3M (Maplewood, Minn.) will now require suppliers to report the “forest sources” of the wood, paper and pulp sold to it, and will refuse to buy materials from threatened forests, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
As part of the new policy, 3M will no longer use the Sustainable Forestry Initiative certification program.
3M will also require loggers and other suppliers to receive permission from indigenous people before logging can start on traditional lands. The company announced the policy changes during a conference call last week.
“We are taking responsibility for making sure our pulp and paper suppliers meet the requirements of the policy and help them to raise their performance if necessary,” Jean Sweeney, vice president of 3M environmental, health, safety and sustainability operations, told the Star Tribune. “The hope is that this will have a ripple effect in driving positive change beyond 3M’s fiber supply, leading to widespread market demand for protection of forests and respect for workers’ and indigenous people’s rights.”
In response to 3M’s new policy, California-based ForestEthics, an environmental group that has organized protests against 3M, said it would cease its campaigns against the company.
“This is a huge shift for 3M and really drives 3M’s values through their entire supply chain. We have not seen that happen with any company like a 3M before. Ever,” ForestEthics Executive Director Todd Paglia told the Star Tribune.
3M already terminated a contract with Golden Eagle Group-owned suppliers because they practice logging in forests with high conservation value. The company also sent a warning to Canadian logging company Resolute Forest Products, which has been criticized for damaging old-growth forests and its poor record with indigenous people, according to MongaBay.com.
