Greenpeace campaigners have staged a high-profile demonstration at government offices in London to protest against the UK’s trade in “illegal” Chinese plywood.
Two Greenpeace activists chained themselves to a tonne of plywood at the entrance to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, while a banner reading “Ban Illegal Timber” was unfurled on the offices.
The protest coincided with the release of a Greenpeace report which alleges that illegally logged rainforest timber from Papua New Guinea is being processed in China and then exported to Britain in plywood.
A number of UK traders are named in the report as either importing or stocking Chinese plywood which allegedly contains illegally sourced wood.
TTF chief executive John White said: ” The TTF wholly condemns illegal logging and activities that support it. We have asked Greenpeace for details of the allegations and will take appropriate action.”
