Government set to shun dodgy forest products
The Government announced today a major change in policy over the official procurement of timber and a crackdown against the use of illegaly obtained wood in Government projects. The policy shift comes after sustained pressure from environmentalists including direct action by Greenpeace throughout Europe, the USA and Japan over the past six weeks and at the G8 Summit in Okinawa.
The new procurement policy will send shockwaves through the UK timber and construction industries and give a major boost to certification schemes - such as Forest Stewardship Council - that ensure wood only comes from legal, sustainable sources.
The announcement, made today by Environment Minister Michael Meacher as a written parliamentary answer, reveals that the UK Government has agreed to "ensure its own house is in order" by "actively seeking to buy timber and timber products from sustainable and legal sources, for example those identified under independent certification schemes such as that operated by the Forestry Stewardship Council". The new policy will be strengthened by a requirement that each Government department report annually on its timber purchases including "what assurances it has received that the source of timber is sustainable and legal".
Following extensive correspondence between Tony Blair and Greenpeace in the lead up to the recent G8 summit in Okinawa, the Prime Minister succeeded in getting agreement from world leaders to "examine how best we can combat illegal logging, including export and procurement practices". The Prime Minister has now gone a step further by changing policy within the UK.
John Sauven, Campaigns Director at Greenpeace, said:
"Greenpeace welcomes the efforts made by the Prime Minister in Okinawa to protect the world's remaining ancient forests, and his Government's action today in committing itself to buy legal and sustainable timber. If the other G8 countries follow Tony Blair's lead this will be the most important step yet taken to stem the tide of ancient forest destruction. Eighty per cent of the world's original ancient forests have already been destroyed or degraded so we must act now if are to save the remaining threatened areas."
The announcement will send a powerful message to timber companies operating in areas like the Brazilian Amazon, where 80 per cent of logging is illegal. The Government states that "Our aim is to give confidence to those obeying their country's laws and managing their forests responsibly that they will find a welcome market in the UK, and will not be undercut by unscrupulous and illegal competitors."
Between 20 and 80 per cent of logs coming from the world's ancient forests are produced or traded illegally. Experts predict that the forests of the Philippines could be destroyed by 2025 because of illegal logging. In Indonesia, millions of dollars in taxes and royalties are lost each year due to the smuggling, theft and looting of timber.
Notes to editors:
[1] In the run up to the G8 summit, Greenpeace launched a global campaign to protect the world's remaining ancient forests and expose the trade in illegal timber. Direct actions against timber shipments from the Brazilian Amazon, Cameroonian rainforests and ancient forests in Russia's far east have been carried out in the UK, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Denmark, Japan and the USA. A large number of companies have suspended trading with firms involved in the illegal timber trade and several major players are discussing with Greenpeace a switch to supplies that are certificated by the Forest Stewardship Council. Talks are also being held with multinational timber companies in the Amazon and Asia. In the Russian far east the regional police have agreed to work with Greenpeace to help stop illegal logging.
[2] The new Government initiative has three components:
- Current voluntary guidance on environmental issues in timber procurement will become a binding commitment on all central Government departments and agencies actively to seek to buy timber and timber products from sustainable and legal sources, for example those identified under independent certification schemes such as that operated by the Forest Stewardship Council.
- Each central Government department will report annually on its timber purchases. It will be required to explain what steps it is taking to pursue this objective; the quantity and types of its purchases; and what assurances it has received that the source of timber is sustainable and legal.
- This process will be monitored by an inter-departmental group reporting to the committee of "Green Ministers". The group will: assist departments and agencies in working with timber suppliers and producers; give guidance on best purchasing practice; set progressive overall targets for Government timber purchases from assured sustainable and legal sources; agree appropriate targets for individual departments and agencies.
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255
