Group alleges that global project to save forests is undermined by its own participants

Group alleges that global project to save forests is undermined by its own participants
By Associated Press, Updated: Sunday, July 24, 8:49 PM

BANGKOK — A non-governmental organization says participants in a global, landmark effort to save the world’s shrinking forests are instead trading in illegally sourced timber and razing jungles in a region of Borneo island that lies in Malaysia and is inhabited by endangered orangutans.

London-based Global Witness alleged in a report Monday that some companies in Asia, Africa and Europe are allowed to reap benefits of associating with the World Wide Fund for Nature, which authored the project, while continuing to destroy forests and deal in illegally sourced timber.

The Switzerland-based WWF, one of the world’s prominent environmental organizations, rejected the allegations.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/group-alleges-that-global-project-to-save-forests-is-undermined-by-its-own-participants/2011/07/24/gIQAgQHVXI_story.html