The Olympic organisation taking over procurement of wood products for the final phase of the London 2012 Olympics preparation is operating an FSC certification based timber policy which differs from the procurement system used during the construction phase.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), which will procure wood for furniture, partitions, ramps and other non-construction items, says as a private company it is not bound to the same criteria as the government appointed Olympic Delivery Authority, which set up a timber panel of approved suppliers for the construction phase and accepted several certification schemes including PEFC.
One timber trader currently pitching for a large decking contract described the situation as “not right” and a cause of confusion.
He said an FSC composite decking product being considered over his PEFC alternative would cost LOCOG £100,000 extra. The contract has not been decided yet by contractor ISG, which has told the trader that his documentation requires FSC certification.
A spokesperson for LOCOG said there had been no changes in Olympic site procurement policy and LOCOG’s own policy had been in place for several years.
The ODA, he said, was a government organisation which can’t be seen to be favouring one scheme or another and which has an approved panel of timber suppliers.
“LOCOG is a private company responsible for organising the games and our criteria are different from the ODA. It’s more about value for money.
“We’re not using raw materials for construction [like the ODA]. Our procurement policy is to use FSC where possible.”
TTJ asked LOCOG about the decking contract and the possibility that FSC product could cost more than PEFC, thereby undermining LOCOG’s value for money criterion. The spokesperson said LOCOG could not comment on specific projects.
