It isn't only Kimberly-Clark causing the destruction of the Boreal Forest. Other companies are fueling this destruction -- but all need to step up and take action to protect the forest, not just hide their heads in the sand.
On Friday morning, the Greenpeace Ship Artic Sunrise began a blockade of the freighter Jaeger Arrow in Quebec’s Saguenay River, preventing the export of thousands of tonnes of pulp to Europe. The pulp, manufactured by SFK Pulp from destructive logging in Canada’s Boreal Forest, is destined for paper giant Stora Enso in Germany and France. Courageous Greenpeace activists are preventing the freighter from departing. They are risking arrest and injury to stop the export of Boreal forest destruction.
Canada’s Boreal Forest is one of the most important forests left on the planet. But instead of being protected and managed responsibly, it’s being clearcut and shipped off to Europe and the U.S. to make newspapers, books, and magazines. Quebec exported forest products worth $684 million to Europe and $10 billion to the USA in 2005. In the same year, Ontario exported $8 billion to the USA and $92 million to Europe.
SFK Pulp produces 375,000 tonnes of pulp each year. Much of this is shipped to Europe and the United States to manufacture many different kinds of paper. The bulk of the wood used by SFK to make their pulp is supplied by logging company Abitibi-Consolidated, with additional supply coming from logging company Bowater. These companies were recently exposed as destroying intact forest areas and caribou habitat in Ontario and Quebec in Greenpeace’ Chain of Destruction report.
Since the governments of Ontario and Quebec and the logging companies have failed to protect this globally important forest, we’re taking our battle to the international markets. And we’re drawing on our extensive experience mobilizing the marketplace to help protect the Great Bear Rainforest. We know that when customers demand change and threaten to move their business elsewhere, suppliers – the logging companies - change their ways.
One of these big customers is forest products giant Stora Enso. Stora Enso uses pulp from SFK to manufacture magazines sold throughout Europe. Greenpeace wants Stora Enso and other large corporate customers to help protect the Boreal Forest. These customers can make change by demanding “greener��? products from logging and pulp companies and ending their financial support of destructive logging operations.
Support the activists taking direct action for the Boreal Forest – Send a message to SFK Pulp.
Download a copy of the Chain of Destruction report (pdf 11 megs)
