illegal timber

Where has the Garden Furniture Guide gone?

Last edited 16 April 2007 at 11:02am

B&Q is one of the retailers that has improved its garden furniture policies

Since its launch in 2004, the Garden Furniture Guide has been extremely successful. We've seen many retailers working hard to improve their policies and removing furniture that has been made as a result of ancient forest destruction.

Article tagged as: consumer guides, forests, garden furniture, illegal timber

Indonesia gets new world record: fastest forest logger

Posted by jamie — 16 March 2007 at 10:54am - Comments

Protesters sawing through a huge wooden wall depicting Indonesia's rainforestsThis morning, the streets of Jakarta were buzzing with the sound of chainsaws. It wasn't a loggers' convention causing all the racket but protesters sawing through a huge wooden wall depicting Indonesia's rainforests.

Article tagged as: destructive logging, forests, illegal timber, indonesia

Russian commission to investigate forest crimes following Greenpeace expose

Last edited 13 March 2007 at 7:38pm
13 March, 2007
The Russian Head of the Federal Forestry Agency Valery Roschupkin, has ordered an immediate investigation into massive violations of forest law in the Russian republic of Karelia. This follows the release of a report by Greenpeace last year which highlighted wide-spread illegal logging in the province and showed how this timber is being imported into Finland to industry giants including UPM and Stora Enso, which is partly owned by the Finnish State.[1]
Article tagged as: forests, illegal timber, press releases, russia

Russian forestry agency launches investigation into illegal logging

Posted by jamie — 13 March 2007 at 7:04pm - Comments

Activists being removed from their blockade of the Stora Enso headquarters in Helsinki Amidst all the current hoo-hah about Trident, we have some good news from Russia or, at least, the potential for good news.

Back in September, our Partners in Crime report revealed how Finland is importing vast quantities of timber logged illegally in neighbouring Russia. According to federal law, all forestry management plans must undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment - in the republic of Karelia these assessments are not being done yet the local government continues to hand out logging permits.

However, this week the Head of the Federal Forestry Agency in Russia has ordered an immediate investigation into the problem, appointing a commission to report back next month. This is a huge step forward and acknowledges the scale of the problem - of all the timber felled in Karelia, the majority is illegal.

Article tagged as: EU, finland, forests, illegal timber, russia, stora enso

Should the EC ban illegal timber? You decide!

Posted by jamie — 12 February 2007 at 9:00am - Comments

If you were caught selling pirate DVDs, it would be no surprise if you were fined or even sent to jail. After all, you would be breaking the law.

But when companies in Europe buy or sell illegal timber from the last of the world's ancient forests, nothing happens. They won't even have the timber confiscated. Astounding, there are no laws to stop illegal timber or timber products from ending up in your local shops or even in your home.

Article tagged as: consultations, EU, forests, illegal timber

UK government decision undermines its own timber policy

Last edited 20 December 2006 at 9:00am
20 December, 2006

Indigenous peoples' rights are not fully protected under many timber certification schemes

London - Today major environmental groups, including WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and FERN, criticized the government's decision to allow its departments to purchase wood products certified by schemes that allow destructive logging practises, by accepting them as proof of sustainability.

Article tagged as: certification schemes, forests, illegal timber, press releases, UK policy

European Commission admits illegal timber scandal

Posted by jamie — 1 December 2006 at 4:42pm - Comments

Activists demonstrate how the EU should be using FSC timber in May 2004

It's official. The European Union Commission has admitted that we were right about illegal timber in the commission's own headquarters.

Article tagged as: berlaymont, EC, EU, forests, illegal timber

Forests - the problems

Last edited 14 November 2006 at 3:02pm

Ancient forests around the world are threatened by destructive logging and land clearance to make room for agriculture.

We are destroying ancient forests at an unprecedented rate. As demand for anything made from wood increases - whether it's books, furniture, construction materials or even toilet paper - we risk stripping away the last remaining ancient forest areas.

Article tagged as: agriculture, climate change, deforestation, destructive logging, forests, illegal timber, rainforests

Yet more illegal rainforest timber found in Westminster

Posted by admin — 28 September 2006 at 8:00am - Comments
Following our expose at the Cabinet Office, more illegal timber has been found in Westminster

You couldn't make it up. After having been exposed no less than three times already for using illegal timber in their building projects, Tony Blair's government has done it again.

Article tagged as: forests, government, houses of parliament, illegal timber, newsnight, papua new guinea

Finland joins the Golden Chainsaw hall of infamy

Posted by jamie — 25 September 2006 at 8:00am - Comments

 

Finland joins the Golden Chainsaw hall of infamy

The Golden Chainsaws are becoming something of a Greenpeace tradition. They're not annual, they're not voted for by a secret cabal of society members, but when it comes to wanton destruction of forest landscapes, they ensure the efforts of those responsible do not go unremarked.

Article tagged as: finland, forests, illegal timber, russia

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