Forests

In Pictures: How an exotic tree species is threatening the Great Northern Forest and Indigenous People’s rights

Posted by Angela Glienicke - 22nd May 2018
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Brown bear in Swedish forest.
All rights reserved. Credit: © Günter Lenhardt

On the International Day of Biodiversity a new report by the Swedish Sami Association reveals how the Swedish forest industry endangers the biodiversity of the Swedish Boreal Forest by logging and planting of an invasive tree species, the Lodgepole pine. The transformation of an intact biodiverse forest to plantations… Read More

In Pictures: Massive deforestation linked to major consumer brands

Posted by Angela Glienicke - 2nd May 2018
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All rights reserved. Credit: © Ulet Ifansasti / Greenpeace

A new investigation by Greenpeace International reveals that a palm oil supplier to Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever is destroying rainforests in Papua, Indonesia. Satellite analysis suggests that around 4,000ha of rainforest were cleared in PT Megakarya Jaya Raya concession between May 2015 and April 2017 – an area almost half… Read More

Iceland ditches palm oil – what does it mean?

Posted by Alison Kirkman - 12th April 2018
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Nyaru Menteng Orangutan reintroduction project near Palanga Raya, Kalimantan/Borneo.

Palm oil. It’s in 50% of all packaged products in supermarkets. There’s no getting away from it. Or is there? Iceland became the first UK supermarket to ditch palm oil this week and the media was all over it. Why is this big news? Does palm oil… Read More

In Pictures: A Moment of Truth on International Day of Forests

Posted by Angela Glienicke - 21st March 2018
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One year-old male baby orangutan Jelapat plays on the tree at Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation in Nyaru Menteng, Central Kalimantan.
All rights reserved. Credit: © Bjorn Vaugn / BOSF / Greenpeace

Today is International Day of Forests, which raises awareness about the importance of all sorts of trees and woodlands. Our new report “Moment of Truth” shines a light on companies’ readiness to come clean about where their palm oil comes from and finds that brands are not on track to… Read More

Time is running out Carex – come clean about palm oil

Posted by Nick Monro aka Dikson - 19th March 2018
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A solitary rainforest tree remains standing in a recently planted palm oil plantation on former orangutan habitat inside the PT Karya Makmur Abadi Estate II palm oil concession. PT KMA II is a subsidiary of the Malaysian Kuala Lumpar Kepong Berhad (KLK) group.

Indonesia has more threatened and endangered species than any other country on Earth – largely due to the destruction of their habitats. The Bornean orangutan population has decreased by half since 1999 with over 100,000 lost in the last 16 years. In 2017, a… Read More

Forests, palm oil and the people: Silas’ story

Posted by Flo Stuart-Leach - 13th March 2018
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Silas, a determined Liberian activist fighting the Liberian government's illegal sale of forest land is the subject of a new documentary to be screened at London's Human Rights Watch Film Festival.

“It was about time ordinary Liberians took a stand on what was happening,” says Silas Siakor, a Liberian activist. But Silas himself is anything but ordinary. Silas the film follows him and the NGO he founded, Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), as they expose the government’s lucrative, illegal deals with palm oil… Read More