Summary
• The timber trade has a central role to play in the war on illegal logging.
• Environmental groups can help businesses eliminate illegal wood from their supply chain.
• The WWF Global Forest & Trade Network has shown that sustainable timber sourcing is good for business.
• The WWF is an observer on The Timber Trade Federation’s Forests Forever committee.
In the past, there were occasions when relations between the timber industry and the environmental community were strained, and business and conservation seemed diametrically opposed.
However, growing awareness of one another’s needs and an increase in social and environmental consciousness among consumers and businesses have led to mutual recognition of the importance of working together. Certainly, in the UK, work on the EU regulations to limit the illegal timber trade has seen more fluid dialogue on forest and business issues between all stakeholders.
For both the timber sector and environmental communities to really achieve positive and lasting results, an understanding of how much progress on forest resources issues has been made so far and how much is left to do, is essential. WWF wants a future where companies make a net positive contribution to the well-being of society and the planet, and we‘re pretty certain this is the way many businesses see it too. Business is part of the solution.
In the past, misunderstandings arose primarily when companies have not had full visibility of supply chains, fully disclosed information, or misjudged the interest of stakeholders. Long term though, a responsible trade and a solution-oriented environmental lobby both want to level the playing field to support sustainably produced forest goods. This would leave less room for average performers to benefit from a market that doesn’t yet adequately distinguish between products.
There is a lot to do to achieve this state of play though. The job is not yet done for UK plc when it comes to the trade from the most threatened forest habitats. It is hoped this is where joint action on key issues and a more thorough understanding of the trade can deliver change.
Concerted effort
The timber industry may well find that the environmental community has more visibility within a particular supply chain in forest producer countries and this can be a great help in reaching a mutually agreeable plan to eliminate poorly sourced goods. Working together, there is a path to overcome risks both to business reputation and threatened forest resources.
WWF’s Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) provides long-term evidence that reviewing supply chains and trading in certified products help create a vital, healthy and responsible timber industry.
Over the past 20 years, the GFTN has helped thousands of companies overcome forest management and responsible purchasing challenges and to progress towards certification.
Recognising that we cannot achieve our objectives alone, we look to timber traders to direct the GFTN to where further change needs to happen to stop the most devastating impacts on our planet.
For our part, we will carry on working to influence the people you supply – asking them to prioritise responsible purchasing, trying to raise awareness and pressure them to change and monitor their forest footprint. At the same time we’re helping identify key gaps in products traded to support producers delivery into the market.
We value our presence on the Timber Trade Federation’s Forests Forever committee as an observer. This is a way of connecting with the trade and appraising our goals against its views.
Improving communication
Forest products businesses’ supply chain connections give them a good idea of what is happening on the ground and, going forward, it would be great to see them providing more stories about developments in the trade globally. What are buyers’ experiences of what’s happening in the forest? How have problems been overcome and transformed into success? What challenges remain?
Developing this dialogue together with the environmental community would be a great leap forward in mutual understanding and drive market change where it matters most. Forest producers respond to what the market asks for – but they need support from that market too. Industry purchasing power can transform forest management far faster and more effectively than any other form of intervention, so governments need to hear the industry’s calls for change, alongside the NGO’s.
Ultimately, we look forward to a situation where more companies exercise due diligence to cut the risk of handling illegal timber, and service providers and suppliers differentiate themselves through guarantees of being able to deliver on sustainability. WWF can help the trade by communicating the multiple benefits of better forest resource management for conservation and development, not just in the UK, but in producer and processing countries too. Together we can collaborate to lead the forest industry into a new era of responsible management, environmental and social stewardship.
