LINKING SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT TO TIMBER

SOURCING DECISIONS AND POLICIES

Presented by David Bills CBEDirector General, Forestry Commission

the United Kingdom

BENEFITS

• Technical - engineering solutions, thermal efficiency, aesthetic design

• Economic - speed of erection, flexibility

• Environmental - embedded energy, carbon sequestration

• Social - aesthetically pleasing, design flexibility, healthy living

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Has the timber come from a forest that is being managed sustainably?

• Is the logging consistent with the law of the land?

• Is the site being managed in such a way as to conserve the long-term productivity?

cont...

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Are important ecosystems and/or rare and endangered species being threatened?

• Have local communities been displaced or otherwise had their life disrupted?

• Has the labour employed been treated with dignity and given appropriate support in terms of occupational health and safety?

A CERTIFICATION SYSTEM MUST HAVE 3 ELEMENTS

1. A forest management standard based on the fundamental principles of sustainable

forest management

2. An auditable chain of custody

3. A credible independent authority

CERTIFICATION IS NOT THE ONLY ANSWER

• Uncertified wood can be from well managed forests

• Sustainable forest management can be certified but not the chain of custody

• Two dilemmas:

- If not sure of wood should we use non-wood substitutes?

- Could forest management get worse if there is no market?

WHO WANTS THIS ASSURANCE?

• Distributors and retailers

• Specifiers (local authorities, architects and engineers)

• Government

THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PROACTIVE

• It is committed to seeking to source timber products from legally and sustainably managed sources

• It has taken the lead internationally with its public procurement policy for wood products

• The European Union and other major importing countries are likely to follow a similar path

SUMMARY

Wood: A Traditional Material

The Right Material for the 21st Century

Wood: From Well-Managed Forests

The Environmentally Compatible Raw Material