Last week, local green groups reprimanded Ryman, the high street stationer, for its forged claims to go carbon neutral by March 2010. Attacking the hollowness of its green-credentials, they questioned the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for allowing Ryman to greenwash customers and go scot-free. If sullying 300,000 hectares of monoculture eucalyptus plantations in Brazil, by Suzano (supplies paper to Ryman), is green, deserting the rainforests is likely to earn greater repute to the paper merchant.
Suzano’s close ally, the Green Initiative, hopes to offset carbon emissions by planting 6.1 trees per ton of Report Carbon Neutral paper but still it is a two-year arrangement. What after that?
Anyhow, why does the FSC keep on certifying such big plantations without researching well in advance? FSC certification is clearly not adequate, especially when companies wish to cover up their activities. If FSC isn’t the authority to guarantee carbon-neutral claims of greenwashers, why does it exist then?
It’s ironical that Ryman bagged the top prize at the Stationery and Office Products awards in April.