For more than a century, we have been growing trees and manufacturing wood products that are essential to everyday life. We understand that our decisions each day can impact the health of our forests and the strength of our communities for decades to come, and we appreciate the many values we are working to protect and preserve through our operations. Our  working forests don’t simply provide a sustainable supply of wood for homes and countless products we all depend on every day. They also support wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and they provide clean air and water, access to nature and outdoor recreation, and opportunities for renewable energy development. In addition, our forests and mills provide great careers and support local economies in many rural areas across North America.

For us, every definition of success hinges on our ability to continue operating sustainably, now and long into the future. We must protect the environment and make sure our forests thrive on a fully continuous cycle of growing, harvesting and regrowing. We must generate strong financial returns from our assets through the ups and downs of economic cycles. We must create a safe, inclusive, ethical and rewarding place to work for our current and future employees. And we must earn the right to continue operating by investing in, listening to and communicating openly with our local communities.

In 2020 we launched a new sustainability strategy that builds on our solid foundation in environmental stewardship, social responsibility and strong governance. A core component of this strategy involves fully integrating sustainability into our day-to-day work, and it also intensifies our focus on three critical challenge areas where we believe we can have a positive impact on the world: climate change solutions, sustainable homes for everyone and thriving rural communities.

We invite you to read about the progress we have made in implementing our strategy and to explore the full spectrum of our sustainability work, including our 2022 Sustainability Snapshot, Carbon Record, printable resources, data and GRI Index, and stories on our blog.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO

Weyerhaeuser CEO Devin Stockfish

Sustainability has been a guiding principle at Weyerhaeuser for well over 100 years. Put simply, we’re driven by the belief that forests are the most sustainable and versatile resource on Earth, and we have a tremendous responsibility to manage them well — today and long into the future.

We're proud of the work we do to ensure our forests last forever, yet we know sustainability is about much more than what we do in the woods. It's a deeply rooted value that touches every aspect of our business. For us, sustainability is about constantly innovating and evolving — and taking proactive steps every day to ensure our company will add meaningful value to the world around us for generations to come.

Our shareholders invest in us based on the belief that we will run our operations responsibly and effectively. Our customers depend on having a reliable partner and a sustainable supply chain. Our current and future employees want to work in a safe, ethical and inclusive environment where they can feel proud of the impact we have on the world. And communities where we operate want to know we are good neighbors who do our part to help them thrive.

We have a long track record of great work in all these areas, but we can’t afford to rest on our past accomplishments. I’m excited to see this next chapter of our sustainability strategy come to life as we implement our ambitious vision over the next decade and beyond.

Thank you,   
  
Devin W. Stockfish  
President and CEO 

 

Our Environmental Stewardship Story

What We Do & How We Do It

OUR STORY STARTS IN THE FOREST

For 120 years, we’ve been growing, harvesting and regrowing forests on a continuous cycle. Our trees provide clean air and water, wildlife habitat, recreation, renewable energy, great jobs and a sustainable supply of wood for hundreds of products people use every day.

WE HARVEST LESS THAN YOU THINK

The vast majority of our land is covered in trees. We calculate how long it takes different tree species to mature in different geographies, and on average we harvest only 2 percent of our forests each year to make sure we never cut more than we grow. Like you, we want our forests to last forever.

WE PLANT MORE THAN WE HARVEST

We grow high-quality seedlings in our own nurseries and plant an average of 130 to 150 million seedlings per year. To make sure healthy forests return after harvest, we carefully prepare the soil, plant more trees than we cut and continue to care for the growing trees until they become a forest once again.

WE MAKE THE MOST OF EACH LOG

The strongest part of the tree is used to make lumber. Other wood fiber is converted into strands and veneer, which are used to make engineered wood products. Wood chips are sold to make pulp, paper and pellets. Chips, shavings and sawdust are used to make medium density fiberboard. And bark and refuse are used to generate energy.

OUR PRODUCTS MAKE LIFE BETTER

Wood products are certainly beautiful, but they’re also fundamental. Most of our products are used to build homes where people live and raise their families. We’re proud of that. But wood fiber is used in hundreds of other useful products, too, from paper towels and diapers to toothpaste and toothpicks.

THIS CYCLE CONTINUES FOREVER

Wood is the ultimate renewable resource. When we use wood products, it creates economic incentive for companies like ours to continue growing trees, rather than using our land for other purposes. We know our forests can thrive forever when managed well, and we’ve been proving it for more than a century.