Press release - March 18, 2005
Greenpeace today expressed its disappointment in reaction to the communiqué on illegal logging issued by G8 Environment and Development Ministers who today ended a two-day meeting in Derbyshire. The G8 ministers failed to commit to adopting legislation to prohibit import of illegal timber and wood products into their countries, despite a very strong call by NGOs, industry and research institutions.
Although the G8 committed to a range of important actions to
address illegal logging in their statement, including taking "steps
to halt the import and marketing of illegally logged timber", it is
unsatisfactory that the statement only refers to voluntary
measures, which will do little to curb the flooding of G8 markets
with these products. They also only agreed to "encourage, adopt or
extend public timber procurement policies that favour legal
timber", which only outlaws illegal wood, and ignores the huge
impact that legalised, but unsustainable, logging has on the
world's forests and the millions of people that rely on them
directly for their livelihood.
"The G8 is once again proving its value as a talking shop rather
than a forum for taking urgently needed action. The world's ancient
forests cannot rely on half-hearted voluntary measures, and the G8
is failing to deliver. While we welcome their recognition of the
problem and the re-commitment to existing political agreements and
processes such as the FLEGT (2) and CBD (3), this is like putting a
band-aid on a gunshot wound," said Nathalie Rey from Greenpeace
International.
Notes: 1) The statement on illegal logging will be forwarded to the Chair of the Gleneagles Summit of Heads of States and Government which is takinging place from the 6-8 July.2) Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade3) Convention on Biological Diversity