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Montreal Press Conference, January 29,
2003
New York Press Briefing, March 10, 2003
Resource UK Article,
Jan/Feb 2003 (PDF)
MONTREAL PRESS CONFERENCE,
January 29, 2003
ENVIRONMENTALISTS RELEASE COMMON
VISION
FOR TRANSFORMING PAPER INDUSTRY
Groups Lay Out Path to Environmental and Social Sustainability
MONTREAL 29/1/03 - A diverse group of environmental organizations
joined together at the annual Canadian Pulp and Paper Conference
today to release a common vision urging the paper industry to abandon
its destructive 20th century environmental practices and adopt environmentally
responsible alternatives for the 21st century.
The Common Vision emerged from the NGO Paper Summit, an unprecedented
gathering of over fifty environmental groups working on paper, toxics
and forestry issues. The Paper Summit was the first time that such
a large and diverse group had come together on this issue. By sharing
information about impacts and approaches, and by articulating action
priorities, the groundwork has been laid for increasing coordination
among campaigns in the future.
The virgin-timber based pulp and paper industry is the single largest
industrial consumer of forests worldwide, the largest industrial
consumer of freshwater and largest generator of polluted wastewater.
The industry is the third largest industrial generator of greenhouse
gases and the fourth largest consumer of fossil fuels.
The Common Vision sends a unified message to paper producers and
consumers of environmentalists' highest priorities for reducing
damage to the Earth:
- eliminate excessive and unnecessary paper consumption,
- end the use of fiber that threatens endangered forests,
- maximize post-consumer recycled fiber content in all paper and
paper products,
- eliminate harmful pulp and paper mill discharges and the use
of chlorine and chlorine compounds,
- end the clearing of natural forest ecosystems and their conversion
into plantations.
"The consensus vision released today marks an unprecedented coming
together of major environmental organisations across North America.
Our organisations will be working with progressive corporations
to implement this vision, and singling for further scrutiny those
companies who are not interested in change," said Greenpeace Canada's
Gavin Edwards.
A number of Fortune 500 companies have already instituted policies
that insist on more recycled and sustainably-harvested content in
their paper. Recently, office supply giant Staples Inc, announced
a landmark environmental policy in November 2002, which other office
supply leaders including Office Depot and Office Max are now scrambling
to meet or exceed. In its policy, Staples agrees to increase the
overall post-consumer recycled content and to stop sourcing paper
from endangered forests.
"In Canada, book publishers have already printed more than two
million books on paper which is free of endangered forest fiber.
Forward looking companies in Canada and around the globe are already
implementing the pathway outlined in this paper vision," said Nicole
Rycroft, Campaigns Director for Markets Initiative.
Members of the Common Paper Vision Coalition Include: Center for
a New American Dream, Co-op America, Conservatree, Dogwood Alliance,
Environmental Defense, ForestEthics, Greenpeace, Markets Initiative,
Natural Resources Defense Council, Recycled Products Purchasing
Cooperative/Green Press Initiative
###
NEW YORK
PRESS BRIEFING, March 10, 2003
COMMON VISION FOR TRANSFORMING
PAPER INDUSTRY GAINS MOMENTUM
Over Fifty Environmental Groups Have Signed Document;
Pledge to Coordinate Efforts
(10 March, 2003 - New York) As leaders from the paper
industry gathered for the annual Paper Week meetings in New York
City, environmentalists announced that they are uniting around a
Common Vision for transforming paper production and consumption.
The Common Vision, first presented at the Canadian
Pulp and Paper Conference in Montreal last month, emerged from the
NGO Paper Summit in November 2002, an unprecedented gathering of
over fifty environmental groups working on paper, toxics and forestry
issues. By articulating action priorities and sharing information
about their work, they laid the groundwork for increasing alignment
and coordination of campaigns in the future.
The Common Vision sends a unified message to paper
producers and consumers about the highest priorities for reducing
damage to the Earth:
- eliminate excessive and unnecessary paper consumption,
- end the use of fiber that threatens endangered forests,
- maximize post-consumer recycled fiber content in all paper and
paper products,
- source any remaining virgin fiber from independent third party-certified
forest managers that employ the most environmentally responsible
practices (currently, the Forest Stewardship Council is the certification
program that comes closest to meeting this standard),
- eliminate harmful pulp and paper mill discharges and the use
of chlorine and chlorine compounds,
- end the clearing of natural forest ecosystems and their conversion
into plantations.
Since the Summit, a total of 57 environmental groups
have signed onto the Common Vision, and agreed to further its goals
in their work.
''The Common Vision represents a new level of cooperation
among major environmental organizations across North America," said
Susan Kinsella, executive director of Conservatree. "Despite having
many different approaches to encouraging change, environmental groups
are united in the goal of achieving environmentally sustainable
paper production and use."
A number of Fortune 500 companies have already instituted
policies that insist on more recycled content and no fiber from
the worldÕs endangered forests in their paper. Office supply giant,
Staples Inc, announced a landmark environmental policy in November
2002, which other office supply leaders including Office Depot and
Office Max are being challenged to meet or exceed. In its policy,
Staples made a commitment to phase out paper products originating
from endangered forests and dramatically increase their sale of
recycled paper products.
"Staples and other forward-looking Fortune 500 companies
are already beginning to implement the solutions outlined in the
Common Vision, challenging some of the worldÕs largest paper producers
to clean up their act," said Sarah Hodgdon, executive director of
Dogwood Alliance. "The Common Vision will bring new energy and alignment
to the work citizens and environmental groups across the Southern
United States and throughout North America have been doing for years
to move the pulp and paper industry toward more sustainable practices."
Signatories of the Common Vision share the goal of
reducing the heavy costs to the Earth of paper production and consumption.
In the United States, the pulp and paper industry is the largest
user (per ton of product) of industrial process water, and ranks
third among manufacturing industries in both energy consumption
and greenhouse gas emissions. It also ranks third among industrial
sectors in emissions of Toxics Release Inventory chemicals to air,
and fourth in discharges of such chemicals to surface water. And
paper products make up the largest portion (31%) of discarded municipal
solid waste.
''The world simply cannot tolerate another 100 years
of ecologically destructive business as usual in the paper industry.
The Vision Document is a roadmap for the future; it is based on
ecologically necessary and commercially proven practices and technologies,"
said Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, senior scientist at Natural Resources
Defense Council. ''Making the technical shifts outlined in the Vision
document will undoubtedly involve many challenges. Consequently,
along with this Vision document we are also issuing a plea to collaborate,
recognizing that in order to overcome these challenges the industry
will need help from the environmental community.''
Members of the Common Vision Paper Coalition include
the Center for a New American Dream, Co-op America, Conservatree,
Dogwood Alliance, Environmental Defense, ForestEthics, Greenpeace,
the Markets Initiative, Natural Resources Defense Council, Reach
for Unbleached, and the Recycled Products Purchasing Cooperative/Green
Press Initiative.
Representatives of several of these organizations
will be at Paper Week to talk more about the Common Vision document.
Their presentation will take place on Monday, March 10 at 5:00 p.m.
at the Metropolitan Hotel, 569 Lexington Avenue, Mezzanine Level,
Verrazano Room III.
* * *
Additional quotes:
''As an organization working with thousands of paper
purchasers across the country, the Center for a New American Dream
is thrilled finally to see agreement among all of the major environmental
groups about what constitutes an environmentally preferable paper.
This definition will eliminate confusion among purchasers, lead
to rapid increases in sustainable paper purchases, and help protect
human health and the environment.'' -- Scot Case, Director of
Procurement Strategies, Center for a New American Dream
''The Common Vision sends a strong message that environmentalists
are united in developing the market for environmentally preferable
papers. Paper producers, purchasers, and environmentalists all have
a role in making this Vision a reality. By eliminating unnecessary
paper consumption, maximizing recycled content, and sourcing virgin
fiber responsibly, we can help protect forests and wildlife, conserve
energy and natural resources, and minimize waste and pollution.''
-- Victoria Mills, Project Manager, Environmental Defense
''Over 25 U.S. book publishers have recently committed
to implement production policies that will protect ancient forests
and support markets for recycled paper. These are innovative companies
that are helping to reform their industry. '' --Tyson Miller,
Program Director, Green Press Initiative
''In Canada, book publishers have already printed
more than two million books on paper that is free of endangered
forest fiber. Forward-looking companies in Canada and around the
globe are already starting down the pathway outlined in the Common
Vision.'' -- Nicole Rycroft, Campaigns Director, The Markets
Initiative
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