Procter & Gamble Shareholders Do Right by Voting to Address Impacts on Forests

At Procter & Gamble's annual general meeting, which was held virtually on Tuesday, shareholders bucked the recommendation of the company's board and voted for a proposal asking P&G to report on its efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in its supply chains. The proposal received the support of 67 percent of the votes cast.

This vote comes at a time when the company is under scrutiny for its tissue sourcing from the Canadian boreal forest. Historically, the corporation's high-profile Charmin, Bounty and Puffs brands have relied on virgin wood fibers in their product, which leads to unnecessary logging in the Canadian boreal forest, an important carbon sink and home to caribou, lynx and more.

Steve Blackledge, Environment America Research & Policy Center's conservation program senior director, issued the following statement:

"Shareholders used their power to stand up for our natural world and sent a clear message to Procter & Gamble's leadership that the boreal forest is simply too important to be turned into tissue paper.

"While the boreal forest may seem far away to most of us, there are many reasons that all American consumers should care about this incredible place. For one, it is the most carbon dense forest in the world and is needed to mitigate the effects of climate change.

"We applaud these shareholders for raising their voices in support of the environment. Now we hope P&G brands such as Charmin will take important action and begin using recycled paper or alternative forest-free fibers to lessen their impacts on the boreal and other forests."