A Cabinet Office report confirms that timber used in building work at Admiralty Arch was illegal

Illegally logged timber from the rainforests of Papua New Guinea is being used during renovation work at the Houses of Parliament.

Greenpeace investigators have found the timber, in the form of at least two tonnes of plywood, in the £5million restructuring of the Press Area. The rainforest wood is protecting floors, stairs and walls while work is being carried out.[1]

And this is the fourth time in as many years that Greenpeace has revealed that the Government is using illegal and unsustainable timber.[2]

As recently as July, Greenpeace exposed the use of the same rainforest plywood at Admiralty Arch, the home of the Cabinet Office. Although the Government initially said they had proof that the timber was from 'legal and sustainable' sources, a subsequent internal investigation sent to Greenpeace makes it clear that this was not the case.[3]

The magnificent forests of Papua New Guinea form part of the few remaining significant ancient forests on earth. They are home to many unique species of plants and animals such as the tree kangaroo and the world's largest butterfly, as well as indigenous communities that depend on the forest for their livelihood. But so-called 'robber barons' are plundering the rainforest with impunity, their crimes ranging from illegal logging to corruption, torture and rape. A recent report funded by the UK Government on logging in PNG found that illegality, environmental destruction and corruption were rife. But this remains the place where Blair is getting his timber.

Belinda Fletcher, Greenpeace forests campaigner, said: "It's a disgrace that Parliament is awash with tropical plywood ripped from the world's last rainforests. While Tony Blair is busy worrying about his legacy, the world's last rainforests are being bulldozed for cheap throwaway products like plywood.

"If the Government is serious about ending its role in rainforest destruction, the UK must sort out its shambolic timber policy by ensuring that only Forest Stewardship Council certified timber is used in public building projects, and by introducing a ban on the import of illegal timber. This is the only way to stop this destructive trade."

Central government procurement accounts for approximately 20 per cent of all the timber used in the UK, while the broader public sector accounts for as much as 40 per cent.[4] In 2001 Tony Blair promised that the Government would only purchase legal and sustainable timber. However, a combination of weak guidelines and failed implementation has meant that the policy is failing, as the illegal plywood found at the Houses of Parliament and Admiralty Arch shows.

For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

Video and stills available, including clip reel of Papua New Guinea rainforest destruction, previous Greenpeace protests over government timber procurement and the plywood used in the House of Commons.

Notes for editors:
[1] Greenpeace tested two lots of tropical hardwood faced plywood being used at the Houses of Parliament, which have been confirmed as the species bintangor, sourced almost exclusively from the rainforests of PNG. Chinese mills producing the plywood found on site have confirmed to Greenpeace that the veneers used are sourced from Papua New Guinea.

[2] Previous Greenpeace exposes of Government timber scandals include:

• in April 2002 Greenpeace occupied the Cabinet Office at 22 Whitehall following an undercover investigation that revealed the Government was installing new doors and windows made from Sapele, sourced from companies known to be logging illegally in the rainforests of Cameroon;
• in June 2003 Greenpeace occupied the new Home Office headquarters at 2 Marsham Street in Westminster after finding plywood from Indonesia's last rainforests, supplied by companies notorious for illegal logging, corruption and human rights abuses;
• in July 2006 Greenpeace occupied the roof of Admiralty Arch, the home of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, in Westminster after finding plywood illegal logged from the rainforests of Papua New Guinea being used as hoardings around the site.

[3] Key findings of the Cabinet Office internal investigation include:

• bintangor faced plywood, manufactured in China, was used at Admiralty Arch;
• recognition of "the strength of the supporting information provided by Greenpeace";
• documentation supplied by timber companies was unsatisfactory proof of compliance with Government policy;
• the need for 'legal and sustainable timber' was not passed down the supply chain;
• there was insufficient comprehension of timber procurement and how to audit it effectively.

[4] Environmental Audit Committee, House of Commons (18th January 2006), Sustainable Timber

Brian Baring in Trafalgar Square

The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone was joined by Greenpeace Director, Stephen Tindale, at his weekly press conference, to announce that he is tightening up procurement procedures at the Greater London Authority, to ensure that timber used on Greater London Authority sites has come from responsibly managed forests.

The Mayor is instructing his staff to ensure that any timber bought on behalf of the Greater London Authority bears the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) stamp of approval or equivalent standard. FSC certification allows consumers to be sure that wood being used is from environmentally and socially responsible sources ¹. The Greater London Authority has a robust environment policy in place, which already specifies that timber used in Greater London Authority contracts should normally be FSC certified. The Mayor has taken this step to tighten procurement procedures having been advised by Greenpeace that, wood currently being used for work on the restoration of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square has come from an unsustainable source.

Greenpeace advise that the tropical hardwood species used in plywood on Trafalgar Square, bintangor, comes from the rainforests of Papua New Guinea (PNG). A recent report, which reviewed World Bank and PNG government assessments of current logging operations in PNG concluded 'the majority of forestry operations cannot credibly be characterized as complying with national laws and regulations and are therefore "unlawful"'. Results of an earlier Greenpeace investigation into the bintangor trade in October 2005, led several UK Timber Trade Federation members to suspend trade in bintangor faced plywood.

The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: 'I want to thank Greenpeace for highlighting the importance of using FSC certified timber. I have now taken a decision to improve our procurement procedures to ensure that any wood procured by the Greater London Authority or any contractors working on its behalf is from a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified source or equivalent standard.

'My vision is for London to be a sustainable world city, which is why I have taken action to raise standards. I, along with Greenpeace, want to boost awareness amongst businesses, organisations and consumers in the capital that whether you are buying garden furniture or wood for construction, by buying timber which is FSC certified, you can be sure that you are not damaging the environment.'

Greenpeace Executive Director Stephen Tindale said: 'It's great that the Mayor has agreed to take immediate action to stop the flow of unsustainable, uncertified timber used on its projects. Nobody wants London to be known as a city that is contributing to the destruction of the world's last rainforests. Now the Mayor has announced that the Greater London Authority will tighten up procedures and enforce its environment policy, it's up to central government to build upon its declared commitment to sourcing sustainable timber and prohibit the import of unsustainable and illegally logged timber entering the UK.'

The Greater London Authority has a robust procurement policy in place, which includes ensuring that environmental issues are proactively addressed in all aspects of the procurement process. The Mayor is asking his officers to work with all the Greater London Authority functional bodies³ to incorporate FSC certification into their procurement procedures.


Notes to editors

1.The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international network to promote responsible management of the world's forests. FSC brings people together to find solutions to the problems created by bad forestry practices and to reward good forest management. Through consultative processes, it sets international standards for responsible forest management. Its trademark provides international recognition to organisations that support the growth of responsible forest management.

The FSC product label allows consumers worldwide to recognise products that support the growth of responsible forest management worldwide. Over the past 10 years, over 73 million hectares in 73 countries have been certified according to FSC standards while several thousand products are produced using FSC certified wood and carrying the FSC trademark. FSC operates through its network of National Initiatives in 35 countries. For more, visit www.fsc.org/en/about.

2. Where FSC is not being used, the standard to be adopted will be equivalent to standards required by the FSC.

3. Current GLA Environmental Policy states: [We will] purchase sustainably produced timber and timber products (such as joinery, fittings, furniture and veneers), specifying that products carry the Forestry Stewardships Council (FSC) Certificate. If that is not possible then specifying in orders and contracts that suppliers provide independently verified documentary evidence that their timber has been lawfully obtained from forests and plantations that are managed to sustain their biodiversity, productivity and vitality, and to prevent harm to other ecosystems and any indigenous people.

4. The Functional Bodies are Transport for London, London Development Agency, Metropolitan Police Authority and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.

Brian Baring, traditional PNG landowner, makes his point outside Alchemy Partners UK office

Customary PNG landowner asks the timber trade to source 'good' wood

Today, Brian Baring, of the Gingilang clan on the north coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG), delivered a giant letter to Alchemy Partners, asking them to stop daughter company Montague L Meyer from trashing PNG's rainforests for plywood. Logging in PNG is some of the worst on the planet, with virtually all industrial logging being illegal.

Customary Landowner Brian Baring says, "I have seen our forests destroyed by foreign companies. They do not respect us or our culture, or our sacred sites. They run over our food gardens with their machinery. They drive their trucks and bulldozers through our streams polluting it with oil and mud with no regard that people downstream drink from those streams. They take the trees they want and destroy many many more to get to the trees they want."

Read Brian's account of how illegal logging is destroying the Gingilang way of life

The magnificent Paradise Forest of PNG is home to wildlife such as the tree kangaroo and the largest butterfly on earth - the Queen Alexandra's birdwing, with a wing span of over 11 inches - as well as millions of indigenous people who depend on this forest for their livelihood and way of life. Yet logging companies are voraciously plundering the rainforest, and the country could be logged out in 15 years.

He continued "I am in Europe to bring the message of my people to companies like Alchemy Partners and Montague Meyer and ask them to stop buying products that are made from the forests of Papua New Guinea, stolen from our land and our people."

Last year a major Greenpeace investigation uncovered a criminal trail of illegally logged rainforest timber from the world's largest tropical island, which is 'laundered' through China before arriving on shop shelves in the UK. Since then many companies, like Wolseley Build Centers, have agreed to remove all Chinese tropical hardwood plywood from their stores, however Montague L Meyer continues to sell it into the UK market place. Recent microscopic analysis of timber sold by the company has confirmed that it is made of Bintangor and other tropical species.

Greenpeace launches Forest Rescue station in PNG

During his UK trip, Mr Baring and Greenpeace also met members of the Timber Trade Federation (1) who have suspended trade in plywood made from PNG's rainforests and discussed the sourcing of more environmentally and socially responsible products.

Belinda Fletcher, Greenpeace Campaigner said, "The Timber Trade Federation has recognized that sourcing from Papua New Guinea (PNG) is currently unacceptable. They are now looking at domestic Chinese alternatives that are not sourced from ancient forests. Montague Meyer is one of the pariahs of the UK trade who continue to source from PNG."

She continued "There are good alternatives. Buy timber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council - it's the best way to guarantee that timber has come from environmentally and socially responsible sources."

Greenpeace is calling for legislation to ban the import of illegal timber into the UK and Europe and to ensure that all timber imports are legal and from well managed forests.

Notes

(1) Attendees included representatives of the Timber Trade Federation, Caledonian Plywood, FEPCO, Premier Forest Products and Graeme Holburn.

Greenpeace blockades DEFRA in protest at illegal rainforest timber imports

Illegal timber 'a fact of life within the UK timber trade' says committee

MPs from across the political spectrum today called for urgent legislation banning imports of illegal timber into the UK. They say new laws are needed to protect the world's forests and warn that 'time is running out.'

The demand came in a report by the all party Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), which was evaluating progress on the issue since it completed an inquiry in 2002. The committee today stated that 'illegal timber is currently a fact of life within the UK timber trade.'

Greenpeace forests campaigner Pat Venditti said: "The MPs are absolutely right, without new laws to stop illegally logged timber flooding into the UK this country will continue to fuel the market in a trade that's catastrophic for the environment. The report sets down clear action the government must take in order to protect the worlds last forests. With green issues dominating party politics its now time to see how seriously Tony Blair takes this issue."

The Committee said it would like to see the current rules on timber procurement extended from central government to local authorities and other governmental bodies. The MPs also said there should be a requirement for government bodies to purchase only sustainable rather than just legal timber. Ministers should also continue to push for legislation in Europe, the report said.

For more contact the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255

Greenpeace activists at the entrance to the EU agriculture and development ministers meeting in Luxembourg on 24th October 2005

LUXEMBOURG: Greenpeace activists will today (24th October) send a clear message to EU agriculture and development ministers meeting in Luxembourg and Leeds (UK): that unless they prohibit illegal timber imports to the EU and support sustainable forest management globally, their efforts to stop illegal logging will not end rainforest destruction in the poorest regions of the world. Farm Ministers are due to reach a political agreement on voluntary measures to combat illegal logging and support forest governance reform in timber-producing countries [1].

Activists in Luxembourg have secured a banner at the entrance to the meeting reading 'Ban illegal timber'. At both meetings, they will also attempt to present political representatives with letters made of illegal timber from the world's last rainforests, which continues to flood onto European markets.

"Currently the EU is proposing voluntary measures to tackle illegal logging; this is like asking companies to voluntarily pay taxes. Legality should be a precondition for doing business not a vain wish," said Sebastien Risso of Greenpeace. "Efforts to clamp down on illegal logging will fail unless there are proper laws in place to stop the European demand for cheap timber products from illegal and destructive sources."

As a major market for tropical hardwood, the EU plays a key role in the international trade in illegal and destructively sourced timber. Yet, currently no laws in Europe allow authorities to seize shipments of illegally logged timber, nor hold importers and traders of illegal timber accountable, who remain free to profit from forest destruction.

The package of measures proposed by the Commission includes voluntary agreements between the EU and timber producing countries, which are aimed at improving governance and forest management on the ground and implementing a licensing scheme to ensure they only export legal timber to Europe. Negotiations are expected to begin next year with five "partner countries": Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Ghana, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Greenpeace has repeatedly drawn attention to the loopholes in the scheme, including the fact that the partnership agreements are purely voluntary; that illegal timber could still be exported from partner countries via third countries (such as China) for processing and enter the EU as 'laundered' timber; that it applies only to a limited range of timber products [2]; and that it will be built on existing licensing schemes which have been criticised as corrupt and ineffective.

The scheme also fails to consider sustainable forest management. Without strong safeguards and meaningful input from civil society and local communities in producer countries, negotiations could backfire and result in the laundering of illegally and destructively harvested timber through the established licensing system, Greenpeace warns.

To outline how legislation to stop the import of illegal timber could work, Greenpeace, FERN and WWF drafted model legislation in November 2004. Over 180 NGOs and 70 EU businesses, as well as the European Parliament, supported this call for legislation. To date, the European Commission has failed to deliver on a promise for legislative options.

"Europe must take responsibility for what it allows on the market. Without effective measures to guarantee sustainable trade and consumption, the last ancient forests on Earth will vanish," said Sebastien Risso.

In the last 10 days, Greenpeace has exposed a trail of rainforest timber to the EU supplied by companies known to be actively involved in illegal logging activities: from the Congo Basin to Italy, from Papua New Guinea via China to the UK, and from the Brazilian Amazon to Spain, where it has been used in the renovation of the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid [3].

More information
Contact Sebastien Risso, EU forests policy adviser, Greenpeace European Unit, tel: +32 (0)496 12 70 09, or e-mail sebastien.risso@diala.greenpeace.org.
Katharine Mill, media officer, Greenpeace European Unit, tel: tel +32 (0)2 274 1903, +32 (0)496 156 229

Editor's notes

1. The representatives are Margaret Beckett (UK Minister for DEFRA), the Chair of the Agricultural Minister's Meeting in Luxembourg, Hillary Benn (UK Minister for Development) Chair of the Development Minister's meeting in Leeds and Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development.The European Commission submitted an Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) in May 2003. It recommended the development of: Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) with producer countries, which are aimed at supporting governance reforms, providing capacity building and establishing a licensing system to ensure that only timber certified as legal will be exported from signatory countries to the EU. The development of further legislative options that could include legislation to prohibit the import of illegally logged timber products into Europe." The implementation of a green procurement policy which aims to ensure that public money is spent to purchase only timber products coming from legal and sustainable sources.


2. The licensing scheme will initially cover plywood, logs and sawn timber products. Where agreed with a partner country, the range of products could be extended to other product categories.


3. For more information on the UK action, please visit : www.saveordelete.com.
   
   See the new Greenpeace fact sheet: Lawless: how Europe's borders remain open to illegal timber"

Wolseley Builder Centre, Stoke-on-Trent

20th October 2005: One of the biggest builders' merchants in the UK has today pulled illegally logged rainforest timber from its shelves, and suspended all further supplies.

The move from Wolseley, who own over 200 Build Centers across the country, follows a major investigation by Greenpeace. The environment group tracked timber from the rainforests of Papua New Guinea to builders' merchants in the UK, via mills in China where the illegal timber was effectively 'laundered' and transformed into plywood.

The companies logging this timber are not only linked to environmental destruction, but also to serious human rights abuses, including torture and rape.

Pat Venditti, head of Greenpeace's forests campaign, said: "This is great news for the world's last rainforests, and for people across the world who depend on them.

"Wolseley's commitment shows that builders' merchants can easily avoid stocking illegally logged rainforests timber that is directly linked to human rights abuses.

"The Government must now ban this illegal trade, rather than leaving it up to individual companies to act."

The Wolseley Group is a leading supplier of building materials to the professional market. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Until today, Wolseley bought Chinese plywood from International Plywood. This account is believed to be worth £00,000 a month.

Yesterday, Greenpeace blockaded the Governments environment department in protest at the tonnes of illegal timber from the worlds last rainforests that continues to flood into the UK.

The logging industry in Papua New Guinea is dominated by Malaysian logging giant Rimbunan Hijau, a company that has been directly linked not only to environmental destruction, but also to human rights abuses including torture and rape. Illegally logged timber from Rimbunan Hijau, and other companies, can be found as plywood at Wolseley Build Centers and other builders' merchants throughout the UK.

China is by far the largest importer of rainforest destruction in the world. For every ten tropical logs shipped from the world's threatened rainforests, five are destined for China.

More information

Call the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

Download the Greenpeace report, Partners in Crime: The UK timber trade, Chinese sweatshops and Malaysian robber barons in Papua New Guinea's rainforests here (PDF format).

UK's leading garden centre exposed in rainforest scandal

Publication date: 24th March 2005

Summary
Our new research shows that Wyvale Garden Centres are among the worst offenders when it comes to using trashed rainforest timber in their garden products

Publication date: November 2004

Summary
In June 2004, Greenpeace published an initial report outlining how the Swiss-based Danzer Group had been knowingly financing illegal logging in Africa. Now we've obtained additional evidence of further unscrupulous behaviour - including suspected forgery and carrying out business dealings with an arms trafficker who is blacklisted by the UN Security Council.

Letting Glasgow know what's going on inside Kelvingrove

WORK ON THE National Lottery funded refurbishment of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, the most visited museum in the UK outside London, was today (6 September 2004) halted by almost 100 Greenpeace activists from the Forest Crime Unit exposing the use of rainforest timber in the project.

The timber being used at the gallery has come from the rainforests of South East Asia, where species such as the orang-utan are heading towards extinction due to the destruction of their habitat.

The activists entered the site at 8.00am and removed packs of the timber, which is being used for new flooring, and replaced it with timber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), guaranteed to be come from environmentally and socially responsible sources. At the same time, four Greenpeace climbers scaled the front of the museum and are planning to unfurl a banner reading 'National Lottery: Funding Rainforest Destruction'.

Greenpeace intends to deliver some of the rainforest flooring used in the building to Glasgow City Council, which has part-financed the refurbishment, as well as to the Department of Culture Media and Sport in London, which oversees the National Lottery.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum was awarded almost £3m by the National Lottery, some of which has been spent on merbau timber flooring. Merbau is sourced from the last rainforests of South East Asia and is at risk of extinction.

The company providing the timber, Junckers, have been unable to confirm the source of the timber they have used, stating that documentation regarding the source of the timber 'does not exist'.

Belinda Fletcher, Greenpeace forests campaigner, said: "The National Lottery should be using people's money to support good causes, not supporting the destruction of the world's last rainforests.

"It's outrageous that National Lottery projects like Kelvingrove continue to use rainforest timber during construction. If we don't want to confine the world's rainforests to history it's essential that all National Lottery funded projects in the UK insist on the use of FSC timber, like the timber that Greenpeace has brought here today."

Since 2000, Government departments have been expected to buy timber from legal and sustainable sources. Whilst Government ministers claim that they do issue guidance to Non-Departmental Public Bodies, like the National Lottery, to take sustainable development objectives into account, little effort has been made to translate these objectives into practice.

Other National Lottery funded projects that have used rainforest timber include:

• Cardiff Millennium Stadium: £0m National Lottery funding included money spent on uncertified timber decking sourced from Africa's Forest of the Great Apes, home to chimpanzees and gorillas. Illegal and destructive logging is the norm here.
• Kennet and Avon Canal: £5m National Lottery funding included money spent on lock gates made from Liberian rainforest timber. These forests are home to the forest elephant and the pygmy hippopotamus. The logging company supplying timber was also responsible for illegal arms smuggling into the country, fuelling civil war.

Greenpeace is today announcing that it's monitoring other National Lottery funded projects to ensure that timber used can be shown to come from legal and sustainable sources. The environmental group is calling on the National Lottery to immediately implement timber procurement guidelines for all the projects it funds. The projects being monitored include:

• Arnolfini, Bristol
• Town Hall, Birmingham
• The Deep, Hull
• City and County Museum, Lincoln
• National Centre for Childrens Books, Newcastle
• National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
• Playfair project, Edinburgh
• The Public, West Bromwich
• St Georges Hall, Liverpool
• Shoreditch Town Hall, London
• Wembley Stadium, London

ENDS