Thank you, Madam Chair.
My name is Mahima Sharma and I am the director of environment, innovation and mill regulations at the Forest Products Association of Canada. I am here today with my colleague, Kate Lindsay, FPAC's senior vice-president.
FPAC represents Canada's wood, pulp, paper and wood fibre-based bioproduct manufacturers. We're an $80-billion industry directly employing 230,000 Canadians and supporting another 600,000 Canadian families indirectly in 600 communities.
FPAC sees opportunity for our sector to be a solutions provider in supporting the federal government's goals for a green economic recovery. As we map the path to net-zero carbon by 2050, the sector continues to pursue opportunities toward next-generation biorefinery capabilities and the development of new biosourced products for use here in Canada, and also for global export, with the U.S. being a more immediate export market.
The following are two great examples of clean technology and product development going on in Canada.
Arbios Biotech, a joint venture between Licella and the integrated forest products company Canfor Pulp in Prince George, B.C., converts end-of-life wood and biomass into biocrude oil. Earlier this week, this joint venture announced a new global alliance with Shell Catalysts and Technologies, which provides the capability to upgrade biocrude into next-generation biofuels and biochemicals such as transportation fuels for heavy-duty vehicles and aviation in one continuous, efficient process.
One of our proudest moments through this pandemic, with the support of Natural Resources Canada and Canadian scientists and researchers at FPInnovations, has been the development of a biodegradable non-medical mask from what would have otherwise been wood waste, a Canadian innovation and first of its kind in the world. Turning wood residues into low-carbon, value-added products such as face masks is another way Canada's forest products sector can help us power green recovery while supporting the Canadian government's efforts to reduce single-use plastics.
These first-in-kind technologies and innovative solutions offer global solutions from Canada's forest products sector. These are just a few examples that can further enhance the made-in-Canada brand with the potential to export clean technology and bioproducts on a global scale.
I will now turn our presentation over to my colleague, Kate Lindsay.