Forests
G-8 adopts demand to fight illegal logging

afrol.com, 23 July - The G-8 today adopted the following communiqué in Okinawa, Japan: "We fully endorse the conclusions of our Foreign Ministers regarding sustainable forest management. In this regard, we attach particular importance to projects that help indigenous and local communities practice sustainable forest management. We will also examine how best we can combat illegal logging, including export and procurement practices." This action had been strongly demanded by environmental NGOs, in particular Greenpeace.

Greenpeace thus welcomed the G- 8 Heads of Government's endorsement of sustainable forest management, and particularly their commitment to examine how best they can combat illegal logging, including export and procurement practices stated in their Communiqué today. The G-8 heads of state have finally adopted some of Greenpeace's demands by recognising that export and purchasing of illegally harvested timber must be tackled. In last week's Communiqué by the G-8 Foreign Ministers, those two important issues for which G-8 countries have a special responsibility were not mentioned. 

"We do welcome the G-8 statement, however, we do not want to see more paper and talk, but real commitment in terms of capacity building in timber export countries, assistance with monitoring, and domestic trade policies," said Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace. "Ancient forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate and all these nice words will do nothing unless followed by effective action." 

Greenpeace protests around the world over the past weeks have shown that something can and must be done now to stop illegal and destructive logging of the world's last ancient forests. We will continue raising the issue of illegal and destructive logging until we see effective domestic action from the G-8.

Although the will to support indigenous and local communities to practice sustainable forest management is a worthy goal of G-8 governments, this intention adds nothing new to international commitments. It is a long-standing obligation by the international community as a whole. Since 1993, the Convention on Biological Diversity requires special protection and support of indigenous and local communities who are conserving biological diversity, which includes ecosystem-based forest management. Now as G-8 countries officially announce their intent Greenpeace hopes they may actually turn those commitments into action. 

Action on domestic policies that encourage illegal logging elsewhere is long overdue. "A green procurement policy is one measure to combat illegal logging and it is the one every government can easily adopt. G-8 countries seem to recognise this now. Unfortunately, they lack decisiveness, as they only want to 'examine' instead of committing themselves to only buy from FSC or other certified sources. One wonders how long they still want to wait to adopt measures instead of just talking about them," added Kaiser. 

However positive the new G-8 statement is on illegal and destructive logging and procurement policies, lacking is the will to abolish subsidies that harm forests. The latest WRI report states that the destruction of the last ancient forests is subsidised by governments of the G-8 with billions of US dollars (see news report). 

Source: Greenpeace

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