WWF Accused of Failing to Regulate Sustainable Timber Scheme (& Tolerating Habitat Destruction)

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Investigative group claims that members of group's Global forest and trade network are involved in 'highly destructive activities'

John Vidal, environment editor Monday July 25 2011

Conservation group WWF let timber companies use its panda brand logo while they were razing some of the world's most biologically rich rainforests or trading in potentially illegally sourced timber, according to the investigative group Global Witness.

The WWF's flagship Global forest and trade network (Gftn), which is part-subsidised by the US government and EU, promotes sustainable timber, bringing together more than 70 international logging companies and large numbers of timber sellers. The WWF says the 20-year-old scheme is now responsible for nearly 19% of forest products bought or sold internationally, with members' combined annual sales approaching $70bn (£43bn).

However, Global Witness's report, Pandering to the Loggers, claims Gftn's membership and participation rules are inadequate, allowing companies to systematically abuse the scheme.

"There are few minimum standards required for companies joining Gftn," says the report. "Meaning even companies involved in highly destructive activities, such as clearing natural forests to make way for plantations or buying wood products from illegal sources can join and benefit." WWF rejects that.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/25/wwf-accused-sustainable-timber-scheme

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(For anyone who still might not know, WWF is the acronym for World Wildlife Fund, not the World Wrestling Federation.)

WWF partnering with companies that destroy rainforests, threaten endangered species
Jeremy Hance | mongabay.com
July 25, 2011


Screenshot of WWF website.

Arguably the globe's most well-known conservation organization, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), has been facilitating illegal logging, vast deforestation, and human rights abuses by pairing up with notorious logging companies in a flagging effort to convert them to greener practices, alleges a new report by Global Witness. Through its program, the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN), WWF has become entangled with some dubious companies, including one that is imperiling orangutans in Borneo and another which has been accused of human rights abuses in the Congo rainforest. Even with such infractions, these companies are still able to tout connections to WWF and use its popular panda logo. The Global Witness report, entitled Pandering to the Loggers, calls for WWF to make large-scale changes in order to save the credibility of its corporate program.

WWF's 20-year-old Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) is an effort to support the trade of legal and sustainable timber products by molding the global market 'into a positive force to save the world’s most valuable and threatened forests'. The program seeks to work with companies to end unsustainable practices—including illegal logging—within 5 years of joining. In all GFTN works with nearly 300 companies, 75 of which are loggers, to achieve better practices in the forestry and wood products industries. Yet the new report by Global Witness argues that GFTN is failing in its efforts to clean-up dirty companies, allowing some corporations to abuse their connections with the conservation giant.

"When a landmark scheme created in the name of sustainability and conservation tolerates one of its member companies destroying orangutan habitat, something is going seriously wrong," says Tom Picken, Forest Campaign Leader at Global Witness, in a press release.

Global Witness points to three case studies that they say illustrate overall problems with WWF's GFTN program.

Full article: http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0724-hance_wwf_gftn.html


Extent of Deforestation in Borneo 1950-2005,
Projection to 2020.

[Ter]

1. I so thought this was a wrestling thread

I misread "Habitat Destruction" to say "Habit Distraction", as in steroids. :)

[LeftyMom]

2. Oh good, it wasn't just me. nt

[Ter]

3. I also misread "Sustainable" for "Substance"

As in substance abuse, i.e. steroids. :)

[awoke_in_2003]

4. I am showing my age...

but I saw "WWF" and thought "World Wrestling Federation". Either way, K&R

[Lorien]

5. So the oceans, which provide 65% of our oxygen, are being killed off. What do we

do? Allow the rainforests which provide the remaining 35% to disappear...all in the name of insatiable greed.