, FSC conducted pilot tests of the previous version of FSC’s blockchain tool in China and Ukraine. The learnings from the pilot tests have enabled FSC to develop a more robust tool that can be used for various purposes, such as strengthening the integrity of certified supply chains, and ensuring compliance with the new European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requirements. In February 2024, beta trials of FSC Blockchain were started with participants who registered for the trial phase. FSC plans to launch the FSC Blockchain for all its certificate holders – as a voluntary tool – by mid-2024.  

New Zealand Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry formally launched Mouri Tupu – Planting for the Future, and he is calling on the community to pick up a spade and join in. Source: Timberbiz Mouri Tupu is a community campaign to plant 114,000 native trees and plants and inspire citizens to get out planting and help reach the target. It will deliver the mayor’s 2022 campaign pledge to plant one native tree or plant for every citizen of Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt. To date more than 40,000 natives have been planted across Lower Hutt since October 2022, by Hutt City Council, Greater Wellington and other partners, and community organisations. “Trees are our environment’s lungs, and by doing more planting we can mitigate our city emissions and enhance our places and spaces. This ambitious city goal can only be achieved by all of us working together. “By planting these trees and other plants, we will leave a greener legacy for our tamariki and mokopuna and will help teach the value of protecting and enhancing our environment,” he said at a community planting event at East Harbour Kindergarten. Mouri Tupu roughly translates to recognising that everything has the potential to grow and thrive, powered by the energy that flows through all things, and sustained by our interaction and care of it. “This is why we are committed to ensuring a community in which everyone thrives; and we can only thrive if we look after our environment,” said the mayor. Hutt City Council has provided more than 20,000 plants to community groups in this triennium and has committed to increasing its own planting on council land. A community planting event will be held in Korounui Stokes Valley at Delaney Park on Saturday 6 July. The council is encouraging the community to share their planting projects, which they can pin on an interactive map of the city. The campaign progress will be updated regularly on Council’s website and social media channels. “We have lots of great local groups who volunteer their time planting, and we are rolling up our sleeves to join them,” said Mayor Barry. “I would love to see the wider community join us in making Lower Hutt a greener city.” The campaign includes native trees, shrubs and grasses planted by Hutt City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Forest & Bird, and many community organisations.  

It sounds peaceful and calm, but the concept of “forest gardening” has sparked a new chapter in Victoria’s forest wars, pitting an Aboriginal corporation against a prominent ecologist and his publisher, Allen and Unwin. Source: The Sydney Morning Herald Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, which trades as DJAARA, in December concluded a 22-monthlicence with VicForests that permitted the removal of up to 600,000 cubic metres of timber damaged in the 2021storms from the Wombat State Forest near Daylesford. It was to be the first stage in a multi-generational “forest gardening” project, to restore First Nations sovereignty and oversight over Country. In his new book The Forest Wars, Australian National University forest ecology professor David Lindenmayer took aim at forest gardening, describing it as logging that “will damage, not heal, Country”, and “continue the forest destruction wrought by VicForests”. Lindenmayer argued that in “a highly cynical move”, VicForests – which will cease operations in June – had sought to develop partnerships with First Nations organisations to “continue industrial native forest logging” after Victoria ended commercial native logging in January. “[DJAARA’S] partnership with VicForests has resulted in what appears to simply be business-as-usual logging in the Wombat Forest,” he wrote. DJAARA maintains the timber removed under its licence with VicForests was storm damaged, and “nowhere near” 600,000 cubic metres of timber was removed under the arrangement. Acting chief executive Cassandra Lewis described Lindenmayer’s assessment as offensive. “I think it’s offensive to be told that the cultural application of land management, described as forest gardening, is a flawed argument, as if it were merely an idea to be discredited and not a deeply significant cultural understanding,” she said. “And it’s distressing to be told that these cultural land management practices are damaging Country when we know that not to be true.” DJAARA wrote to publisher Allen and Unwin asking for a recall of Lindenmayer’s latest book, which has sold out of its first print run and accused him of disrespecting and “speaking down” to traditional owners. In a statement, Lindenmayer’s publisher said: “Allen & Unwin can confirm DJAARA have contacted us regarding The Forest Wars, and while we respect their feedback the book will not be withdrawn from sale.” Lindenmayer, who in 2017 co-authored a paper with more than two dozen other scientists on the impacts of salvage logging on biodiversity, said: “So-called storm recovery never recovers anything – it degrades the forest.” According to a forest licence issued in March 2022 and seen by this masthead, material removed from Wombat State Forest under the partnership between DJAARA and VicForests was to be primarily “windthrown timber” that fell during wild storms in 2021. The licence also allowed for the removal of “incidentally generated timber resulting from hazard treatment or removal”. “The forest was left [after the 2021 storm] with as many, in some places, as 50% of trees on their sides, and it presented an extreme fire risk,” says DJAARA’s acting general manager, Jim Brooks. “One of the really crucial things about this is, it wasn’t just a green light to VicForests to go ahead and take out valuable timber … we actually had an agreement with VicForests about what timber would be taken, and it was timber that presented a risk.” DJAARA’s business case for forest gardening, released in October 2022, was written by forestry consultant Damien O’Reilly, who has worked extensively with the forestry industry and, more recently, consulted to government on forestry. According to the business case, DJAARA would undertake a range of land management practices including thinning (“restoring culturally recognisable structures to our forests”), revegetation, rehabilitation, regeneration and cultural burns, in partnerships with organisations and private landholders. Brooks said the comprehensive multi-generational forest gardening strategy – which entails rejuvenation, regeneration and restoring Country – had barely had a chance to begin. Almost exactly a year ago, the then-Andrews government announced it would end native forest logging in Victoria by January 1 this year. However, Lindenmayer and other forest conservationists maintain Victorian forestry is the industry that refuses to die. After DJAARA’s agreement with VicForests concluded on December 31, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action began its own timber removal operation. A government gazette in November, a month before the VicForests agreement with DJAARA expired, issued a public safety notice for tracts of the Wombat State Forest north of Trentham-Daylesford Road to allow for “timber debris extraction operations”. A Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action spokesman said the agency was conducting works “to remove storm debris in the Wombat Forest to mitigate bushfire risk”, and was ensuring “all operations comply with relevant legislation”. “There is no timber harvesting or salvage logging taking place for a commercial purpose in the Wombat State Forest,” he said. “The works underway are removing storm debris and rehabilitating the forest to reduce the risk of fire.” Photos taken in Wombat State Forest near Osborne Road within the past fortnight show log landing sites with freshly cut trees piled two metres high. Dead timber from the 2021 storms is dry and silver. By contrast, the logs pictured within the past fortnight are freshly cut, some with sap still visible on the saw marks. “In some cases,” the spokesman said, “timber not left for environmental and habitat purposes is used for highest and best uses, this includes as domestic firewood.” Brooks said the works currently underway were not a DJAARA operation. “We have no legal capacity to authorise, prevent or influence those works,” he said. “These works are unrelated to our Galk Galk Dhelkunya (Forest Gardening) strategy, principles and practice which are about recreating a healthy, bio-diverse forest ecosystem.”

The contract to deliver an aspirational vision to “recloak” Coronet Forest New Zealand with native planting has been awarded to Te Tapu o Tāne and e3Scientific Limited. Source: Timberbiz Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) General Manager Community Services Ken Bailey said the announcement followed the successful harvest of Coronet Forest. “The early harvest was carried out between January 2020 and May 2023, removing over 90,000 tonnes of timber from the site and with it, a major wilding source,” said Mr Bailey. “Getting rid of this wilding source is a huge win as we work to eliminate the spread of the pest species Douglas fir. And importantly it leaves a blank canvas for regeneration.” “The return of native species such as tawhai rauriki (mountain beech), kōwhai, kōhūhū (pittosporum) and kapuka (broadleaf) to their rightful place will help to restore the biodiversity values of the area, which is a key goal of our Climate and Biodiversity Plan,” he said. QLDC Mayor Glyn Lewers acknowledged the importance of partnering with Te Tapu o Tāne to regenerate this special area. “This partnership is bigger than a regeneration project. Ultimately this is about creating relationships and connections as we work together to restore and protect our local natural environment for generations to come,” said Mayor Lewers. “It provides a unique opportunity to be a leading example of how ecological restoration can be successfully achieved within the Otago region and throughout Aotearoa New Zealand,” he said. Te Tapu o Tāne Chief Executive Officer Jana Davis said this is a very special announcement for the organisation on behalf of Ngāi Tahu kī Murihiku and acknowledged Kāi Tahu ki Otago for all their support. “The Coronet Forest kaupapa is all about building on the partnership between QLDC, Mana Whenua, Te Tapu o Tāne and Citycare Property, as well as the kaimahi at e3Scientific. On behalf of all our partners it is a privilege to be delivering this kaupapa for our hometown and building the Whakatipu Basin towards a deafening dawn chorus of taonga manu (native birds) and providing access to the largest indigenous reforestation project in the history of the basin. He waka eke noa, we are all in this waka together,” he said. “The kaupapa will provide opportunities supporting regional development including local jobs and training.” “We plan to hold a few wānanga (workshops) over the next 12 months as we get the site ready to come alive with eco-sourced trees and plants and scale up the intensive pest control operation. The Queenstown community have spent the last few years watching the pine forest come down, it’s going to be great seeing the new direction for the maunga (mountain),” he said. e3Scientific Managing Director Glenn Davis is looking forward to working alongside Te Tapu o Tāne and QLDC to reinstate a beech forest to the slopes of the Coronet Range. “Coronet Forest stands on the shoulders of a significant network of ecological restoration work that has developed in the district over the last 20 years,” he said. “These projects have provided the ecological community with the skills, expertise and confidence to reinstate local biodiversity at a landscape scale.” “The role of e3Scientific is to bring together and impart the knowledge we have gained to maximise the performance of the plantings and ensure that the project leads the delivery of large-scale ecological restoration in Aotearoa New Zealand,” he said. The first year of work involves site preparation and planning. Native planting is expected to begin in March 2025 and take between five to seven years. There will be many opportunities for the community to be involved as the face of Coronet Forest is restored. QLDC and Te Tapu o Tāne look forward to sharing plans and celebrating milestones as they progress. To follow this project head to www.qldc.govt.nz/coronet-forest