The need for a more co-ordinated, aggressive approach to promoting wood was highlighted at a certification seminar attended by representatives of the government, WWF and forest owners.
Delegates, addressed by forestry minister Elliot Morley, heard it is a key time for certification, with demand for certified wood increasing and set to rise significantly because of the government’s policy to buy only timber from sustainable sources.
Organiser Stuart Goodall, the Forestry Commission‘s adviser on certification issues, said: “What we need to do is to get a coherent message and co-ordinate all the different efforts we are making, then hopefully communicate a clear message to our key audiences about the benefits of using wood, underpinned by certification.”
Suggested ways forward include guidance sessions for national and local government officials in procuring certified wood, organised by the WWF, UK Woodland Assurance Scheme and Forestry Commission.
Mr Goodall said this would help prevent officials from standing back and taking the “easy option” of using other materials.
Concrete resolutions include producing a draft simplified certification standard and auditing process for smaller woodlands. At present many owners of small woodlands are put off by the complexity and cost of certification.
