A new initiative called the Forest Footprint Disclosure (FFD) asks big companies to reveal their impacts on the environment in terms of 5 raw materials commonly produced from forest areas: soy, palm oil, timber and pulp, cattle, and biofuels.
Some companies have agreed to the request, but others have refused. Out of 357 invitations to participate, less than a quarter of companies accepted.
Consumers want to know that the companies they buy from are doing their best to operate without destroying the environment.
Supporters of the FFD say that commercial industries need to realize how important it is to protect forests because of all the ecosystem services they provide. Ecosystem services include benefits like maintaining rainfall, protecting against floods and droughts, and storing carbon that would otherwise be in the atmosphere.
In addition to reporting, the FFD works with companies on ways to reduce their impacts, and showcases companies who are successful in doing so.
Some companies supporting the initiative are: Nestle, Kimberly-Clark, British Airways, Nike, and Greenenergy International.
Some companies who declined to participate: Starbucks, McDonalds, Target, Time Warner, Coca Cola, Amazon, and General Mills.
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