No more rainforest destruction for Tokyo 2020 Olympics

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic authorities promised to host one of the greenest Olympic games in history. Shockingly, RAN and our allies found them using significant volumes of rainforest wood to build their new National Olympic Stadium. The timber is from a supplier that has a well documented history of rainforest destruction, illegal logging and human rights abuses.

Earlier this month, RAN and dozens of allied organizations delivered an open letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Olympic authorities demanding an end to the use of rainforest wood to construct the Tokyo Olympic facilities. So far, they’ve denied the risks in their sourcing practices and failed to adopt stronger safeguards to protect rainforests and respect human rights.

That’s why we need your voice now. We need a public outcry to break through to the Olympic authorities to let them know the reputation and credibility of the iconic Olympic games are at stake. By taking action now, we can help prevent further use of rainforest wood and make sure the Olympics adopts strong safeguards on rainforests and human rights.

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Dear President Bach:
I am very concerned about the sustainability and accountability of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, given mounting evidence that Tokyo 2020 is exploiting tropical forests and potentially fueling human rights violations. The use of rainforest wood to build Olympic facilities can hardly be considered sustainable. I also find it shocking and unacceptable  that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are using wood sourced from a supplier with a well documented legacy of rainforest destruction, illegal logging, and human rights violations. It is very concerning that the Tokyo 2020 authorities have not been fully transparent or accountable about these issues in their sourcing practices.
I urge the IOC to  ensure that the Tokyo Olympics meet the demands expressed by 47 NGOs on September 11th 2017, which include:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">A halt to the use of tropical wood and wood from other high risk sources for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Immediate disclosure of the origin and volume of tropical wood used to construct all Tokyo 2020 Olympic facilities including the new Olympic Stadium and a full reporting of the measures taken to ensure timber legality and sustainability;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">A requirement for full traceability and third party verification for the timber supply chain;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Revision of the Tokyo 2020 Sustainable Sourcing Code for Timber, which includes closing the loophole for concrete formwork plywood and adopting robust legality standards that require due diligence as well as stronger social and environmental requirements that require protection of all high conservation value areas and high carbon stock forests as well as respect for Indigenous and local communities’ legal and customary rights to land, forests, and natural resources, including verification of their Free, Prior and Informed Consent; and</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Adoption of robust sourcing requirements for all other forest-risk commodities that assure no materials or products used by the Olympics are associated with rainforest destruction, illegal logging, or human rights violations. </li>
</ol>
The Olympic commitment to sustainability and respect for human dignity is on the line, and I urge you take immediate action to address this important issue.