Today, the world’s largest electronics retailer, Best Buy, announced that it will undertake important improvements to its paper supply chain to better protect Canada’s endangered Boreal Forest. A report launched by Greenpeace Canada two weeks ago revealed the company has been buying more than 100 million pounds of paper every year to produce throw-away flyers, from controversial Canadian pulp and paper company Resolute Forest Products — which has been linked to less-than-responsible operations in the Boreal.
Today, the world’s largest electronics retailer, Best Buy, announced that it will undertake important improvements to its paper supply chain to better protect Canada’s endangered Boreal Forest. A report launched by Greenpeace Canada two weeks ago revealed the company has been buying more than 100 million pounds of paper every year to produce throw-away flyers, from controversial Canadian pulp and paper company Resolute Forest Products — which has been linked to less-than-responsible operations in the Boreal.
“Best Buy is now taking important steps to support sustainable forestry,” said Dr. Amy Moas, Greenpeace’s Senior Forest Campaigner. “In just two weeks, 52,000 Greenpeace supporters have stepped up to ask Best Buy to pay closer attention to endangered forests and human rights. We now look forward to collaborating on their new procurement policy to make sure this happens.”
For its paper purchases from Canada, Best Buy will “meaningfully shift” part of its business away from Resolute Forest Products and now require the company to provide them with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper. FSC certification provides a guarantee to the public that forests are being responsibly managed, First Nations rights are respected and biodiversity is conserved; several of Resolute’s FSC certificates were suspended in 2014 for violating the rights of First Nations communities and disrupting caribou habitat.
Greenpeace, along with other NGOs such as Canopy, actively campaigns for a healthy Boreal Forest that can support communities and sustainable businesses. The ancient Boreal Forest contains an estimated 208 billion metric tons of carbon, 25 percent of the planet’s wetlands and iconic species such as caribou, wolverine and lynx. It is also home to a number of Indigenous communities. Canada recently emerged as the world’s worst country for loss of intact forests, largely in the Boreal Forest.
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Published Dec 9, 2014 4pm EST / 1pm PST / 9pm GMT / 10pm CET