A new government investigation will look at timber as part of a review of future resource risks faced by UK business.
The investigation comes amid mounting concerns about the future availability of some materials and resources, such as timber, to UK businesses, as well as uncertainties over future prices.
News of the study comes as members of The Timber Trade Federation’s National Softwood Division discussed escalating timber prices and tight supply during a meeting in London.
Defra has commissioned consultancy firm AEA to investigate materials and resources which are under threat. The work will include an assessment of the future viability of materials and products, bringing together opinion from the sectors most reliant on the resources.
Defra’s chief scientist Professor Bob Watson told The Guardian that resource depletion, harder access to resources and tighter environmental regulation on the likes of timber made every sector of the economy directly or indirectly vulnerable to shortages.
Crown Timber chief executive Stuart McIntyre told TTJ that supply challenges were “very real” over the next few years and the UK was quite slow in appreciating the significance.
“We will see shortages appear in quite a few specifications. But it’s hard to imagine how government will come up with a solution,” he said.
“Timber is just one example of the renewable resources the research is looking at outside of the more usual extractive ones like minerals and metals,” said a Defra spokesperson.
“But there are also some natural resource impacts with timber and the research has considered things like concerns on illegal logging, and demand for wood from sustainable sources that might have an effect on future availability.”
He said the research aimed to identify resource issues which represent threats and opportunities in the short to long term.
Other resources covered in the study include precious metals, minerals, water and fish.
