GREENPEACE CALLS ON LEADING FOREST PRODUCTS COMPANIES TO END THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN ANCIENT FOREST DESTRUCTION

4 October 1999

AMSTERDAM -- Greenpeace today called on wood product consumers to end their role in ancient forest destruction by not purchasing from companies involved in destructive logging in ancient forests. Greenpeace launched a global report, 'Buying Destruction: a Greenpeace report for corporate consumers of forest products', naming more than 150 companies producing or trading in forest products coming from ancient forests.

"Greenpeace is calling all the companies using wood and paper products to find out where their wood comes from and to end their role in ancient forest destruction," said Greenpeace forest campaigner Patrick Anderson. "Now that we have compiled this information we believe that corporate consumers have the choice to take positive steps which can make a real difference to the survival of ancient forests," said Anderson.

The Greenpeace report profiles major logging and wood trading companies active in the ancient forests of Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, Chile, Canada, Russia, Cameroon, Gabon, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Ancient forests, which have been shaped largely by natural events and have been little impacted by human activities, are rapidly disappearing due, in large part, to logging activities. Ancient forests are some of the planet's richest areas in biological and cultural diversity and are the last refuges for many endangered species of plants and animals.

"The companies profiled in this report represent only a fraction of the companies operating in these regions," said Anderson, "but together they log more than one quarter of the total roundwood produced there annually. They have access to a total forest area of well over 80 million hectares - that's an area around three times the size of the United Kingdom."

Of the top 20 companies profiled, seven are Canadian-owned, four fully or part-owned by Malaysia, three by France and two by the US. Note to the editors: The report is being released today in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Guyana, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K. The report will be released in the coming weeks in Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador, France, Indonesia, Japan, Peru, Russia, Suriname and the USA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Patrick Anderson, Campaigner, Greenpeace International, +31 20 523 6222
- Gina Sanchez, Press Officer, Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 20 524 9547

Please visit www.greenpeace.org/~forests/reports/buydestad.html for further information on the report and backgraound papers.

The report is being released today in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Guyana, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K.. The report will be released in the coming weeks in Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador, France, Indonesia, Japan, Peru, Russia, Suriname and the USA.