RONA inc. Wood Sourcing Policy

Updated February 2023

 

RONA inc. Wood Sourcing Policy is intended to inform the public and suppliers of our philosophy and commitments. This policy is applicable to RONA inc. (hereinafter “RONA”).

As a leading Canadian home improvement company, RONA purchases significant amounts of wood and recognizes the important role the world’s forests play. Forests are crucial to life on the planet, supporting plant and animal life; capturing and storing greenhouse gases; and providing food, water, fuel, medicine and livelihoods to billions of people around the world. RONA is dedicated to protecting these critical resources, and we want to do our part to protect them by adopting responsible practices. Trees are a critical part of our business, so ensuring a long-term, sustainable source of wood is paramount. In addition, we want to hold ourselves and our suppliers to high standards.

Scope

This policy applies to all products containing wood that are sold in RONA stores in Canada (hereinafter “Wood Products”).

Commitments

  • RONA will achieve 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for all Wood Products sourced from identified regions at risk.

    Regions at Risk*

    Amazon Basin

    East Africa

    Atlantic Forest/Gran Chaco

    Eastern Australia

    Borneo

    Greater Mekong

    Cerrado savanna

    Papua New Guinea

    Chocó-Darién moist forests

    Sumatra

    Congo Basin

    Russian Far East

    *This list is updated in conjunction with our network of non-profit partners.

     

  • By 2025, 100% of RONA Wood Products will be purchased from a responsible source, thus either certified or from a controlled source.

    Guiding principles

    RONA recognizes that environmental and socioeconomic issues often are directly related to forest products and, as a responsible corporate citizen, we take addressing these issues seriously. Our wood sourcing policy aims to contribute to environmental protection and to adopt ethical business practices.

    RONA commits to source wood that:

  • comes from a known source;
  • is legally harvested and traded;
  • does not threaten high conservation value or high carbon stock forests;
  • does not come from deforestation or other ecosystem conversion, which leads to biodiversity loss, including that of rare, threatened and endangered species;
  • is harvested and produced in a way that recognizes and upholds indigenous and other local community rights and customs;
  • is harvested and produced ensuring that human and worker rights are protected, including decent and humane working conditions and no forced labor.

    For RONA, a responsible source is either 1) certified or 2) controlled:

  1. RONA recognizes the following certifications: FSC and all the certifications recognized under the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). RONA gives preference to FSC-certified Wood Products when they are available and meet product performance and business requirements.
  2. In circumstances where wood product is not sourced from a certified forest, the supplier must prove that its product comes from a controlled source and demonstrate evidence of compliance with RONA inc. Wood Sourcing Policy.

    RONA will continue to engage with a diverse set of stakeholders including NGOs, regulators, peers and academia to ensure our wood sourcing policies and practices are focused on the most critical risks and to identify additional ways that RONA can help to promote sustainable forestry practices.

  • RONA is committed to reviewing this policy on an annual basis and will revise as necessary.
  • Additionally, RONA is committed to develop verification and reporting processes to provide annual updates on progress against our targets.