A major lawsuit against Greenpeace by a Forest Products company has a lot of resonance for the seafood industry, especially regarding whether damages can be awarded if Greenpeace deliberately mis-states facts.
Resolute Forest Products, a Montreal Company that is one of the largest producers of newsprint, pulp, and other paper and wood products in the world, has sued Greenpeace over its multiyear campaign called Resolute: Forest Destroyer.
Our industry members should read the entire case document (here). It lays out a familiar pattern.
1. Greenpeace and various Forest Products Companies come to a landmark agreement regarding better forestry practices and measures to reduce impacts on Woodland caribou, whose populations are declining in Quebec and Ontario.
2. The cooperation does not support Greenpeace’s fundraising model, which depends on conflict and targeting specific companies to raise donations.
3. Greenpeace blows up the existing agreements, and pressures certification organizations to withdraw compliance certificates.
4. Greenpeace goes to customers with a campaign of intimidation, saying that if they continue to do business with Resolute, Greenpeace will attack their brand.
