The agreement came about as the direct result of a global
campaign led by Greenpeace, the Natural Resources Defence Council,
the Sierra Club, Rainforest Action Network, and ForestEthics. This
coalition of environmental organizations targeted customers of the
British Columbia logging industry in a successful effort to
transform the wood product market and stem the tide of wood from
ancient rainforests.
“Through a concentrated consumer campaign, Greenpeace was able
to push the forest industry both toward a more sustainable approach
to logging, and to protect the most environmentally sensitive areas
in this endangered ecosystem” said Scott Paul, Greenpeace Forests
Campaigner. “This goes to show you that when consumers get behind
an issue, they can force a company to preserve the
environment.”
Protests have been carried out by Greenpeace in the United
States, Canada, Europe, China, and Japan that included blockading
wood shipments and protesting at embassies, retail outlets and
lumber yards. The aim of these direct confrontations was to
persuade investors and customers to demand an end to the
destruction.
Last May, Interfor and West Fraser walked away from landmark
negotiations over a potential moratorium on logging in pristine,
ecologically important areas of the Great Bear Rainforest.
Greenpeace then embarked on a global campaign to bring them back to
the table. This rainforest is home to thousands of species of
plants, birds and animals, including the rare Kermode bear, or
“spirit” bear, wolves, bald eagles, and endangered salmon runs.
“This is a great leap forward in securing the future of Canada’s
rainforest,” said Tamara Stark, Greenpeace Canada’s forest campaign
coordinator in Vancouver. “With the endorsement of the British
Columbia Government, we have confidence that there is hope for the
rainforests of the Pacific Northwest.”
