Greenpeace today (17th May 2005) released Missing Links, a report that identifies serious gaps in the certification standards of the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC), and highlighting its lack of credibility as a certifier of legal or environmentally responsible forest management. The report shows:
- MTCC procedures do not ensure certified products are legal.
- The MTCC chain of custody system does not require independent tracking of wood from forest to first point of timber processing - a missing link that means all MTCC chain of custody claims have no credibility.
- There are no requirements to ensure independent verification of the chain of custody of MTCC timber exported to the Europe or elsewhere.
- There are no credible checks on the origin of uncertified material that is allowed to be mixed with certified material timber. This means that illegal timber can enter the chain of custody and be sold as MTCC-certified.
- Contrary to international treaties and standards, the MTCC system does not address indigenous peoples land rights.
Click here to download a copy of the report in .PDF format.
The MTCC recently awarded certification to a company, Samling, for controversial logging operations in the tropical rainforests of Borneo, despite two decades of protest by indigenous people including the Penan tribe.
A review of new rules, to be phased in during 2006, will not require an effective chain of custody from stump to sawmill, or third-party checks on the origin of uncertified timber. This means that illegal timber may continue to enter European markets as MTCC certified.
"European timber buyers should be aware that MTCC certification is not a guarantee of either legality or environmentally responsible forest management, and worse still MTCC timber may be stolen from indigenous peoples' lands," said Pat Venditti, Senior Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace. "This also calls into question paper assessments by the UK government that MTCC wood can be deemed legal."
Greenpeace urges timber buyers, governments and public authorities to preference the standards and requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and to avoid buying, specifying or recommending MTCC timber. The FSC is widely recognised as the international standard for responsible forestry and currently the only credible certification scheme.
For more information contact:
Pat Venditti, Greenpeace UK Forest Campaigner: +44 207 865 8250.
Greenpeace UK press office: 00 44 207 865 8225.
Grant Rosoman, Greenpeace International Forests Campaigner and certification advisor: +643 382 5476
