Press Releases
- Austrian timber giant Schweighofer still driving destruction of ancient forests in Romania
Austrian timber giant Schweighofer still driving destruction of ancient forests in Romania
Behind the Scenes takes detailed look at how the Austrian timber giant Holzindustrie Schweighofer, one of the largest wood processors in Romania, continues to fuel the destruction of Europe’s last old growth forests, in spite of five years of pledges not to source timber from national parks or protected areas.
- EPA Issues Final Rulemaking on Climate-Friendly Fridges
EPA Issues Final Rulemaking on Climate-Friendly Fridges
Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rulemaking that will allow the US market to transition away from hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent super greenhouse gases, in new household refrigerators and freezers.
- Romanian prosecutors raid Austrian timber giant for alleged organized crime
Romanian prosecutors raid Austrian timber giant for alleged organized crime
Romanian prosecutors raid Austrian timber giant for alleged organized crime
- Draft Cook Inlet LNG Pipeline Document Reveals Devastating Impact on Endangered Belugas
Draft Cook Inlet LNG Pipeline Document Reveals Devastating Impact on Endangered Belugas
Draft Cook Inlet LNG Pipeline Document Reveals Devastating Impact on Endangered Belugas
- IMO Takes Major Step Towards Ending Dirty Fuel Use in the Arctic
IMO Takes Major Step Towards Ending Dirty Fuel Use in the Arctic
EIA hails the IMO's agreement to develop a ban on the use and carriage for use of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic.
- IMO Member States Must Back Ban on Heavy Fuel Oil from Arctic Shipping
IMO Member States Must Back Ban on Heavy Fuel Oil from Arctic Shipping
As a meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee opens today in London (MEPC72), the Clean Arctic Alliance called on IMO member states to support a proposal to ban heavy fuel oil (HFO) from Arctic shipping.
- EIA Praises Taiwan for Closing Its Domestic Ivory Market to Save Elephants
EIA Praises Taiwan for Closing Its Domestic Ivory Market to Save Elephants
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) today commended Taiwan for committing to close its domestic ivory market starting January 1, 2020, thus eliminating another domestic ivory market in Asia.
- Peru's Fight Against Illegal Timber Trade at Risk as Authorities Weaken Rules and Regulations
Peru's Fight Against Illegal Timber Trade at Risk as Authorities Weaken Rules and Regulations
Peruvian forest authorities are weakening the tools and inspections necessary to prevent illegal timber trade, in the face of overwhelming evidence that Peru’s exports to the United States, China, Mexico and 15 other countries contained high percentages of illegal or high-risk wood. Moment of Truth, a new report from the non-profit Environmental Investigation Agency, demonstrates the extent of this illegal trade and the backlash against attempts to fight it.
- Retrocesos en Regulaciones e Inspecciones Debilitan La Lucha Del Perú Contra el Comercio de Madera Ilegal
Retrocesos en Regulaciones e Inspecciones Debilitan La Lucha Del Perú Contra el Comercio de Madera Ilegal
Las autoridades forestales peruanas están debilitando las herramientas e inspecciones necesarias para prevenir el comercio de madera ilegal, ante una abrumadora evidencia de que las exportaciones del Perú a Estados Unidos, China, México y otros 15 países incluyeron altos porcentajes de madera ilegal o de alto riesgo. El Momento de la Verdad, un nuevo informe de investigación de la ONG internacional Agencia de Investigación Ambiental (EIA – Environmental Investigation Agency), demuestra los alcances de este tráfico ilegal y las reacciones en contra de las acciones para combatirlo.
- California Senator Introduces California Cooling Act
California Senator Introduces California Cooling Act
Today state Senator Ricardo Lara introduced the California Cooling Act, a landmark proposal to reduce climate impacts of the cooling sector, which could lead to avoidance of 17 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually by 2030. EIA and NASRC applaud the bill and highlight the positive outcomes of a proposed incentive program for low-GWP refrigerants.
- EIA’s ‘Rosewood Racket’ Report Prompts International Probe into Nigeria-China Timber Trafficking
EIA’s ‘Rosewood Racket’ Report Prompts International Probe into Nigeria-China Timber Trafficking
This week, in response to the dire rosewood crisis in West Africa and particularly in Nigeria, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) informed its 183 member countries of exceptional control measures.
- FSC’s Christmas present for Schweighofer: Tracing wood is not required
FSC’s Christmas present for Schweighofer: Tracing wood is not required
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is disappointed that the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has agreed to a roadmap that would allow Holzindustrie Schweighofer to regain FSC status
- EIA report ties Schweighofer to illegal logging in Romanian national park
EIA report ties Schweighofer to illegal logging in Romanian national park
In a recent field investigation in Romania, EIA found evidence of illegal logging in Romania’s second-largest national park linked to the Austrian timber giant Holzindustrie Schweighofer. The FSC considers whether to uphold timber giant’s de-certification.
- New EPA Rule Allows Climate Friendly Refrigerators Following EIA Petition
New EPA Rule Allows Climate Friendly Refrigerators Following EIA Petition
Yesterday the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a rule that will allow climate-friendly refrigerants in household refrigerators and freezers.
- A Big Win For Climate As Montreal Protocol's Landmark Kigali Amendment Gets Green Light
A Big Win For Climate As Montreal Protocol's Landmark Kigali Amendment Gets Green Light
Global efforts to dramatically reduce super greenhouse gases in the fight against climate change saw a major advance today as the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol got the go ahead to crack down on harmful hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
- Historic Endangered Timber Smuggling Case Revealed Between Nigeria and China
Historic Endangered Timber Smuggling Case Revealed Between Nigeria and China
One of the largest timber smuggling operations in history is revealed today by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in a report that shows how over 1.4 million illegal rosewood logs from Nigeria, worth US$300 million, were laundered into China.
- New EIA Report Reveals Multinational Fast Food Chains Ignoring Easy Mitigation Opportunity in India
New EIA Report Reveals Multinational Fast Food Chains Ignoring Easy Mitigation Opportunity in India
A new report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) reveals that merely a few multinational fast food and beverage companies in India could avoid up to 38 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, the same as taking 8.5 million cars off the road for a year, by not using HFCs for cooling.
- Strong USTR Action Adds to Increasingly Serious Consequences for International Timber Smugglers
Strong USTR Action Adds to Increasingly Serious Consequences for International Timber Smugglers
EIA welcomes the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) action to deny timber imports for the next three years from Peruvian company, Inversiones La Oroza.
- Contundente medida por parte del USTR que abona a las cada vez más serias consecuencias para contrabandistas internacionales de madera.
Contundente medida por parte del USTR que abona a las cada vez más serias consecuencias para contrabandistas internacionales de madera.
Washington DC - EIA recibe con beneplácito la medida tomada por el Representante de Comercio de los Estados Unidos (USTR) para bloquear las importaciones de madera a la empresa peruana Inversiones La Oroza durante los próximos tres años. Esta medida se tomó a raíz de un proceso de verificación realizado el año pasado, al amparo del Anexo Forestal del Acuerdo de Promoción Comercial entre los Estados Unidos y el Perú, que encontró que una gran parte de un embarque de Inversiones La Oroza era ilegal.
- Australia Plans to Weaken Ban on Illegal Timber Imports
Australia Plans to Weaken Ban on Illegal Timber Imports
Australian consumers should not become the unwitting accomplices of forest crime
- EIA Applauds Japan’s AEON for Elephant Ivory Phase-out
EIA Applauds Japan’s AEON for Elephant Ivory Phase-out
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) praised AEON’s official announcement that it will phase out all sales of elephant ivory by tenants in all of AEON’s numerous malls across Japan by March 2020.
- EIA Condemns Japan’s Ivory Tusk Registration Campaign
EIA Condemns Japan’s Ivory Tusk Registration Campaign
As the Government of Japan announces that it will launch a campaign to register privately-owned ivory, EIA condemns the move due to Japan's highly illegal trade.
- Is John Hume Dealing with Criminal Syndicates in Auctioning His Rhino Horn?
Is John Hume Dealing with Criminal Syndicates in Auctioning His Rhino Horn?
In advance of the rhino horn auction in South Africa, EIA questions John Hume's involvement
- EPA Lists New SNAP Substitutes, EIA Hopes for Lower GWP
EPA Lists New SNAP Substitutes, EIA Hopes for Lower GWP
A new determination of acceptability issued by the US EPA expands acceptable substitutes under its SNAP program.
- Japan's Internet Retail Giant Rakuten Ichiba Ceasing Ivory Sales
Japan's Internet Retail Giant Rakuten Ichiba Ceasing Ivory Sales
Japan's largest internet retailer, Rakuten, has announced it will cease all sales of ivory products on its sites.