Last month the Royal Institute for International Affairs (RIIA) held its sixth update on illegal logging, attended by around 100 people from various NGOs, foreign governments and agencies, as well as members of the timber industry including The Timber Trade Federation (TTF). The main EU FLEGT link countries were also well represented.
Elliot Morley, minister for climate change and environment, was one of many national and EU government representatives attending or speaking and this provided an opportunity for all delegates to become involved during question sessions.
Sponsored by the Department for International Development (DFID), the RIIA has been the main focus point for all interested parties to air their views and opinions, while trying to find strategies to move forward. As one government spokesperson stated: “We want to get an outright ban on illegal logging”.
DFID’s website, www.illegal-logging.info is a useful site to study this extremely complex subject, helping to inform on news as it breaks. It also provides a forum for all interested parties to post their information and it will help readers gain a good understanding of the issues surrounding illegal logging.
The update covered a wide range of topics from across the globe, including Russia and China, and the ongoing development of EU FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Government and Trade) agreements. The TTF was a strong participant in the update and Rupert Oliver of Forest Industries Intelligence presented a well-received paper on hardwood markets.
Use of legislation
Without doubt the tempo on control of illegal logging is developing rapidly towards the use of legislation, including improved regulation and enforcement across the financial sector in the timber industry. Delegates heard that “the Proceeds of Crime Act has not been ruled out” as a tool for control. It was also suggested that, as “CITES has been used to seize whole consignments of timber”, this model could possibly be developed.
Illegal logging in European Russia was quantified during a fascinating talk which broadly stated that by extrapolation of government statistics from 2001/2 there is a 15% variance equating to around 7.4 million m3 of illegal logging which was worth around US$222m.
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“We need to be here, with all the NGOs and other agencies, to bang the drum for our industry. What’s discussed here affects our livelihoods” |
Another recurrent theme was the ease with which documentation seems to be altered, thereby aiding the flow of illegal logging. Strong reference was made to the need to develop IT systems that will reduce this.
A lack of premium for certified materials in the UK was one of the disappointing issues that the delegates had to face. The UK is a very small player in global terms for hardwood materials, at around 800,000m3 in sawn material and plywood; therefore its influence in this area is also minimal.
The consensus seemed to be that the UK market is splitting into ‘leaders’ and ‘followers’ on certification, with ‘leader’ companies implementing a 100% legal and sustainable product offer and ‘followers’ who are unwilling to bother.
The delay in announcing the assessment of the various certification schemes by the government advisory body, the Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) was also was cited as a factor in creating some of this ambivalence.
The point was made that a lack of decision had set chain of custody and legal/sustainable certification back. But a government spokesperson promised that CPET’s verdict on whether SFI and PEFC schemes were proof of timber’s “sustainability and legality” would be made public soon. The news was finally released last week.
China’s part in the whole illegal logging issue was highlighted by its timber industry’s almost rocket-propelled growth: a 285% increase in seven years, with exceptional performances in wooden furniture (400% increase) and panels (1,000%). One paper trail example showed that Hong Kong appears to be a popular point for the substitution of documents and, as China’s forests dwindle, the country becomes more vulnerable to supply and price issues, making illegal logging an increasingly tempting proposition.
The recent G8 summit at Gleneagles provided a further focus for action against illegal logging, particularly by FLEGT and EU FLEGT agreements. An update was given on the progress in Malaysia and Ghana towards a compatible policy.
A further update will take place in January and, as one timber agent stated: “We need to be here, with all the NGOs and other agencies, to bang the drum for our industry. After all, what’s discussed here affects our livelihoods.”
