Greenpeace activists display petition tree made of 'repurposed wood' at Resolute Forest Products' Montreal HQ; Greenpeace Quebec director says tree is signed by 60,000 people who are calling for company to become sustainability leader in forestry sector

Wendy Lisney

MONTREAL , May 22, 2014 (Targeted News Service) –  Greenpeace Canada issued the following news release:

This morning more than 60,000 people, symbolized by an enormous petition tree, called on the CEO of Resolute Forest Products to change his approach and work towards solutions. An 8 metre banner reads "60,000 citizens stand for forests: Mr. Garneau, will you be part of the solution?" The enormous work of art was lifted by Greenpeace activists on a scissor lift more than 30 feet in the air at Resolute's headquarters.

"On the eve of Resolute's Annual General Meeting, we're giving a voice to over 60 000 people asking for the multinational corporation to be part of the solution," said Nicolas Mainville, Director of Greenpeace Quebec. "Resolute has all the necessary tools to be a sustainability leader in the forestry sector and solutions are at hand."

The 15-foot work of art, created by the artist Belo and where all the 60,000 signatures are signed is composed of 1,700 pieces of repurposed wood. Today's action follows on from the "Stand For Forests" campaign launched at the beginning of the year to alert the public about their right to know what is happening in our public forests.

Greenpeace has identified to the north of Lac St-Jean an exceptional territory in need of conservation, the Montagnes Blanches, where Resolute is operating. The lack of protection has however led to Resolute losing FSC environmental certificates in this area, threatening at the same time their place in the international forestry market.

Faced with their difficulty in respecting FSC standards, it was announced this week that Resolute Forest Products filed a $400,000 lawsuit against its independent forestry auditor, Rainforest Alliance, to avoid the publication of a report which would have made them lose a fourth certificate, this time in Ontario. Resolute is also filing a $7 million lawsuit against Greenpeace Canada and two of its staff members, a move many have qualified as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP).

"The student who fails their exam should do their homework rather than sue their teacher," declared Mr. Mainville. "Greenpeace invites Resolute to work in collaboration rather than in confrontation and reaches out to the company in order to guarantee stability and prosperity for the forest regions."

TNS 24KuanRap-140523-30FurigayJane-4744467 30FurigayJane

(c) 2014 Targeted News Service

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.