May 2001

TIMBER MANIFESTO 2001 LAUNCHED

The Timber Trade Federation has launched its own manifesto outlining the environmental case for timber and calls on the next Government to give greater priority to timber and to encourage sustainable forestry.

The use of timber is now established as one of the most environmentally friendly materials available. It is renewable, biodegradable, non-toxic, energy efficient and green house gas friendly.

The Federation calls on the next Government to:

• Increase timber consumption by 20% over a five- year period.
• Actively implement the life cycle analysis of a material in procurement decisions
• Ensure open market access for all independently certified timber.
• Encourage forestry as part of a plan to reduce carbon dioxide.
• To press for carbon to be included as part of a nation's carbon quota under the Kyoto Protocol.
• Promote timber as an energy efficient construction material.
• Revise Part L of the Building Regulations to promote the energy efficiency of buildings.

For further information call Mark O'Brien on 020 7389 0126

Note: The manifesto will be distributed to parliamentary candidates

Click here to view Timber Manifesto 2001

Latvian Seminar

The TTF hosted a delegation from the Latvian timber industry on Tuesday 8 May 2001 at Clareville House. The day consisted of two sets of seminars. The morning session had talks on forest policy, management and legislation. The Latvian delegation consisted of twenty and included representatives from the Agriculture Ministry, the State Forestry Service, the Transport Department, the Latvian Timber Exporters Association, as well as a number of Latvian timber companies.The afternoon session consisted of three TTF talks on the environment, communications and construction timber followed by a discussion.

Mark O'Brien, the Head of TTF Public Affairs said, " The one day meeting was a great success for both sides. Andris Krecers the LTEA President agreed that there was a need for mutual recognition of FSC and PEFC and said that the Latvian timber industry would respond according to demands made by the consumer."

TTF/Forests Forever Statement

TTF/Forests Forever and their members recognise that the independent certification of forests and the process chain is the most useful tool in providing assurances that timber comes from legal and well-managed forests. TTF/Forests Forever and their members encourage suppliers to work towards certification wherever practicable but it is acknowledged that suppliers, particularly in developing countries face considerable difficulties in the development and implementation of certification schemes due to the social, political and economic context in which they operate.

TTF/Forests Forever members do not therefore demand that all suppliers should be certified and acknowledge that sound forest management can be practiced without the forest concerned being independently certified. Where suppliers are currently unable to supply certified product they will be asked for evidence that the timber they supply comes from legal and well-managed forests in line with the TTF/Forests Forever Environmental Policies.

TTF/Forests Forever are concerned that the proliferation of schemes, none of which enjoys universal support from all stakeholders, is in danger of diluting the significant market opportunities provided by certification. TTF/FF therefore support mutual recognition initiatives which are seeking to bring together different schemes under a formal mutual recognition arrangement, although it is acknowledged that considerable work remains to be done to ensure this becomes reality.

TTF/FF note the work of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Pan-European Forest Certification framework (PEFC) and the International Forest Industry Roundtable who have developed mutual recognition frameworks. TTF/FF will actively encourage these initiatives to pursue collaboration in order to maximise the market opportunities for certified timber. The TTF/FF also notes the work of the Australian Government and Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) in surveying existing certification initiatives and putting forward criteria and indicators against which the credibility of individual schemes may be assessed and believe that they provide a good foundation on which to build.

The TTF/FF urges all stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue and will continue to play a leading role in mutual recognition initiatives and efforts aimed at bringing stakeholders together to try and reach agreement on the way forward.

Indonesian Forestry Threatened

A TTF seminar on the future of the Indonesian forestry received a stark warning that unless illegal logging is halted, the next decade will see an end to much of Indonesia's current productive forest resource. Alistair Fraser a DFID consultant delivered a presentation to TTF members in which he stated that the current level of illegal logging is estimated to be 30 million cubic metres. In 1991 regulations were introduced which tried to improve the basis of forestry management. Forest production management Units were introduced (KPHP) in an attempt to make forestry more sustainable.

Alistair Fraser recommended that the trade should source timber from companies with KPHPs and encourage other suppliers to work towards adopting these. This would send an important message to Indonesian suppliers about the direction the UK trade wished forest management practices to develop. The UK trade represents only 1-2% of Indonesian exports but the trade is keen to play a positive part in addressing the situation.

The TTF will provide further briefings to members regarding the situation in Indonesia shortly.