The government’s role in promoting the use of timber from sustainable sources is to be investigated by Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee.
The committee’s inquiry has been prompted by recent claims by environmentalists that illegally-forested wood from rainforests has been used in the refurbishment of the cabinet office (TTJ April 13) and a Friends of the Earth report which stated that the UK was the largest volume importer of illegally-logged timber.
The probe will focus on government timber procurement, its sustainable timber initiative and guidance on procurement for local authorities. It will also consider implementation of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
The Timber Trade Federation is making a written submission to the inquiry and hopes to be asked to attend its hearings, due to take place during May and June.
Mark O’Brien, TTF head of public affairs, said: ‘We really want to put the record straight. We are sick and tired of people like Greenpeace who have their entire campaign based on a misconception that the primary cause of deforestation is the timber trade. The primary causes are economic – the clearing of timber for farmland or fuel.’
The TTF claims that only 0.29% of all imported timber and timber products come from Africa, the area that is currently causing environmentalists most concern.
The committee’s final report is expected by the end of July.
