The Hague, CBD: meeting Michael Meacher

Greenpeace today criticised world governments for failing to seize the opportunity to take urgent measures to protect the most biologically diverse areas on the planet —the last ancient forests—at this week's meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD. Despite having recognised that the world's "biodiversity is being destroyed by human activities at unprecedented rates", they failed to take the necessary action to stop further loss and admit that their efforts so far have been "too few, too little and too late".

This is the first time since the Rio Earth Summit that world governments discussed the fate of the world's last ancient forests. However, the Ministerial declaration released this morning ignores the strong recommendations on action provided by their own scientists (SBSTTA) which stressed "the need to urgently prioritise biodiversity conservation efforts on the most endangered and environmentally significant forest ecosystems and species, in particular primary [Ancient] forests."(1)

Some countries such as France, Germany and Russia supported action to stop the ongoing destruction. However, Brazil, Canada and Malaysia spent two weeks watering down the action program and blocking progress and failing to reverse forest loss and tackle illegal logging. The work program delivered failed to match the scale and urgency of the forest crisis.

"Environment Ministers came to The Hague to decide the fate of the world's last ancient forests and could have made history," said Brenda Ramsey from Greenpeace. "Greenpeace, as well as some governments, came here with high hopes to reverse the trend of ancient forest destruction. We are left only with minor steps that fail to match the scale of the crisis. Governments will not be able to justify this to future generations who will inherit the results of their failure."

Joss Garman (16) from Wales, one of a thousand young people representing 19 countries, who came to The Hague to express their concerns and hopes said: "I do not understand what games are played here. All they care about is money and their own interests. Our forests are our future if they are not preserved we could see the gorilla and other animal and plant species disappear."

"The last ancient forests are now in the hands of Heads of Government who will meet at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg in August this year," said Ramsey. "Greenpeace will continue to do what's right for the forests and the people who live in and depend on them for their livelihood and culture. We will continue to expose all those who threaten their survival."

The ministers also discussed proposals to stop and prevent biopiracy, the theft of genetic resources from developing countries by US pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. This is reflected in the declaration. Greenpeace believes that any agreement to stop biopiracy will be insufficient if the resources to be shared are disappearing. Most of the biodiversity on the planet is found in the last ancient forests, which are still not protected.

Ancient forests house up to 80 percent of the world's terrestrial biodiversity. During the 12 days that delegates met to discuss the fate of the ancient forests, another 360,000 hectares of ancient forests were lost—that 's an area the size of over half a million football fields.

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255

The save or delete campaign launches outside DEFRA

Greenpeace today delivered a MORI poll to Environment Minister Michael Meacher showing that 87% of the British public want the government to ban illegal imports of wood from the world's ancient forests. Furthermore 80% want the British Government to pledge funding to a proposed international fund to protect the world's remaining ancient forests.

The UK is currently the top importer within the EU of illegal wood from tropical forests (1). We import plywood from Indonesian and Amazon rainforests, some of which is used as hoardings around building sites then trashed. Many doors and window frames come from the destruction of the forest home of Africa's great apes in the Congo Basin.

The poll is being released as Greenpeace launch Save or Delete - a new campaign to protect the world's remaining ancient forests. To kick off the campaign gorillas and other 'Ancient Forest Messengers' will be roaming London - delivering the results of the poll to politicians, the timber trade and Harrods, who sell furniture made from illegally logged mahogany.

The messengers will also be unveiling billboard posters around London based on a powerful illustration of Jungle Book characters in a devastated jungle. The poster image has been produced for Greenpeace by maverick street artist Banksy - popular in the hip-hop scene for his stencils and graffiti images that portray striking political messages. The posters promote the campaign website saveordelete.com - where the public can take part in an online referendum and download DIY campaign kits.

Ancient forests are home to two-thirds of all species of land-dwelling plants and animals including the great apes. 80% of the world's original ancient forests have already disappeared forever and today we are still losing an area of ancient forest the size of a football pitch every two seconds. If this destruction continues scientists predict that tropical rainforests in Indonesia and West Africa could be wiped out within decades - leading to the extinction of the great apes in our lifetime.

Ten years ago at the Rio Earth Summit the world's governments signed a pledge to protect the world's remaining ancient forests. Yet, since the Summit, an area of ancient forest bigger than France and Spain has disappeared.

This year world governments have the chance to take real action to save the remaining ancient forests. In April they will meet in The Hague for an Ancient Forests Summit (the Convention on Biological Diversity).

Greenpeace is calling on governments to:

• Clean up the international timber trade by stopping the import of illegal and destructively logged timber.
• Create a global ancient forest fund to pay for forest protection.

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace UK press office on 0207 865 8255

Notes for editors:
(1) The MORI poll was commissioned by Greenpeace. MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 1,001 adults aged 16+ across Britain. Interviews were conducted by telephone between 15 - 17 February, 2002.

Summary of results:

Question one - How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statement:
the Government should ban the import of illegally logged wood from the world's ancient forests
87% strongly agreed or tended to agree
3% neither agreed nor disagreed
8% tended to disagree or strongly disagreed
2% didn't know

Question two - There have been calls for governments to set up an international fund to the tune of $15 billion each year to protect the world's ancient forests. How strongly do you agree or disagree that the British Government should pledge funding to the proposed international fund to protect the world's ancient forests
80% strongly agreed or tended to agree
3% neither agreed nor disagreed
16% tended to disagree or strongly disagreed
1% didn't know