Posted on December, 07 2004

Jakarta, Indonesia - WWF welcomes the recent Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) announcement that its new pulp mill in Hainan will not accept wood from old-growth forests or tropical forests that have high conservation value. WWF is also pleased to learn that APP is putting this pledge into practice by canceling orders of wood chips from Tasmania and southern Australia.      
 
WWF encourages other companies to rid their supply chains of wood from environmentally-harmful operations. Responsible paper companies should reject all pulp sourced from high conservation value forests or from plantations that replace such forests. 
  
APP vowed to commission an independent review of allegations concerning its operations in Yunnan. WWF calls on APP to ensure the review is truly independent, transparent, and to respect the findings. 
 
In Indonesia, APP has promised to protect high conservation value forests identified within four of its concessions in Riau, Sumatra. This involves setting aside these forests and maintaining or enhancing the social-cultural, biodiversity, ecological, and economic values of these forests. APP has committed to use independent auditors to verify these protection efforts.

WWF recommends that APP do the same in its forest operations around the globe, and commends this approach to other pulp plantation companies.

For further information:
Rod Taylor
Asia Pacific Forest Coordinator
WWF International
Mobile: +62 811 387 308
Email: rodtaylor@wallacea.wwf.or.id

Kate Fuller
Asia Pacific Forest Communications
WWF International
Tel: + 62 81 238 28011
E-mail: kfuller@wallacea.wwf.or.id