Enttarnt: Lobbyisten als NGO unterwegsStichwörter: Holzhandel Greenwash
Eine Mail in meiner Inbox hat mich heute verwirrt - für einige Augenblicke wenigstens. Da fordert eine NGO anlässlich des derzeit in New York stattfindenden 'UN Forum on Forests' den Holzhandelsboykott zu beenden?? Wenn dies auch nur in der Überschrift steht: derzeit gibt es keinen Boykott-Aufruf, auch wenn viele Gründe für einen solchen sprechen würden.
Alan Oxley, der als Vorsitzender der NGO genannt wird, ist für Szenenkenner allerdings kein Unbekannter. Der Australier war früher australischer Botschafter bei GATT und eine zeitlang als erster Australier auch Vorsitzender der Organisation.
Oxley hat sich später als Klimaskeptiker (einer der 'dirty dozen'-Gruppe) einen Namen gemacht
Oxley has been involved in almost every major initiative and lobbying effort of the climate skeptics brigade since climate change first came on to the public agenda in the early 1990s. He has successfully traded on his former ambassadorial status to convince Australia's "serious" media that his views are based on credible analysis.
kann man u.a. auf www.Sourcewatch.org nachlesen.
Waldaktivisten kennen Oxley als Chef des Beratungsunternehmens ITS Global, welches das 'Forestry and Development'-Projekt www.forestryanddevelopment.com auf den Weg gebracht hat. Eine Greenwashing-Operation, die von einem der übelsten asiatischen Waldvernichter, dem Konzern Ribunan Hijau finanziert wird, u.a um die Aktivitäten von Umweltorganisation zu diskreditieren.
Könnte es sein, dass das 'UN Forum on Forests' tatsächlich Maßnahmen gegen den ungebremsten Handel mit Raubbauhölzern diskutieren und vorschlagen wird und Oxley dem verbeugen will?
Global Trade Expert to UN: “End Timber Trade Ban”
NGO Prepares To Release New Economic Forestry Report At NYC ForumNEW YORK -- Today, World Growth -- a U.S.-based non-governmental organization -- called on the United Nations to urge Western governments to drop plans for trade bans on timber and forest products. Former Chairman of the GATT (the predecessor of the World Trade Organization) and current World Growth Chairman Alan Oxley delivered this entreaty as his group prepares to release a new report on “Forestry and Sustainability: Building the Foundations for Sustainability” at this week’s meeting of the UN Forum on Forests in New York.
“Right now, leaders in the U.S., Europe, and Australia are considering imposing trade bans on timber products, despite commitments to not enact trade restrictions by the same governments made just last month during the G20 summit,” explains Mr. Oxley. “Rather than serving as ‘green’ solutions, these trade restrictions would create red tape that increases poverty."
“As the global economy contracts, these measures would restrict exports from developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. World Growth’s new report determines these selective trade barriers to be economically and environmentally counterproductive. Moreover, the study demonstrates the many ways in which sustainable forestry practices in developing countries not only raise living standards, but also protect the environment.
“The justifications for these embargos that many environmental NGOs often cite simply aren’t worth their weight in … well, timber. Illegal logging is not causing major deforestation. In fact, the Food and Agricultural Organization has repeatedly pointed out that the principal drivers of deforestation are local communities clearing land to obtain fuel, produce food, and create space for settlements.”
Mr. Oxley concludes, “If their true goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while still enabling economic growth among the world’s poor, forest officials at this week’s U.N. forum should work to encourage sustainable forestry in developing countries.”
To schedule an interview with Mr. Oxley or to request an embargoed draft of World Growth’s new report, contact Trice Whitfield at +1-202-320-3965 or at media@worldgrowth.org.
World Growth is a free-market NGO which strongly believes that increased prosperity and growth is the key to eliminating poverty. The organization runs a Forestry and Poverty Project that advocates development of forestry in developing countries in a way that both protects the environment and delivers economic benefits to developing countries.
