A meeting of global forest companies and timber trade associations, representing more than 10,000 companies in total, has tackled the way in which the industry can rise to legislative and consumer demands for legal wood and well-managed forests.
The meeting, organised by the Tropical Forest Trust (TFT), included discussions on effective global communication, harmonised demand from importers and governments, and giving value to standing timber to stop forests being clear felled for alternative land uses.
“With 20% of greenhouse gas emissions coming from deforestation, we need to act now and build value in standing forests, to stop the clearing of forest for alternative uses,” said Scott Poynton, executive director of the TFT.
“Eliminating illegal wood from the market place evens the playing field so that responsible producers don’t have to compete with low-cost, illegal producers.”
Amendments to the US Lacey Act and new legislation proposed by the European Commission will effectively ban the trade and sale of illegally logged wood within two of the largest markets for tropical timber.
