The timber trade should be celebrating; the recent announcement by Defra that four schemes now meet their criteria for legal and sustainable is excellent news. This news will bring some clarity for consumers and should help to discourage them from deserting timber for substitute materials. Timber is renewable and so potentially much more sustainable than alternative materials. This simple message was in danger of being buried but can now be communicated with more confidence.
PEFC and SFI have now been given sustainable rating on trust that they will implement their new standards. The government, to maintain the credibility of the CPET process will monitor progress. The environment minister Elliot Morley and Defra have worked hard to ensure that both industry and civil society views are taken on board and this is testament to their commitment to source legal and sustainable timber.
Over the last year the market awareness for legal and sustainable timber has been growing. The next challenge is to consider how the market will further change as the government’s policy starts to take effect. We expect government contracts will be more closely monitored and checked for compliance.
Many enquiries I receive are retrospective, with limited understanding of the contract requirements. This means that frequently the contract specification for legal and/or sustainable timber has not been met. On the other side though, the specifier has little understanding either, and very often is not even aware of what to look for – for example, chain of custody. However, with CPET tasked with advising and educating the government procurement officers, the industry can expect a steady increase in awareness of these issues.
As an industry we need to be prepared. The UK government policy coupled with increasing awareness amongst specifiers is impacting the market. Finnforest UK has been working hard alongside our suppliers and supporting our customers to ensure that we all meet these requirements. With the Olympics looming and market awareness changing, the sustainability card is vital for the timber industry.
