Domtar Deal, Deforestation and Abuses: Whose Side are Banks On?

by Luisa Colasimone | Nov 25, 2021 | Responsible Virgin Fibre, Social Responsibilty

Last July, Andrea Paul received a letter containing a drawing of an Indigenous person and a Black person hanging from a tree. The caption said, “This is what I think of Natives and Blacks. You think you rule the world.” Miss Paul is the traditional Chief...

Pulp mill in Sumatra connected to fires and respiratory illness plans to triple production

by Sergio Baffoni | Aug 24, 2021 | Media Release, Responsible Virgin Fibre

For Immediate Release Palembang – Today, over 30 civil society organisations sent a letter to investors of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), part of the Sinar Mas Group, explaining why the expansion of APP’s OKI Pulp and Paper Mill in Sumatra, Indonesia would risk...

Walking for forests: local communities’ weeks long march to protest their land destruction

by Sergio Baffoni | Aug 4, 2021 | Responsible Virgin Fibre, Social Responsibilty

Togu Simorangkir lives in North Sumatra. A postgraduate from Oxford University, he is an author and environmental activist. Over the past weeks, he marched for 42 days, walking with friends across Sumatra for approximately 1500 km, and reaching Jakarta a few days ago....

Indonesian paper giant APP takes over North American Domtar, putting the company’s credibility at risk

by Sergio Baffoni | Jul 29, 2021 | Media Release, Responsible Virgin Fibre, Social Responsibilty, Transparency and Integrity

For the pulp and paper industry, it is the take-over of the decade. Domtar shareholders decided today to sell their shares to Paper Excellence and delivered the major North American uncoated freesheet paper producer (with 21 manufacturing facilities around the world,...

Activists protest first eucalyptus shipment from Mozambique to Portugal and ask World Bank to stop funding ‘afforestation’/operating company

by Environmental Paper Network | Jul 14, 2021 | Reduce Greenhouse Gases, Responsible Virgin Fibre, Social Responsibilty

Conversion of forests and land to plantations doesn’t solve climate change The first delivery of eucalyptus trees to Aveiro in Portugal from the port of Beira in Mozambique has been received with strong criticism by Mozambican and Portuguese groups and two...

New violence by an Asia Pulp and Paper controlled company against indigenous women in Sumatra

by Sergio Baffoni | Jun 3, 2021 | Responsible Virgin Fibre, Social Responsibilty

What started as a normal, quiet day in the country village of Suluk Bongkal (in Sumatra), turned into a horrific afternoon and evening. On December 18th 2008, a small army of policemen, private security and paramilitary groups attacked the village, and suddenly, all...