The event, held at The Brewery in London and attended by more than 300 people, also heard the TTF had cultivated a higher media profile and was involved in greater early engagement on public policy development, such as the Sustainable Procurement Task Force and the Olympics’ Sustainable Development Strategy.
Eight new members had joined since March 1, while TTF staff held around 500 meetings with upward of 100 stakeholders during 2006.
Mr Donaldson also used his speech to appeal for a more united front among the timber industry’s “fragmented” representative organisation.
He has invited the chairmen of a number of timber-related bodies for a summit meeting within the next two months to discuss the issue “in the hope that reason might prevail and some form of working more closely together could result”.
Mr Donaldson also urged members to sign up to the TTF’s Responsible Purchasing Policy, which he described as a “ticket to a more professional and sustainably managed industry in the future” and the “most effective weapon in the armoury” on environmental issues.
“The environmental issues which we face today are not going to go away,” he said. “Stern put paid to that and I’m afraid that if you think any differently from that then you are in cloud cuckoo land.”
“Those of you who are thinking about joining should think no more… get off the fence and do it [join the RPP]”.
