Prosecutors imposed a hefty fine on the company for violating Europe’s law against illegal timber products, according to ICIJ media partner NRC.
Canadian lawmakers say they’ve been “played for suckers” by Paper Excellence owner Jackson Wijaya, who continues to claim that the Canadian company operates independently of his family’s Indonesian business, Asia Pulp & Paper.
Former employees of the group said that the Tanotos — who own a “sustainable” pulp and paper giant — were allegedly secretly undermining the conglomerate’s environmental commitments.
The EU’s executive branch proposed pausing implementation of the new law for one year after critics warned it could hurt farmers’ livelihoods.
For decades, businesses have promoted their sustainability credentials based on voluntary certifications, but a new study identified gaps in such schemes, including some that previously came under scrutiny from ICIJ.
A group of six countries has agreed to work together to shut down money laundering operations tied to logging, mining and wildlife harvesting wreaking havoc on the rainforest.
Judges praised the ICIJ-led investigation as “an exemplary model for global collaboration in environmental reporting.”
ICIJ partner The Gecko Project previously found evidence the company, First Resources, violated its sustainability pledges and secretly controlled companies that cleared swaths of Indonesian rainforest.
One year after the Deforestation Inc. exposé, ICIJ and its media partners found wood products have continued to flow from the military-controlled country into Europe and the U.S.
From government probes to police raids and pop culture, the impact of ICIJ’s unflinching reporting reverberated around the world.
In a year when governments announced new policies and renewed focus on stopping deforestation, the credibility of key "green" certification schemes in a $220 billion industry remains in question.
Interviews with former workers by ICIJ partner The Gecko Project reveal new links between First Resources, the billionaire family that owns it, and a trio of companies that have reportedly cleared more forest for palm oil than any other firm in Southeast Asia.
Investigations by ICIJ partners and others have previously linked Paper Excellence to Asia Pulp & Paper, a Chinese-Indonesian forestry company accused of deforestation and human rights abuses.
The United States’ reputation as a hub of financial secrecy has attracted criminals from around the world, including those profiting from the destruction of the Amazon.
The U.S. regulator tasked with ensuring audit quality has found an uptick in deficiencies three years in a row. But its efforts to force auditors to change don’t seem to be working.
Journalists trekked through forests, tracked timber trucks, sifted through dense paper trails and more as part of their work for the global investigation.
ICIJ partners in Europe revealed the indirect trade routes used to mask the origins of Russian timber, which continues to flow into the EU despite being banned.
Paper Excellence claims to be owned by one individual. But as questions swirl about his whereabouts, Canadian lawmakers weigh their options.
Formed after the ICIJ’s Deforestation Inc. probe, the interagency group will coordinate with other governments to combat trafficking in wood linked to environmental crimes and human rights abuses.
The revelations mirror Deforestation Inc. findings from around the world, which showed how auditing firms hired as environmental verifiers often ignore or fail to identify serious transgressions by their clients.
The new law requires companies to obtain "due diligence" statements before bringing products into Europe.
As part of Deforestation Inc., ICIJ reviewed thousands of pages, including reports by environmental organizations, human rights groups and local authorities, court records, green certificates databases, trade data and audit reports.
For this month’s episode of Meet the Investigators, we recorded a special live panel featuring reporters whose investigation has exposed how a system designed to protect the environment, consumers and investors is failing with concerning frequency.
After ICIJ’s Deforestation Inc. investigation revealed widespread issues with environmental certification schemes, a draft new rule would force companies to substantiate the claims they use to market to European consumers.
ICIJ and partners uncovered hidden links between Canada’s Paper Excellence and troubled Indonesian company Asia Pulp & Paper.