London local authorities, Defra, trade and certification bodies have met to debate the implementation of timber procurement policies by councils.
The meeting, also attended by WWF, follows a Defra-commissioned report last year which found that only two out of 45 local authorities in the Northeast had responsible purchasing policies for timber.
Representatives from Camden Council, Sutton, Greenwich and Newham were among those councils attending.
A representative from a national merchant group attending the Whitehall meeting said there remained “challenges” ahead with getting councils to implement timber procurement policies.
He said resources and cost seemed to be obstacles for councils implementing policies, while internal communication within the councils was also a problem.
He also said timber suppliers did not often know if the end client was a local authority.
“Paperwork [relating to certified timber] is not always asked for, particularly if it’s for a subcontractor. We do not always know if they are working for a local authority.”
Timber Trade Federation head of sustainability Rachel Butler said one council representative expressed frustration at having to chase up certification paperwork for their records. She said that her own consultation work with large timber companies had found that some did not highlight PEFC/FSC certification on contract documentation.
She also got the impression that local authorities did not see timber procurement as an important area for specific focus, but more as part of the overall sustainability/low carbon debate.
FSC UK construction adviser Beck Woodrow said the meeting had been a good next step but there was “still a lot to do”, with communication vital to get local authorities on board.
Working with exemplar local authorities as case studies, plus standard clauses in contracts, are to be investigated further as part of Defra’s work.
