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deutsche Version: Kein grünes Geld - DWS zieht Konsequenzen: Forst- und Holzzertifikat nach Kritik von ROBIN WOOD geändert Hamburg, Frankfurt, December 6, 2007 No Green Money DWS draws conclusions: Forest and Timber Certificates changed after criticism by ROBIN WOOD DWS Investment, a fully owned subsidiary of the Deutsche Bank Group, has changed the composition of its “DWS Go Global Forest and Timber TR Index Certificate“, after criticism of the environmental organization ROBIN WOOD. DWS has eliminated from the index the groups Aracruz Celulose and Gunns that had been strongly criticized due to their practices of over-exploitation by destructive lumbering, after ROBIN WOOD had urged the investment society to do so. In October of this year and based on these indexes, DWS had created the “DWS Go Global Forest and Timber TR Index Certificate“. The index it is based on contains “companies that own forests and manage these“. The original sales brochure for the certificate reads: “The majority of the selected companies were certified by the internationally valid quality seals for sustainable forestry FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative). These certificates are awarded to companies that practice socially, ecologically and economically sustainable forestry. On the background of global warming the importance of an effective and sustainable wood culture and forestry is more important than ever.” For some of the companies listed in the index quite obviously actually the contrary holds true. In November ROBIN WOOD made this clear in a letter to DWS and urged the investment society to eliminate particularly problematic companies from the index. This concerned both Aracruz Celulose from Brazil that is involved in numerous conflicts of landownership and the Australian Gunns Group that destroys large areas of virgin forest in Tasmania and wants to flatten entire regions for a new cellulose plant. Now DWS has met the demand of ROBIN WOOD. Moreover, DWS has totally and without substitution eliminated the above mentioned advertising slogan from the sales brochure. “The decision of DWS to eliminate several groups with over-exploitation from the index and not to lure clients with false promises of ecology is a step in the right direction“, says Peter Gerhardt, campaigner for tropical forest at ROBIN WOOD. Moreover, ROBIN WOOD urges banks and investment societies to invest their clients’ capital only into the forest and wood industry if an ecologically responsible and socially just forestry is practiced. By the standards of many environmental organizations, this is only guaranteed by the FSC – although with limitations. The certificates united under the umbrella of the PEFC and close to industry offer no orientation. Thus e.g. the groups Gunns and Aracruz have been certified according to a system recognized by PEFC and still over-exploit by destructive lumbering. Even the North American SFI Certificate mentioned by DWS is part of the environmental seals recognized by the PEFC. “Investors should watch closely with apparently ‘green’ capital investments in the wood and forestry sector“, advises Peter Gerhardt. “Global forestry is in many cases characterized by destructive lumbering and violations of human rights. Unsuspecting bank clients may by their capital investment quickly become co-financers of international groups with destructive lumbering. That is bad for the environment and the climate and possibly also a risk for their own money.” Contact: Peter Gerhardt, campaigner for tropical forests, phone ++49 (0)160-96 34 72 27, tropenwald@robinwood.de Ute Bertrand, press spokeswoman, phone ++49 (0)40-380 892-22, presse@robinwood.de