The timber industry is pulling together to capitalise on the opportunities afforded by the London 2012 Olympics.
A study investigating games business opportunities is to be funded by wood. for good, while a full range of industry organisations was due to meet at the Timber Trade Federation‘s London offices on September 15 to agree on an Olympics strategy.
The opportunity study was agreed at a meeting of the wood. for good board, attended by representatives of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF), the ConFor, Nordic Timber Council and Forestry Commission.
TTF chief executive John White said: “The board also recognised that this provided an opportunity or catalyst to strategically reshape thinking in the UK about the use of wood in building sustainably.”
Mr White said the London Games Organising Committee is creating a Sustainable Development Programme which will lead to a system for specifying how sustainability will be delivered through procurement policies.
He said the programme was being influenced by “simplistic” previous work by the Mayor of London’s Sustainable Development Commission and other mayoral strategies, which have led to planning advice requiring new buildings to ensure 50% of timber is Forest Stewardship Council-certified, with the remaining 50% from temperate sources.
