A recent report from the World Wildlife Fund has claimed that a growth in demand for timber and wood-based products in the West has driven the depletion of tropical forests and that China is unjustly blamed due to its high level of imports.
TFT has added to this debate by stating that if European and American companies, as well as consumers, demand that the timber used by Chinese manufactuers is sustainable sources then firms in the country will gave to adapt to keep up with the market.
“If using legally certified wood is viewed as advantageous in the market, it will be widely imitated in China,” said TFT executive director Scott Poynton.
“The challenge is on the technical side, helping Chinese companies that want to be part of the solution figure out how yo implement transparent and sustainable wood control systems.”
TFT recently completed an investigation into China’s timber supply chain on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which showed that China had moved from being a net importer to being a leading exporter of wood-based products, a change that was driving illegal logging and the destruction of forests.
