forests

Greenpeace catches Blair trashing ancient forests

Last edited 10 April 2002 at 8:00am
10 April, 2002

At 8am this morning Greenpeace volunteers entered the Cabinet Office in Whitehall and declared it an ancient forest crime scene - following an investigation which revealed the government was about to install hundreds of new doors and windows made of wood from Africa's last rainforests (1).

Forest crime files: UK Government fuelling the destruction of Africa

Last edited 10 April 2002 at 8:00am
Publication date: 
21 March, 2007

Publication date: April 2002

Summary
The Cabinet Office refurbishment project is using more than £400,000 worth of sapele from Central and West Africa for doors and windows. Greenpeace has uncovered a chain of supply that ultimately links the UK Cabinet Office to a number of the most notorious international logging companies operating in Africa's last ancient forests all with records of unsustainable, destructive and illegal logging.

Download the report:

'The Ancient Forests'

Last edited 2 April 2002 at 9:00am

UK Government hypocrisy exposed as German authorities act to stop illegal mahogany imports

Last edited 22 March 2002 at 9:00am
22 March, 2002

Illegal mahogany trade

Greenpeace today condemned the British Government for failing in its commitment to protect ancient forests as it was revealed that authorities in Germany have impounded a cargo of illegally logged mahogany from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest - almost identical to one the UK government refused to seize earlier this month. Authorities in Belgium have today also committed to action on this issue.

The Brazilian mahogany, imported to Germany by international timber trader DLH, was seized by German authorities upon its arrival in Hamburg docks at the beginning of March. The mahogany has been impounded whilst the Government attempts to clarify with Brazilian Authorities whether or not the mahogany contravenes a mahogany logging and trade ban imposed by the Brazilian government at the end of last year.

Explaining the German government's action the Deputy Minister for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture, Mathias Berninger, said that "This mahogany is from the Rainforest of Brazil and originates presumably from dubious forest management We are holding this mahogany and we will not release it, until it is ensured that it was logged under reasonable circumstances." (1)

A further cargo of mahogany is destined for Belgium and the UK. Today the Belgian Minister for the Environment, Magda Aelvoet stated that "The trade in mahogany from dubious origin is unacceptable. In such circumstances Belgium will detain mahogany as long as there is no absolute clarity about the legal status of the produced mahogany." (2)

Greenpeace call for change in law on illegal timber imports

Last edited 4 March 2002 at 9:00am
4 March, 2002
Illegal mahogany trade

Illegal mahogany trade

Blair accused of hypocrisy on Amazon timber imports as Greenpeace takes

Last edited 4 March 2002 at 9:00am
4 March, 2002

Greenpeace today accused Tony Blair of hypocrisy as they took the Government to court to try and stop Britain importing illegally logged mahogany from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest (1).

Greenpeace first alerted the Government to the illegal shipments on January 31st, after investigations revealed that two cargoes of Brazilian mahogany were headed to the UK - despite a complete ban on mahogany logging and export being imposed by the Brazilian Government late last year (2).

Greenpeace takes the UK government to court over illegal mahogany imports

Last edited 26 February 2002 at 9:00am

Poll reveals public want ban on illegally logged ancient forest timber coming into the UK

Last edited 19 February 2002 at 9:00am
19 February, 2002

Greenpeace today delivered a MORI poll to Environment Minister Michael Meacher showing that 87% of the British public want the government to ban illegal imports of wood from the world's ancient forests. Furthermore 80% want the British Government to pledge funding to a proposed international fund to protect the world's remaining ancient forests.

Death threat to Greenpeace Amazon campaigner

Last edited 10 October 2001 at 8:00am
10 October, 2001
Paulo Adario, Greenpeace Amazon campaigner
Paulo Adario, Greenpeace Amazon campaigner

Greenpeace today vowed that a death threat to one of its campaigners would not deter the environmental organisation from working to protect the Amazon from destruction. A telephone call was made to a house where Greenpeace campaigners live and work in Manaus, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, threatening death to Paulo Adario, the Co-ordinator of Greenpeace's Amazon Campaign.

Paulo Adario said, "This is not only a threat against my life but, of greater importance, it is a threat to all people who campaign to protect the Amazon. It is clear that our recent work exposing illegal logging of mahogany in the Amazon is at the base of this threat. In Brazil it is well known that most of the mahogany trade is controlled by criminals, who for too long have been allowed to operate with impunity."