Illegal Timber Trade
In addition to destroying biodiversity and contributing significant greenhouse gas emissions, illegal logging has devastating economic and social impacts in forest countries. From the violence and human rights abuses suffered by local forest communities to billions of dollars in much-needed tax revenue lost each year, these crimes are enabled by international markets and the trade in illegal timber. EIA investigates forest crimes and shares resulting intelligence with law enforcement authorities to hold companies and individuals accountable, and uses evidence-based advocacy and campaigning to transform the global timber market by pushing for new laws and policies in major consumer countries. A number of countries have already passed prohibitions on illegal wood imports and now require companies to document the origin of their products, including the United States, EU, Australia and South Korea. Other major markets, including China, while showing progress, have yet to act decisively to implement laws against illegal timber imports.