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 After a two-month campaign by Terra! and Rainforest Action Network and
pressure from fashion industry leaders, the US based luxury
packaging company PAK 2000 has announced that they will cut all
financial ties with their majority shareholder, Asia Pulp and Paper
(APP), by the end of 2009.
PAK2000 is a leading supplier of paper bags and packaging products to
fashion brands like Versace, Valentino, Prada and J.Crew, joint the
green side. PAK 2000 was controlled by the Indonesian paper giant Asia
Pulp and Paper (APP), one of the major actors of rainforests
destruction. PAK2000's move gives options to fashion companies seeking
to remove rainforest destruction from their supply chains.
"Indonesia is now the frontier of deforestation and climate change -
said Sergio Baffoni, of Terra! - such a devastation which is not
necessary." Indonesian rainforests are the second largest standing
rainforests left in the world and home to unique species like the
orangutan, Sumatran tiger and the Sun Bear. It's also a win for the
global climate.
Worldwide, the degradation and destruction of tropical rainforests is responsible for fifteen percent of all annual greenhouse emissions. The carbon emissions resulting from Indonesia's rapid deforestation account for around six percent of global emissions: more than the combined emissions from all the cars, planes, trucks, buses and trains in United States and have made Indonesia the world's third largest greenhouse gas emitter.
"Terra! congrautulates with Gucci Group, for its decision to join its effort to protect Indonesian and other endangered forests. Terra! and Rainforest Action Network (RAN) lanuched few months ago a campaign to stop rainforest destruction, urging the fashion world to more closely examine their paper supply chains and to sever any connection with paper suppliers like Asia Pulp and Paper who are actively destroying Indonesia's rainforests.
"We're all thinking about our global footprints these days - said Kate Dillon, a leading fashion model - PAK 2000's actions will make it easier for fashion companies to source environmentally responsible paper and provide one tangible step down the path of environmental leadership."
PAK 2000's commitments puts them in line with a growing trend embraced by companies like Tiffany's & Co., H&M Group, Gucci Group, and Ferragamo, all of whom have announced commitments to end their relationship with controversial suppliers, including APP, and to source recycled paper or paper that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. As part of its new procurement policy, PAK 2000 has committed to phasing out all controversial and high conservation value forest fiber from its paper products within 180 days. The company has also pledged to develop and implement a “leadership” paper policy that incorporates strong preferences for recycled and Forest Stewardship Council certified papers, transparency and less carbon intensive papers.  |
