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G8 weak on illegal logging

18 March 2005

Derbyshire, United Kingdom — 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.

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Notes to Editor

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 Trade
3) Convention on Biological Diversity

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