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Greenpeace activists send a big message to delegates of the 42nd International Tropical Timber Organization meeting.
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Activists abseiled off the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Port Moresby, hanging a banner for today's meeting of the 42nd International Tropical Timber Organization committee.
As security guards tried to cut the banner down, a crowd gathered outside the hotel, shouting, "Leave it up there!" No activists were arrested.Greenpeace is highlighting tropical forest destruction as governments, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand, meet in Papua New Guinea's capital for the ITTO conference. Most of PNG's timber is illegally logged.
An ITTO diagnostic report has found the PNG Forest Authority focuses "almost exclusively on exploitation of the forest resource for the primary financial benefit of the national government".
The report also says, "Forest management is reduced to monitoring logging operations at the expense of overall Sustainable Forest Management."
So what is the ITTO going to do about PNG's disastrous forestry management? Based on their report findings, they must take action.
Says Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO, Steve Shallhorn, "Greenpeace has taken action today to challenge the ITTO to protect rather than trade away the planet's last tropical forests. They must do more to ensure countries like PNG do something about illegal and destructive logging."
Greenpeace calls on governments of market countries like Australia to legislate against trading in illegal and destructive timber products.
The International Panel on Climate Change says protecting large expanses of rainforest is one of the most cost effective ways to halt climate change.
The Australian government wants to spend $200 million to combat Indonesian illegal logging. However, some of the region's most important tropical forests will disappear unless PNG's illegal logging is addressed.
Says Steve Shallhorn, "The best thing the Australian government can do to protect our region's tropical forests, and keep forests intact to combat climate change, is to urgently pass legislation that ensures that illegal and destructive timber does not enter the Australian market.
As security guards tried to cut the banner down, a crowd gathered outside the hotel, shouting, "Leave it up there!" No activists were arrested.Greenpeace is highlighting tropical forest destruction as governments, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand, meet in Papua New Guinea's capital for the ITTO conference. Most of PNG's timber is illegally logged.
ITTO faults PNG forest management
An ITTO diagnostic report has found the PNG Forest Authority focuses "almost exclusively on exploitation of the forest resource for the primary financial benefit of the national government".
The report also says, "Forest management is reduced to monitoring logging operations at the expense of overall Sustainable Forest Management."
So what is the ITTO going to do about PNG's disastrous forestry management? Based on their report findings, they must take action.
Says Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO, Steve Shallhorn, "Greenpeace has taken action today to challenge the ITTO to protect rather than trade away the planet's last tropical forests. They must do more to ensure countries like PNG do something about illegal and destructive logging."
How Australia aids forest destruction
Greenpeace calls on governments of market countries like Australia to legislate against trading in illegal and destructive timber products.
- Australia's intake of tropical timber and wood products increased by more than 60% between 2002 and 2006 (from AU$312 million to AU$508 million).(1)
- Australian wood imports from Indonesia increased by more than 70%, (from AU$115 million in 2002 to AU$197 million last year). Indonesia has the fastest rate of deforestation in the world.
- We tripled our wood product imports from China. China imports more than 80% of PNG's timber. Most of the timber in PNG is illegally logged.
Climate change and our disappearing forests
The International Panel on Climate Change says protecting large expanses of rainforest is one of the most cost effective ways to halt climate change.
The Australian government wants to spend $200 million to combat Indonesian illegal logging. However, some of the region's most important tropical forests will disappear unless PNG's illegal logging is addressed.
Says Steve Shallhorn, "The best thing the Australian government can do to protect our region's tropical forests, and keep forests intact to combat climate change, is to urgently pass legislation that ensures that illegal and destructive timber does not enter the Australian market.
(1) ABS figures from key tropical wood source countries: Brazil, Cameroon, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, PNG, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Vietnam
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