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Greenpeace attacks Hachette

21.08.07 Alison Flood

Greenpeace has laid into Hachette for "fuelling the destruction" of Canada's Boreal Forest. A new report from the charity says Hachette USA uses paper manufactured by Abitibi-Consolidated, which together with Bowater and Kruger has accounted for the degradation or fragmentation of more than 68% of the Boreal Forest—an area totalling nearly 200,000 sq km.

Greenpeace UK forest campaigner Mariana Paoli said: "The Hachette Book Group USA is contributing to the destruction of the Canadian Boreal Forest, the largest ancient forest in North America. The company must suspend its contract with Abitibi as a matter of urgency until action is taken on the ground to protect the forest and end destructive logging."

She said that Hachette Livre UK continues to source ancient forest fibre, and has not made any commitment to go ancient forest friendly, unlike its competitors Random House, HarperCollins, Bloomsbury and Egmont. She urged Hachette in the UK "to follow progressive publishers in the industry and commit to phasing out all paper from dubious sources and move towards ancient forest friendly papers instead".

But HLUK c.e.o. Tim Hely Hutchinson said Hachette Livre in the UK has "quickly caught up with its competitors" in terms of environmentally friendly paper sourcing since its relatively recent establishment. "We are strongly supportive of environmentalists aims in this and other areas and we will be making a more detailed announcement on this subject in the autumn," he said.

US Hachette Alison Flood

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