According to the paper’s lead article on May 14, which reported on a new study released by the GCP, “rampant slashing and burning of tropical forests is second only to the energy sector as a source of greenhouse gases”, with the GCP’s Andrew Mitchell adding that there is “no incentive to poorer nations to stop burning the standing forests”.
In a letter published in the newspaper, TTF chief executive John White said: “Andrew Mitchell is right to say that commerce is part of the solution.
“If there were more demand for legal and sustainable timber around the world, there might be a real incentive to producers in developing countries to keep and manage their forests sustainably and so mitigate climate change.
“Our buyers often feel very alone when they approach mills in the tropics asking for timber from sustainably managed forests. We wish other big importing countries would join us.”
