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WORLDWIDE
FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS
VICTORY:
UK Government Cuts Purchase of Illegal Timber
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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org
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Conservation
08/11/00
OVERVIEW
& COMMENTARY
The
United Kingdom is the first G8 member to follow through on recent
commitments
to do more to halt illegal logging.
Actions include
introducing
tough new government procurement rules that require
central
government departments and agencies to seek to buy timber and
timber
products from sustainable and legal sources, and working
directly
with affected countries to combat illegal logging. Such a
course
of action should be expected of all G8 members, as well as
other
nations.
g.b.
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TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: UK Government Cuts Purchase of Illegal
Timber
Source: (c) Environment News Service (ENS) 2000. All
Rights
Reserved.
http://www.ens.lycos.com/
Date: August 9, 2000
LONDON,
United Kingdom, August 9, 2000 (ENS) - The UK is putting tough
government
procurement rules in place to tackle the trade in illegally
harvested
timber. The move follows the commitment made by G8 leaders
late
last month to do more to halt illegal logging.
In
their joint communique, the leaders of the world's seven most
industrialized
nations plus Russia pledged to "examine how best we can
combat
illegal logging, including export and procurement practices."
The
United Kingdom is first off the mark to meet that commitment.
Environment
Minister Michael Meacher told parliament, "Illegal logging
damages
both the environment and society. It reduces government
revenues,
destroys the basis of poor people's livelihoods and in some
cases
even fuels armed conflict.
Meacher
said the UK will continue working directly with affected
countries
to combat illegal logging.
"Among
other initiatives we will sponsor later this year, along with
the
United States and World Bank, is a high level meeting in South-
East
Asia to examine what can be done to strengthen enforcement of
forestry
laws in the region, and how donors can assist in this."
Meacher
said that the UK government will improve its current
purchasing
practice for timber and timber products. "It is
counterproductive
to help enforce laws abroad without striving to
ensure
that illegally produced timber is not consumed at home," the
minister
said.
The
current voluntary guidance on environmental issues in timber
procurement
will become a binding commitment on all central government
departments
and agencies actively to seek to buy timber and timber
products
from sustainable and legal sources. Meacher pointed to
products
identified under independent certification schemes such as
that
operated by the Forestry Stewardship Council as correct sources
of
supply under the new rules.
Each
central government department will report annually on its timber
purchases.
It will be required to explain what steps it is taking to
pursue
this objective; the quantity and types of its purchases; and
what
assurances it has received that the source of timber is
sustainable
and legal.
This
process will be monitored by an inter-departmental group
reporting
to the committee of "Green Ministers." The group will assist
departments
and agencies in working with timber suppliers and
producers;
give guidance on best purchasing practice; set progressive
overall
targets for government timber purchases from assured
sustainable
and legal sources and agree appropriate targets for
individual
departments and agencies. Friends of the Earth UK welcomed
Meacher's
announcement that government departments would cut buying of
illegal
and unsustainable timber.
The
conservation organization takes partial credit for the
government's
action. The group said the move to protect the world's
rainforests
follows a review of the government's timber purchasing
policy
begun when Friends of the Earth (FOE) exposed plans to buy
illegally
logged Brazilian mahogany by the Cabinet Office for Jack
Cunningham's
desk and by the Ministry of Defence for panelling
warships.
Since then FOE has been discussing the new policy with the
Government
and the MoD.
FOE
forests campaigner Matt Phillips said, "Too many timber buyers
accept
dodgy certificates, half baked assurances from loggers and iffy
industry
assurance schemes. So this move is long overdue. But there is
a huge
task ahead. Ministers may know what to do, but government
buyers
are a long way behind. Mr. Meacher must ensure this is not just
a paper
commitment. We must stop illegally logged and unsustainable
timbers
from reaching Britain."
But the
new programme stops short of banning the purchase of timber or
timber
products which cannot be shown to be sustainably and legally
produced.
"That
would be both unfair and impractical," Meacher said. "There is
currently
not enough timber that can be independently guaranteed to
have
come from sustainable and legal sources to meet all needs; albeit
that
different assurance schemes are growing quickly." Another
certifying
association established by the European timber industry is
now
operating alongside the Forest Stewardship Council, which was set
up by
the World Wide Fund for Nature and other non-profit groups.
Meacher
said the government would not want to penalise poorer
countries
and producers which have not been able to put certification
systems
in place. "We will continue to work with such producers to
ensure
they have fair market access, and that any action is fully
consistent
with our international obligations."
"Our
aim is to give confidence to those obeying their country's laws
and
managing their forests responsibly that they will find a welcome
market
in the UK, and will not be undercut by unscrupulous and illegal
competitors,"
the minister said.
The new
measures will complement the UK's other work in combating
illegal
logging, which includes working with other countries to:
encourage
good governance and remove corruption; tackle the burden of
debt;
improve awareness of the true value of forests; and develop
alternative,
rural livelihoods for the poor.
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