ENVIRONMENT - LOOKING GLASS NEWS | |
US tries to sink forests plan |
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by Paul Brown and Roger Harrabin The Guardian Entered into the database on Wednesday, March 16th, 2005 @ 23:39:17 MST |
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The British initiative was prompted by Indonesia, which said corruption there
was so rampant that the authorities did not have the power to tackle the supply
of timber by criminal gangs. Indonesian government ministers urged rich nations
to reduce demand for illegal supplies by requiring proper certificates showing
wood had come from properly managed forests. But industry lobbyists in the US have resisted moves to certify timber. A US
state department memo leaked to the BBC's Newsnight shows that the US will refuse
to sign up to the Benn initiative. The state department head of forest policy, Stephanie Caswell, drafted a strategy
in January designed to scupper the Benn plan, an "Input to strategy paper
for G8 environment and development ministerial". Under what she described
as "watch out items" is timber procurement. She said that "new
import regulations/restrictions are unacceptable. We do not support issuance
of 'action plan' by ministers. It should not be highlighted." The paper
adds that the "US will work with Canada to hold back procurement actions
and with Russia and Japan to dissuade them from supporting UK". A state department spokesman confirmed that the paper was genuine, but said
it was never formally accepted as US strategy. He confirmed that the US had
reservations over proposals for new rules on timber procurement in America,
but insisted that in this week's negotiations the US would allow other G8 partners
to decide whether to support Mr Benn's scheme. He said the US "might have had some discussions with Japan on the fringes
of meetings about the issue" in G8 preparatory meetings, but said the Japanese
would make up their own minds. Europe is strongly backing Mr Benn's initiative, and the US tactics drew a
furious response from rainforest campaigners. Faith Doherty of the Environmental
Investigation Agency in the UK said: "This is outrageous. US business simply
doesn't want any restrictions on its own practices." Japan's foreign ministry told Newsnight that its position was much closer to
the UK than to the US. It is understood that Russia is also lining up with the
Europeans. Agus Setyarso, an Indonesian expert on forests who works with Mr Benn's department,
said the Indonesian government could not contain the organised crime rings carrying
out the illegal logging without help. "The problem cannot be attacked from
within the country, but from the market side. What we are asking from developed
countries is twofold. One is to stop buying illegal timber from producer countries.
The second is to help us in bringing back the systems in our country in such
a way that the market and the law enforcement can be back to normal." A department spokesman said it did not comment on leaked memos, and that negotiations
over the statement for the end of the G8 meeting were continuing. Privately,
however, officials were said to be angry at the US's refusal to join international
efforts. Other observers feel the state department's position is driven by free-market
ideology. Forest campaigners say the US position is a serious blow, because
if all the G8 nations signed up to the Benn plan it would guarantee that a substantial
proportion of world timber was properly produced and send a clear signal to
companies and exporting nations about the direction of future policy. In an echo of the debate over climate change, the US is sceptical about G8
timber policies because China is a huge importer of stolen timber. Campaigners
say China is unlikely to change unless rich countries put their house in order.
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