Decrease in illegal timber logging

According to a report by the Chatham House on illegal logging and related trade, there has been a 30% decline in imports of illegally sourced wood products since the peak of 2004. Illegal logging itself has dropped by between 50 and 75% across Cameroon, Indonesia and the Brazilian Amazon over the last decade. Globally it has dropped by one-fifth since 2002. The report estimates that if the fall in illegal logging continues, up to 14.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide can be saved and a significant contribution to the fight against global warming can be made. The report suspects that the decrease in illegal timber is due to a 2008 law making it illegal to handle illegal timber in the US. A similar regulation is expected to be adopted in the EU later this year. The report also warns these regulations will stimulate the rise of illegal timber imports that are harder to detect such as fake licenses.