Special to Pulp & Paper Canada
Special to Pulp & Paper Canada
The 2007 edition of the International Pulp Week conference was recently held in Montral and again this year, this premier international industry event brought together the world’s leading suppliers of market pulp, their customers, industry analysts, agents and trade media.
More than 300 participants from close to 30 countries were registered to attend one or more of the conference sessions spread over this four-day event, which was kicked off by a fabulous welcome cocktail reception held at the 737 Restaurant, offering a breathtaking view of the city of Montral on Sunday evening.
Opening the sessions of the International Pulp Week was the Customer Forum, which explored the environmental challenges facing society and business. Moderated by John Polak (President, TerraChoice Environmental Services), panelists Daniel C. Esty (Hillhouse Professor, Environmental Law & Policy, Yale University), Lewis Fix (Director of Business Development, Domtar EarthChoice), and Chantal Line Carpentier (Head of Trade & Environment Program, NAFTA Commission for Environmental Cooperation) explored how the full length of the supply chain (issues of sustainability, certification, and the concept of a carbon footprint) is working together to address key environmental issues. Furthermore, Dan Esty highlighted how companies that incorporate environmental strategy into their broader corporate strategy can not only achieve more environmentally sound businesses, but also more profitable ones.
Tuesday morning was the much anticipated Press & Analyst briefing, where PPPC’s Chief Economist and Analyst not only presented the latest market intelligence on industry performance, but also provided an outlook of the market pulp as well as the printing and writing sectors within the context of the global economy.
This session was followed, in the afternoon, by a new panel discussion co-organized this year by the Forest Products Association of Canada and PPPC. Its objective was to address in further detail prevalent “Environmental trends in the global market place.” Speakers included Jean-Pierre Martel, Senior Vice-President, Sustainability, Forest Products Association of Canada; Bruce Anderson, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Decima Inc; and David Refkin, Director, Sustainable Development, Time Inc.
Finally, on Wednesday, the Market Pulp open forum focused on prevailing issues affecting the pulp and paper industry from a broader perspective, such as the continuing impact of digital media on printed media presented by Roman Hohol (Director of Marketing Practice at AMEC – Forest Industry Consulting). Other presentations within that session included an overview and short-term forecast by Edings Thibault, Vice-President, Paper & Packaging, North America, Morgan Stanley of Wall Street’s perspective of the forest products sector and a keynote address by author and former White House advisor, Todd Buchholz, who offered his insight into the global economy, including the commodities market, with a focus on the U.S. and China trade situation.
For information on next year’s conference in San Francisco, please visit www.internationalpulpweek.com.
Information provided by Marie-Claude Jarry, Manager, Communications and Events, PPPC
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