Was it a coincidence that there were two high profile environmentalist protests within days of the latest Royal Institute for International Affairs (RIIA) conference on illegal logging? Probably not.

Sponsored by the Department for International Development, these biannual events at Chatham House provide progress reports on the battle against the illegal timber trade and now attract foreign delegates, industry and government representatives and the green NGOs. They’re an influential forum and delegates are tempting targets for the activists who want to shape UK and EU policy on forestry and the timber trade. So small surprise that in July Greenpeace undertook “actions” to highlight the use of plywood allegedly faced with endangered hardwood in the refurbishment of Nelson’s Column and Admiralty Arch.

Equally, the Chatham House conferences have become important for the timber industry to make its views known and stay abreast of latest government initiatives. This time around there was a small contingent from the trade, and staff from The Timber Trade Federation (TTF).

Barry Gardiner, the new parliamentary secretary for biodiversity, landscape and rural affairs, also had his first foray into this complex field.

One disconcerting announcement for the timber industry was that Greenpeace is invited to attend the next meeting of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET), which vets environmental certification schemes on behalf of the government. The intention is to allow the group to have input in the standardisation of chain of custody systems accepted by government procurement officers. The concern is clearly Greenpeace’s exclusive preference for the Forest Stewardship Council certification scheme.

Certification concern

The trade will also be worried about the Belgian government’s decision not to approve PEFC material from certain countries, including Austria, Canada, Finland and Sweden. As these countries cover the majority of PEFC-certified forest, this could be taken as a backdoor attempt to exclude the PEFC scheme.

The presentations also included a summary of the latest developments in the EU FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance & Trade) Action Plan. This involves EU countries sponsoring efforts to improve forest management in tropical timber exporting countries. The focus is on regulating trade using Voluntary Partnership agreements (VPAs).

Ghana, Cameroon and Indonesia presentations were made on their VPAs, with government and NGO speakers giving their views on how these arrangements work on the ground. Ghana’s story underlined the huge changes required to “empower local people”, and the need for the government to enable new management systems to be implemented.

The US ‘Lacey Act’ was cited as a potential model for EU legislation in this area. This could lead to importers being compelled to undertake due diligence on goods to ensure their legality. And failure to meet requirements could result in confiscation of goods or even imprisonment.

Speakers from Belgium, Denmark, and France spoke favourably of the UK’s CPET system for assessing whether certification schemes provided government procurement officers with adequate proof of timber’s legality and sustainability. This indicated that the UK is seen as taking a lead in this field, but, said delegates, also highlighted the importance of scrutinising UK policy as it is developed, as other EU countries appear prepared to ‘cut and paste’ it to create their own.

The Japanese Way

Japanese representatives gave an insight into their style of management, which still defers to business. There are no plans for government ‘CPET-style’ systems, with the country preferring the “Japanese Way”, trusting, said a speaker, in “the goodness of human nature” and codes of conduct.

John Bazill, director-general Environment at the European Commission, also said that Europe is engaging with China to enlist its support in the war on illegal logging.

A brief statement on the UK government’s position indicated that further developments in government procurement policy are under consideration and that there is recognition of the need to simplify chain of custody procedure.

The private sector update provided a chance to explain changes under way in day-to-day trading, including a review from Citigroup, explaining its stance on ethical funding and its effect on financing timber-based companies and products. The possible ramifications of this for the trade are huge. The banks could easily use a blanket “timber no-go area” for financing, to avoid any chance of becoming involved in illegal logging. This, many feel, further strengthens the argument for making the TTF’s Responsible Purchasing Policy compulsory for members.

Independent verification

Andy Roby from the TTF and Alberto Romero from its Spanish counterpart highlighted the relatively small percentage of timber that comes from tropical areas. They also provided information on their organisations’ progress in the area of independent timber verification. The Spanish federation has a relationship with the Rainforest Alliance while the UK works with the Tropical Forest Trust.

The FSC and Ken Walsh, UK managing director of Danzer Group, gave an illuminating presentation on their joint efforts to run a controlled wood standard within a Danzer concession in the Congo Basin. Mr Walsh emphasised that constant changes in government, and civil unrest, made progress difficult, but also warned about the consequences for the industry if such initiatives were not pursued.

For more information go to www.illegal-logging.org