Putting an end to slavery means understanding the supply chain
Slavery still exists around the world today Unfortunately, slavery is not just a historical blight that modern-day ethics and awareness put an end to. Slavery, in the form of, among other things, human trafficking, servitude, forced labour, exploitation of workers, deceptive recruiting for labour and services, debt bondage and forced marriage exists in Australia and […]
Read MoreAre the timber and paper goods I buy destroying native forests?
“Legal Logging” is not the same as “Sustainable Logging” I recently wrote about illegal logging and the damage it does to forests, indigenous people, wildlife, and the world’s climate. Australia has passed a law (The Illegal Logging Prohibition Act) to try to stop the importation of illegally logged timber, or the processing of illegally logged […]
Read MoreWhy worry about the timber in my products?
I recently worked with a couple of national retailers that sell products made from, or containing, wood or paper. Both companies had determined that the risks to their businesses if they sold timber/paper products sourced from sensitive forests were unacceptable. Why should we care about forests? Forests are important to us locally and globally for […]
Read MoreIf your company imports wood-derived products it must have a due diligence system.
Who needs to develop a due diligence system under Australia’s new Illegal Logging Prohibition laws? Generally speaking, the law applies to individuals or companies that -import paper or products incorporating paper; -import logs, timber or products incorporating wood; or -process Australian harvested logs and it comes into force on 30 November 2014. The Illegal Logging […]
Read MoreProtecting native forests; importers of wood and paper products will face heavy compliance obligations from next year.
Importers of products made from timber, including paper and paper products need to start developing their due diligence and compliance programmes now or face up to 5 years imprisonment, up to hundreds of thousands of dollars fines or both, for importing illegally logged products and failing to comply with the Illegal Logging Act. By the […]
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