The recent vote by the EU in favour of regulations banning the import of timber from illegal logging is a welcome move. The legislation, due to come into force in 2012, requires initial placers of timber products on the market to conduct a due diligence process. All subsequent links in the supply chain must then meet traceability requirements, so timber can be tracked to source.
As a construction material, timber offers a sustainable solution. But sometimes its reputation has been tarnished by claims of illegal logging activity. The consequences are far reaching and impact negatively on our industry, as well as the communities affected.
Change is long overdue and this new law, making it a criminal offence to place illegal timber on the EU market, represents a real opportunity for the industry to work together and actively engage with the government, NGOs and businesses throughout the supply chain to promote and reinforce the environmental credentials of timber.
I believe this is a positive move by Europe which will help to safeguard and promote the reputation of timber as a sustainable material. However, this legislation can only work effectively on a global scale if we engage the rest of the world and encourage countries outside the EU to see the importance of sustainably-sourced timber.
Unless this happens, wood from unsustainable forests could still infiltrate our markets in the form of products manufactured in non-EU countries. We must make a concerted effort to ensure this cannot happen by stamping out the demand for illegal timber completely.
International Timber was one of the first to sign up to the WWF Global Forest & Trade Network, which commits members to tracing their timber and paper products back to the forest origin, and is committed to continually improving its procurement process to promote responsibly sourced products. We have a duty to protect our world for future generations and I hope this legislation will engender trust in the industry, put an end to illegal logging and help businesses throughout the supply chain buy with confidence.
