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WWF - Latest News


World Wildlife Fund

EU countries add to illegal logging trade
22 07 2008

llegal logging contributes heavily to the destruction of biodiversity and the impoverishment of millions of people that depend on forests for food and income<br>© WWF-Canon / André Bärtschi

Deforestation, a major contributor to climate change, is still rampant globally and European Union countries are guilty of compounding the problem according to a new WWF report.

Almost one-fifth of wood imported into the European Union in 2006 came from illegal or suspected illegal sources, with Russia, Indonesia and China being the main sources according to the report - Illegal Wood for the European Market.

In 2006, the European Union imported approximately 30 million cubic metres of wood and related products from illegal origins, equivalent to the total amount of wood harvested in Poland in the same year.

In all, 23 per cent of wood-based products imported from eastern Europe originated from illegal or suspect sources, with 40 per cent from South East Asia, 30 per cent from Latin America and 35-55 per cent from Africa.

Major importers are Finland, UK, Germany and Italy and WWF is calling for strong European legislation to prevent illegal wood entering the EU markets.

“Illegal logging destroys the protective function of forests, increasing risk of natural disasters such as floods and landslides, and leads to deforestation, one of the main causes for climate change,” said Anke Schulmeister, WWF Forest Policy Officer.

“Illegal logging also pushes wood prices down resulting in major economic losses for states, industries and local communities. Strong measures are needed at EU level to protect the world’s remaining forests and our own future.”

The study highlights the ineffectiveness of the existing EU licensing scheme, Forest and Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). Even if all agreements currently being negotiated by the EU with partner countries under FLEGT were concluded about 90 per cent of the illegal wood would still enter the EU markets.

Furthermore, no such negotiations are planned with countries like Russia and China and many products manufactured from illegal wood such as furniture or paper are not covered by FLEGT regulation.

WWF is urging the introduction of EU legislation to guarantee that only legal wood is traded in the European market. Traders should prove the origin and legality of wood and penalties should be introduced for any violation.

The European Commission is expected to propose legislation on this issue in the coming months.

WWF looks to EXPO 2010 to launch World Estuary Alliance
21 07 2008

WWF signed a contract on July 15th 2008 to present at the 2010 World Expo being held in Shanghai. WWF will look to launch its World Estuary Alliance at this time, and seeks to raise awareness of the threats from climate change to cities built on estuaries.<br>© (C)WWF China/Zhang Yifei

WWF China will look to raise awareness of climate change and the negative impact it will have on ecosystems when it launches its World Estuary Alliance in two years at the World Expo being held in Shanghai.

The World Estuary Alliance aims at providing a platform for estuary cities, such as London, Rotterdam, and Shanghai, to exchange their experiences of climate change, and develop solutions for conservation & sustainable development

The WWF exhibit at the Expo �' entitled “River, Estuary & City” �' will take the form of a 324 square-meter pavilion and use a variety of interactive media to highlight WWF’s efforts to preserve estuaries, while illustrating how to prevent further deterioration at the river basin level, and guard against the effects of climate change.

“Exhibits, devices and shows at the pavilion will be fun and family-oriented, and highly educational”, said Dermot O’Gorman, Representative of WWF China’s Program Office.

The Shanghai 2010 World Expo is expected to attract 70 million visitors over the 6 months that it will run, with exhibits from 174 countries and 37 International Organisations. Organisers of the event, which is traditionally a platform for cultural exchanges and the introduction of innovative ideas, are describing the 2010 edition as “a great event to explore the full potential of urban life in the 21st century,” making WWF’s message particularly poignant.

“It is key that we convey to the people of Shanghai, and people around the world, that our current level of comfort is based on the natural fortifications provided by ecosystems ” said O’Gorman “we must learn not to take this for granted, and efforts must be made to protect the environment upon which our societies have been able to flourish.”

The Norwegian Crown Prince and Crown Princess support youth in the fight against global warming
17 07 2008

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (left) chats with one of the young voyagers<br>©

Eighteen young adults met the Norwegian Crown Prince and Crown Princess during a ten-day expedition called “Voyage for the Future” along the coast of Svalbard, an archipelago in the European High Arctic. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess painted their fingers green and took part in a global video movement to show their personal commitment to stop climate change.

The expedition was organized by WWF - the global conservation organization. It mixed field experience with science and communications training, and provided the participants with an opportunity to develop plans for global action on climate change. Lectures from eminent researchers covered climate change science and the global feedback effects associated with rising temperatures in the Arctic. Voyage participants are now stimulating broad public support to radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their nine countries (Norway, Sweden, Russia, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Japan, the USA and Canada).

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess showed great interest in the issue of climate change and discussed the problem and solutions with the young ambassadors. They joined the global video movement called “The Green Finger Project”. The concept, to paint your index finger green and write on your palm what you want to protect from global warming, is attracting growing attention as a means of making the voice of individuals heard. The Crown Prince wrote “Dignity” and the Crown Princess wrote “My kids”. The video is posted on YouTube. The Norwegian royal couple visited Svalbard on an Arctic expedition to learn about climate change, together with the Swedish and Danish heirs to the thrones in Scandinavia.

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