WWF has raised the stakes and is pushing for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, said Arian Ardie, APPs director of sustainability and stakeholder engagement.

Ardie said the problem was that WWF was trying to hold APP to standards that only 5% of the worlds pulp and paper companies adhered to.

Debt-ridden APP and WWF signed an agreement in August last year which effectively gave APP six months to draft an action plan to improve its environmental record (PrintWeek, 29 August 2003).

Under the agreement, APP and its Indonesian fibre supplier Sinar Mas Group (SMG) would put together a multi-year action plan on the sustainability of its resources.

The agreement expired on 19 February, with WWF rejecting the companys plan.

WWF Indonesias executive director Mubariq Ahmad said he believed both APP and SMG were in a position to deliver a credible action plan and maintain a sustainable wood supply. Unfortunately they failed to do so, he said.

Ardie said APP had stuck to all issues raised by stakeholders and customers including WWF, and would continue with its plan to be 100% sustainable by 2007.

This included setting aside some 77,000 hectares of forest for conservation value.

As part of its commitment, APP will invest more than 3.6m ($7m) over the next five years to protect critical habitats.

The reaction from customers to the Sustainability Plan had been very positive, Ardie said, and although the move by WWF was a setback he did not rule out the two parties working together in the near future.

Story by Andy Scott