Forest council ‘a tool’
CLAIM: GREENPEACE LEAVES BODY THAT ‘FALLS SHORT’ ON DEFORESTATION
FSC hits back saying it is a safeguard against widespread illegal logging.
Greenpeace is withdrawing from the main global group for certifying sustainable wood, saying the organisation it helped found more than two decades ago is failing to protect natural forests from exploitation.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) inconsistently implements its standards and “fell short” of its goals of conserving forests and benefitting society, Greenpeace said.
The FSC mark, a stylised tree, is sought by paper producers and other wood users as an endorsement they can use in the marketplace to promote their products as sustainable and charge a premium.
The council had successes in some regions, the environmental group said, but was failing in “high risk regions where democratic and civil society institutions are weak and corruption is high”.
The council has become a “tool for forestry and timber extraction”. It said national branches of Greenpeace that belong to it will make their own decisions about continuing to work with the council.
FSC yesterday denied that it allows deforestation and said few organisations can match its transparency.
“FSC is a tool for responsible forest management, which includes forestry and harvesting. This is the core mandate of the organisation, but FSC is also a safeguard against widespread illegal logging, deforestation and ultimately, forest degradation.” – AP