Massive APP greenwash campaign is mostly hogwash

Massive APP greenwash campaign is mostly hogwash, finds new report

Clear cutting inside much advertised tiger sanctuary

The paper giant that owns New Zealand brand Cottonsoft – which has been red listed by environmental groups in a Kiwi shoppers’ guide to wildlife friendly toilet paper because of links to Indonesian deforestation – has been exposed for running a global greenwash campaign.

The Senepis Tiger Sanctuary – a prominent feature of the massive international advertising campaign of paper giant Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) – is being subject to clear cutting operations by one of the company’s wood suppliers, an investigation by WWF and partners finds.

“The truth behind APP’s Greenwash”, a new report released today by Sumatra-based NGO coalition Eyes on the Forest, estimates that APP, part of the Sinar Mas Group, has pulped more than two million hectares of Indonesia’s tropical forests since it started paper production there in 1984.

According to the report, APP’s continued clear-cutting of forests including elephant, tiger and orang-utan habitat and the immense climate change impacts of draining deep peats to establish high turnover plantations is completely contrary to the image of environmental responsibility it is pushing through front groups and media advertising.

“The truth behind APP’s Greenwash” details how the company made the same promise on moving to 100% plantation sourcing of timber for major pulp mills four times – missing self-imposed deadlines to stop using native forest timber in 2004, 2007 and 2009.

APP is now announcing it will meet its commitment on timber sourcing by 2015 – a deadline Eyes on the Forest says it expects APP to also miss.

Through field investigations in June and October 2011 and historical satellite image analysis up to June 2011, Eyes on the Forest found that the APP supplier, PT Ruas Utama Jaya has been clear cutting tropical forest inside the Senepis Tiger Sanctuary.

“This is clear proof that the global advertising claims of APP that it actively protects Sumatran tiger are highly exaggerated”, said Anwar Purwoto of WWF.

The investigation shows a tiger sanctuary reality vastly different from the picture being pushed to the world media and through various front groups by APP.

After apparently trying to halt a government-proposed Senepis National Park that would have protected tiger habitat targeted by APP for pulping, the company switched to advertising a leading role in creating the “Senepis Tiger Sanctuary” in 2006, according to “The truth behind APP’s greenwash”.

The report alleges a very minor additional APP conservation contribution for Sumatra’s critically endandgered tigers - some 86% of the sanctuary is located on the already-protected forests of a Forest Stewardship Council-certified logging concession held by unrelated company PT Diamond Raya Timber.

Now, according to the report, at least one APP supplier is engaged in clear cutting and drainage of the small areas that were APP’s only real contribution to the sanctuary.

“It’s appalling that APP is pulping even the small blocks of forest it had told the world it would protect as tiger habitat,” Hariansyah Usman of WALHI Riau said. “This report shows a different picture to this and other, much-touted APP “conservation projects”.

“We would like the Sinar Mas Group’s buyers and investors who read this report to realize how APP’s media campaigns are exploiting their lack of knowledge or inexperience about Indonesia and how they mislead their customers about the brutal reality on the ground.”

“APP is interested only in feeding its giant mills with as much tropical forest wood as possible, and hoping that customers and investors will continue to believe conservation commitments and advertisements which past experience shows to be unrealistic.”

In the Netherlands, APP’s print and television advertisements have been judged misleading to the public by the country’s Advertising Codes Commission. Many global buyers, including some of the biggest paper users in the world, have ceased purchasing from APP. However, APP sells office paper, paper-based packaging and other paper products and is increasingly expanding globally into tissue products like toilet paper, including the brand names Paseo and LIVI

“We urge global buyers and investors to no longer support Asia Pulp & Paper’s continuing shameless destruction of Indonesia’s tropical forests and the homes of Sumatra’s last surviving tigers,” says Muslim Rasyid of Jikalahari, NGOs network. “Join the growing list of other responsible companies that have cut all ties with SMG/APP.”

Earlier this year, an investigation by Greenpeace, the Green Party and WWF-New Zealand revealed that APP owned Cottonsoft was sourcing its toilet paper from rainforests in Indonesia.

Chris Howe, Executive Director of WWF-New Zealand, said: “Today’s report that highlights blatant greenwashing by APP should serve as a reminder to New Zealand companies that dealing with APP is bad for business. We urge all retailers to stop stocking Cottonsoft and other APP Products until the company commits to ending rainforest destruction.”

New Zealand retailers and consumers are encouraged to use the shoppers’ guide to wildlife friendly toilet paper available at http://www.wwf.org.nz/toilet_paper

Notes to Editors:
“The truth behind APP’s greenwash” is available at http://assets.panda.org/downloads/eof__14dec11__the_truth_behind_apps_greenwash_final.pdf
Photographs can be downloaded from https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1311793434/4f2603b5938219c1cee42f713165ab1f

The new report investigates many of APP’s misleading claims to cover environmentally damaging actions that include destruction of unique forest types, tiger, elephant and orangutan habitat and clearance of forests inside the APP-driven UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Although contrary to Indonesian laws and regulations, APP suppliers are clearing and draining deep peats, a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions calculations conducted for APP and used in its greenwash campaigns, however, do not count emissions from forest clearing and peat drainage – calculations suggest the carbon footprint of APP paper could be more than 500 times the APP consultant’s claim and 10 times the North America pulp and paper sector average.

Companies that have cut off business ties with APP include: Office Depot, Staples, Kraft, United Stationers, Target and Mattel (USA); Idisa Papel (Spain); Metro Group, KiK and Adidas (Germany); Woolworths, Metcash (Australia); Tesco, Sainsbury and Marks & Spencer (UK); Nestlé (Switzerland); Unilever (Netherlands); Ricoh and Fuji Xerox (Japan); Zhejiang Hotels Association (China); Gucci Group (Italy); Lego (Denmark); Leclerc (France). Many others have cancelled their contracts quietly or have committed to avoid buying from the company.

Eyes on the Forest (EoF) is a coalition of environmental NGOs in Riau, Sumatra: Jikalahari "Riau Forest Rescue Network," Walhi (Friends of the Earth) Riau Office and WWF-Indonesia, Riau Program. EoF has been monitoring the status of the remaining natural forests in Sumatra's Province of Riau and disseminating the information worldwide since 2004. More news on Eyes on the Forest, go to: http://www.eyesontheforest.or.id.

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