{"id":60371,"date":"2023-06-27T15:46:22","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T03:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=60371"},"modified":"2024-07-12T10:04:15","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T22:04:15","slug":"call-for-halt-to-nz-importing-products-linked-to-deforestation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/press-release\/call-for-halt-to-nz-importing-products-linked-to-deforestation\/","title":{"rendered":"Call for halt to NZ importing products linked to deforestation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Greenpeace petition<\/a> signed by nearly 16,000 people was delivered to Parliament today calling for the New Zealand government to stop the import of products that are linked to forest destruction and human rights abuses.<\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace International forest campaigner Grant Rosoman presented the petition to Green Party MP Eugenie Sage, along with Greenpeace activists holding large colourful photographic depictions of the forests in question and the harm that\u2019s being done to them.<\/p>\n\n

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\u201cThe world is facing twin climate and biodiversity crises and protecting forests is critical for addressing both. If we don\u2019t stop deforestation globally, then we will not meet the Paris Climate Agreement commitments nor stop runaway climate change,\u201d says Rosoman. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt may come as a surprise to many New Zealanders that they may be buying products linked to destruction of tropical forests that are home to endangered species such as orangutan and jaguar, and are the customary homes of Indigenous people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

These products could be dairy products containing palm oil or from dairy cows fed on palm kernel expeller (PKE), chocolate, coffee, toilet tissue, leather, timber, furniture, viscose fabric, or even natural rubber condoms or aircraft tyres.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cNew Zealand needs to follow the leadership shown by the European Union with its recent Deforestation Regulation to deal with its responsibility as a nation for the destruction of forests worldwide through the products we import,\u201d says Rosoman.<\/p>\n\n

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The EU recently just passed a \u2018no deforestation\u2019 regulation<\/a> covering seven commodities and derivative products (palm oil, wood, cattle, soya, cocoa, coffee and rubber). The law requires companies to trace these commodities back to the plot of land where they were produced and provide evidence via a Due Diligence process by importers of no deforestation after 2020.<\/p>\n\n

The world\u2019s forests are home to millions of indigenous people who are on the frontlines of forest protection. The forests are vital habitat for incredible biodiversity, such as Sumatran tigers, gorillas, birds of paradise, and fungi. The integrity of the world\u2019s forests is vital for halting climate change. Between 1990 and 2020, some 420 million hectares of forest have disappeared \u2013 an area 15 times the size of Aotearoa.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThis year the New Zealand Government had an opportunity to address deforestation in the recent Forest (Legal Harvest Assurance) Amendment Bill but instead completely missed the boat by simply requiring the bare minimum that wood products only are sourced legally. This leaves us back in the last century compared to the EU and leaves consumers faced with difficulties in choosing deforestation free products due to the lack of transparency and regulation,\u201d says Rosoman. <\/p>\n\n

ENDS<\/p>\n\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n