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Illegal Logging
Illegal logging is a significant global issue. It degrades forest environments, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and reductions in biodiversity, results in a loss of government revenue and deprives local communities of ownership rights and opportunities to improve their quality of life.
Globally, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that 5-10 per cent of global industrial round wood trade is illegally harvested. The proportion can be greater in some high risk countries where it accounts for between 20-90 per cent of timber production. This translates to a loss of assets and revenue in developing countries of up to US$23 billion every year. The World Bank estimates that illegal logging costs the global market more than US$10 billion a year and reduces government revenues by about $US5 billion a year.
It is estimated that around $400 million of suspected illegally sourced timber and timber products are imported into Australia each year (see Overview of Illegal Logging 
[PDF 170kb]). The main products of concern are wooden furniture, paper and paper board, wood based panels, sawn wood, doors and mouldings.
It is therefore in Australia’s interests as a responsible member of the global community to protect plant and animal life, health and the environment and to reduce the depletion of exhaustible natural resources that are threatened by illegal logging.
Australian Government’s election commitments
The government has committed $1 million to work with regional governments and industry to:
- build capacity within regional governments to prevent illegal timber harvesting
- develop and support certification schemes for timber and timber products sold in Australia
- require disclosure at point of sale of species, country of origin and any certification
- identify illegally logged timber and restrict its import into Australia; and
- argue that market-based incentives aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation should be included in a future international climate change agreement.
These election commitments are being addressed as follows:
1. Build capacity within regional governments to prevent illegal timber harvesting
Under the International Forest Carbon Initiative the government has committed up to $15.7 million towards implementing the Asia Pacific Forestry Skills and Capacity Building Program. This will assist countries in the Asia Pacific region to increase their capacity to manage forests in a sustainable manner and reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The range of activities supported under the program includes skills-based training in forest certification and sustainable forest management, institutional strengthening, technology transfer, research and information exchange.
Further support is being provided through Australia's overseas development assistance programs administered by AusAID.
DAFF also continues to seek increased cooperation and support for programs through intergovernmental forums to prevent illegal logging and to promote sustainable forest management in the Asia Pacific region. These include:
- United Nations Forum on Forests
- International Tropical Timber Organisation
- Asia Pacific Forestry Commission
- East Asia and Pacific Forest Law Enforcement and Governance
Available is further information on DAFF’s engagement with international organisations and processes that address the issues of sustainable forest management and illegal logging.
2. Develop and support certification schemes for timber and timber products sold in Australia
Certification of timber and timber products at country and company level is internationally recognised as an important part of the long-term solution to illegal logging. While good progress has been made in Australia with implementing forest certification schemes, uptake in the Asia Pacific is much slower, resulting in a significant shortfall in certified timber products from the region.
The government is also working with certifying organisations and forest industry associations to promote the adoption of third party audited certification schemes in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. The certification schemes operating in Australia are the Australian Forestry Standard Ltd and the Forest Stewardship Council and these both fall under international organisations.
3. Require disclosure at point of sale of species, country of origin and any certification; and
4. Identify illegally logged timber and restrict its import into Australia
The government is working to develop a new policy to address these two commitments in a way that is consistent with Australia’s international trade, domestic, foreign policy and legal obligations. Government, non-government and industry stakeholders will be consulted throughout this process.
DAFF is also working with industry on developing a nationally consistent approach for verifying and documenting the legality of domestic and imported timber and wood products traded in Australia to underpin these election commitments. A review of the current policies employed by timber and timber product importers to determine legality of supply was commissioned by DAFF to assist with developing a national scheme.
5. Argue that market-based incentives aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation should be included in a future international climate change agreement
DAFF is working with the Department of Climate Change and AusAID on this election commitment through the International Forest Carbon Initiative (the Initiative). DAFF leads on the Asia Pacific Forestry Skills and Capacity Building Program, which is an integral part of the Initiative and will increase regional forest management expertise.
Australia played a key role at the recent United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change meeting in Bali where it was agreed for the first time that action on deforestation in developing countries should be part of a future response to climate change (see Decision -/CP.13, Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries - REDD - Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries: approaches to stimulate action PDF.)
The initiative is Australia’s contribution to this effort.
