Fuji Xerox Australia have severed ties with Asia Pacific Resources International (APRIL), an paper products giant accused of illegally clearing rainforests in Sumatra for pulp and paper production, reports Nine News.
Fuji Xerox’s move comes after an exposé aired Tuesday by ABC News, which highlighted a two-year-old investigation into APRIL’s logging practices. That investigation was mysteriously dropped last year but has since been relaunched at the urging of environmentalists and anti-corruption officials.
Fuji Xerox said the decision was reached after the ABC showed aired, following months of internal debate over its relationship with APRIL.
“Over the past eighteen months we have been concerned with the lack of progress with regard to APRIL’s logging practices in Indonesia,” Fuji Xerox managing director Nick Kugenthiran said in a statement. “Our concerns were grave enough for us to take steps in June 2011 to review our relationship with APRIL.”
“Due to these concerns and further issues brought to our attention, we have made the decision to cease all procurement with APRIL.”
Greenpeace, which has been campaigning against APRIL, welcomed the move and called on other retailers to follow suit.
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