Some companies just don’t get the hint. You just can't go around destroying Indonesia's rainforests and call yourself a sustainable businesses.
Indonesian pulp and paper giant APRIL, or Asia Pacific Resources International, is one of these companies that likes to boast about how sustainable it is. It's a proud member of corporate sustainability groups and never takes off the secret decoder ring it got for joining the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) says that its members are the "world’s most progressive companies". If so, why is APRIL allowed to join? We got in touch with them last month and pointed out that APRIL is now Indonesia's leading cause of deforestation for pulp and paper.
We provided them with evidence that 60% of the wood used in APRIL's Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper mill comes from rainforest trees. Last year, APRIL was plotting to trash another 60,000 hectares of rainforest – an area twice the size of Birmingham. That's as unsustainable as you can get!
Today the World Business Council for Sustainable Development delivered APRIL a stark warning: pull your socks up or face the consequences. It has until the end of the year to stop destroying the rainforest or the WBCSD will kick them out.
The WBCSD isn't the only eco-friendly business badge on APRIL's metaphorical lapel. It's also signedy to the United Nations' Global Compact, the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative.
Global Compact members aren't supposed to go around trashing rainforests.
When we heard today's news, we wrote to the head of the UN Global Compact. We told them that the WBCSD had put APRIL on notice and suggested they kick the forest destroyer out of their clubhouse if it doesn't commit to zero deforestation.
APRIL needs to get the message that deforestation isn't sustainable. Pressure is mounting, especially as its main competitor, Asia Pulp & Paper, has promised to stop destroying Indonesia's rainforest.
Your move, APRIL... what's it going to be then?
