Rainforest Solutions Project

Promoting conservation and economic alternatives in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest

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Green’ forest products gain: poll: Greenpeace claims victory

March 11, 2003

(Vancouver, BC) – Environmental groups are pointing to a consulting firm’s report that use of so-called “green” forest products is on the upswing as evidence their years of lobbying have paid off.

The report, based on discussions with 30 major customers, concludes there has been a move toward purchasing environmentally friendly B.C. wood products.

The conclusions were contained in the report, “A Greenward Shift in the Market for Forest Products from British Columbia,” prepared by IBM Business Consulting Services.

“The findings of the IBM report are positive in that it shows the greenward shift that we’ve been talking about is in fact real,” Greenpeace spokesman Gavin Edwards said yesterday.

“Here we have a well-respected, independent audit and survey of that trend which shows the trend is real and here to stay.”

The report was commissioned by the Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society, a Vancouver-based organization.

Among the companies surveyed were Home Depot Inc., Tribune Co., BBC Worldwide and Mitsui Home Co. Ltd., a major Japanese home builder.

The findings come after years of publicity, including boycott campaigns, aimed at getting major buyers to avoid products from old-growth forests or large-scale clearcuts.

The report’s authors, however, point out that the survey was small and indicated only a trend.