Following our release of test results for genetically engineered (GE) ingredients found in snack foods on the Mainland earlier this month, the two food companies whose brands tested positive, Japan’s Glico and Germany’s Metro, both reacted positively.

　　In a 14th June press conference in Beijing we criticised both food companies for their double standards as both adhere to non-GE guidelines in their home countries. We made both companies aware of the positive testing results before the press conference and Metro responded first by removing the contaminated products from their shelves and conducting their own investigation into how their product had become contaminated with GE ingredients. Glico needed more convincing as they initially ignored us and gave us a negative response. However, following negotiations, Glico finally committed to a global non-GE policy.

　　Twenty-one food samples were collected from Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai in May and sent to an independent laboratory for testing. The results detected GE ingredients in four Glico snack food products and one of Metro’s own brand biscuit products.

　　The latest consumer survey conducted by IPSOS shows that most Chinese consumers don’t want GE food - 65% of respondents in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou show a clear preference for non-GE food while 97% want a mandatory labeling system. However, most processed food products do not need to carry labels listing GE ingredients under current Chinese regulations. Greenpeace is calling on the Chinese government to improve its labeling regulation to protect consumers’ right to an informed choice.

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　　B&Q - one of China’s largest home improvement retail chains – has made a commitment to guarantee that the timber products it sells in all its 60 stores across China come from legal sources. B&Q also guaranteed that, within three years, all product lines it sells in China will come from certified ecologically responsible forestry operations.

　　Last year Greenpeace raised concerns about B&Q’s timber sourcing and the company has rapidly addressed these concerns despite the challenges and the additional costs. Greenpeace applauds B&Q’s commitment as many timber species sold in China’s home improvement stores come from countries where up to 80% of the timber is logged illegally and destructively.

　　The B&Q action plan can help protect the world’s forests. We now hope that other home improvement chains will join them to clean up the timber trade. B&Q opened its first Hong Kong store on June 1st.

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　　This year's International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting, which took place in Anchorage, Alaska brought good news for whales. An attempt by pro-whaling nations led by the Japanese government to restart commercial whaling, was decisively rejected and anti-whaling countries voted for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Resolution, which strengthens the commercial whaling ban.

　　To support our campaign, academy-award nominee Koshi Yamamura, made us a wonderful animation that tells the story of a Japanese headmaster who saves a whale, repaying a debt he feels for the days when whales saved the Japanese people from starvation following World War II. "Once they saved us -- now it is our turn to save them".

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　　A study released on 20th June by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, says that China's CO2 emissions in 2006 were the largest in the world, surpassing those of the US, the world's top climate polluter. But responsibility for China's soaring emissions lies not just in Beijing but also in Washington, Brussels and Tokyo.

　　One reason for China's massive CO2 emissions is that over the years, the West has effectively exported a great portion of it's manufacturing there. No environmental conditions were attached to this manufacturing move, and today we see the result. In fact, China has recently laid down an aggressive plan to cut energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent by 2010 indicating its commitment to fight again Climate Change.

　　Per capita the US remains the world's worst number one CO2 polluter. On average, people in China are responsible for 3.5 tonnes of CO2 each per year, whereas in the UK it's nearly 10 tonnes and for North Americans it's 20 tonnes. The G8 (world's richest nations) are also responsible for over 80 percent of the climate change we are experiencing today, and still emit over 40 percent of all global emissions.

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