PAWPRINT PUBLISHING

West Fraser publishes 2025 Sustainability Report

West Fraser’s new Sustainability Report showcases the company’s performance in 2025 across a variety of environmental, social, and governance goals and disclosed targets.

“Our 2025 Sustainability Report, Building Foundations for the Future, reflects our commitment to transparency and responsible operations — highlighting our progress while identifying priority areas for further action to enhance our ability to succeed in a rapidly changing world” said Sean McLaren, president and chief executive officer of West Fraser.

Key findings

• The company reports a 25% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions since 2019, keeping it firmly on track to meet its science-based targets by 2030. This progress reflects continued investment in energy efficiency and operational improvements across its global footprint.
• Timber continues to play a pivotal role in decarbonising the built environment. In 2025 alone, the use of wood pro­ducts is estimated to have avoided 19.8 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) in Scope 3 emissions.
• West Fraser also emphasises the critical role of forests as climate solutions. Sustainably managed forests are not only carbon sinks; they are active contributors to the global carbon cycle. Wood products derived from these forests store carbon for decades within buildings, while simultaneously displacing fossil fuel intensive materials.
• Supporting this approach, the company planted 75 million seedlings across its operating regions, reinforcing long-term forest resilience and carbon sequestration capacity. In addition, all West Fraser operations are now certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) Fibre Sourcing Standard, ensuring responsible procurement practices throughout its supply chain.
• Social and governance progress remains a priority. The company reports that 42% of its Board of Directors are women, demonstrating continued advancement in board diversity and leadership representation.
• West Fraser has also streng­thened its relationships with indigenous communities, working in partnership with more than 130 groups across Canada.
• Safety remains a core focus across operations. In 2025, the company achieved a 3% reduction in its Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) and invested $13 million in safety improvements, reinforcing its commitment to protecting employees.

All West Fraser panel products produced in the UK are net carbon negative and manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation.  Responsibly sourced, the panels are FSC-certified and created from locally grown timber, cutting the embodied carbon associated with transportation.

See page 15 of our August/September 2026 issue on our Back Issues page.