By 2011, the UK could be using 1.1 million m3 of softwood more a year than it is today. That’s a jump of over 10% and will take total consumption to around 11 million m3.
This forecast came from the Timber Trade Federation‘s chief number cruncher, analyst Nick Moore, at its annual conference.
He said that the market will be principally driven by an expansion in timber frame. But growth will also come from demand for new building and RMI timber generally and the non-construction market.
To what extent extra sales will be satisfied by imports or home-grown timber remains to be seen. Either way, it sounds like good news and Mr Moore said it gave the trade the opportunity to “reinvent itself”.
What also came out of the conference is that, while hopefully enjoying this softwood growth, timber traders are going to be put even more on their mettle on environmentally-sound sourcing. But environment department spokesperson Bob Andrew said that the government did not want its timber procurement rules to impose unrealistic burdens on traders or producers. He said it was not about to specify that its timber carries a particular certification label and that, in its view, the sustainable sourcing process should be graduated, with certified wood as the ultimate aim, but starting with a minimum baseline of timber defined as “legal”.
Another non-trading burden the industry will have to take on is some form of Corporate Social Responsibility policy, or CSR, which defines how a business treats staff, customers, suppliers, the environment and its local community. But Andy Roby, who is undertaking a study on the subject for the TTF, told conference delegates that CSR could in itself bring market benefits, notably in terms of increased customer and employee loyalty. If that’s the case and it helps companies capitalise on a growing softwood market, it looks like a burden worth bearing.
