Cottonsoft Welcomes New Forest Protection Policies

Media Statement 15 May 2012

Cottonsoft Welcomes New Forest Protection Policies

Tissue and toilet paper manufacturer Cottonsoft has welcomed a raft of new sustainability measures by its Indonesia-based supplier Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP). APP’s new forest protection policies include a commitment to suspend the clearing of natural forest on its own pulpwood concessions in Indonesia, and build on the work done over the past decade to implement a broad-ranging sustainability strategy to protect critical aspects of Indonesia’s natural resources, high conservation areas and biodiversity.

In what APP calls the ‘next natural evolution’ of its sustainability strategy, the Group is moving to adopt the internationally recognised standards for High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF).

High conservation value (HCV) areas are defined as natural habitats where inherent conservation values (such as the presence of rare or endemic species, sacred sites, or resources harvested by local residents) are considered to be of outstanding significance or critical importance.

Steve Nicholson, CEO of Cottonsoft, says, “We welcome the introduction of these new forest protection policies by APP and believe they represent a significant step forward for sustainability in commercial enterprise in the Asia Pacific region. We are pleased to note also that Cottonsoft in New Zealand has made advances in terms of sustainability; our products are sourced from standard pulpwood plantation species and from legal, sustainable sources.”

All Cottonsoft retail products are certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), confirming that they contain no controversial fibre.

Mr Nicholson says, “This commitment by APP to adopting the internationally accepted HCVF standard is a landmark decision and a significant step towards safeguarding critical aspects of Indonesia’s HCVF areas and biodiversity. It’s also an evolution towards a more broadly embraced international standard for forest management.”

ends

© Scoop Media