In 2003, the Danish Ministry of Environment publicised its Public Procurement Policy (offentlige indkøbspolitik) and principles on public purchase of tropical timber.
Now, one year later, most public purchasers in Denmark still know nothing about the procurement principles, the environmental NGO, Nepenthes, writes in a presse release.
Furthermore, 78 percent of the Danish municipalities have completely ignored them and continue business as usual. It is very likely, that purchased tropical timber originates from controversial sources (production that is either illegal or unsustainable) in third world countries.
This is the conclusion of a brand new survey of public procurement of timber for construction of harbours in Denmark, soon to be published by Nepenthes. The procurement principles suggest FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certificates as the only credible indicator to guarantee that the tropical timber originates from legal and sustainable sources.
– Apparently, the public procurement policy is not enough. Our survey demonstrates a need for a stronger legislative framework – a law, in where the public institutions are forced to consider the principles, when they buy tropical timber. As it is now, the taxpayers unwillingly and without knowing it participate in the destruction of the tropical forests, says Søren Dürr, president of Nepenthes.
The World Bank estimates that illegal logging amounts to 60-90 billion US dollar per year.
– Illegal logging originates not only from weak government control and lack of knowledge about sustainable forest management in the South. As an environmental organisation based in the North it is our responsibility to raise awareness about illegal logging on our own markets, too, states Søren Dürr.
Complementary to the Public Procurement Policy, the Danish government is negotiating bilateral agreements with several mayor timber-producing countries on stronger public monitoring of forest management.
Nepenthes concludes that it is not enough to get a declaration from the government about the origin of the timber in the respective country, when buying tropical timber. – The only way to be sure about the origin is to have an impartial third party. That is why we recommend the FSC certification scheme, argues Søren Dürr.
In 2002 and 2003, Nepenthes surveys demonstrated that most Danish garden furniture retailers did not provide any guarantee that the tropical timber originated from legal sources and not from rainforests that should have been conserved.
For further information please contact Søren Dürr. E-mail [email protected]
www.nepenthes.dk
