21 Sept  2017 – Conference: Sustainably sourced tropical timber –  selling a positive story

source: Mark van Benthem (left) and 24H architecture (right)

For too long the European tropical timber trade has been on the defensive. An automatic link has been forged in consumers’ and specifiers’ minds between tropical timber, illegal logging and deforestation in many countries. This has combined with lack of awareness of the availability of sustainably sourced timber from well-managed tropical forests and the overall result is that the reputation and market success of all tropical timber has suffered.

The 2017 European Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition (STTC) Conference will be the opportunity to discuss and learn how to sell the truly positive story that sustainably sourced tropical timber has to tell;  to review the challenge and, share knowledge and best practice with colleagues from across Europe on marketing this valuable and versatile material.  It will also be an excellent occasion to network with buyers, suppliers and specifiers.

The arguments for using sustainably sourced tropical timber and particularly lesser-known timber species (LKTS) are strong.  It is key to increasing the economic viability of sustainable forest management (SFM) and, by connection, to sustaining biodiversity and forest community livelihoods. So the onus is on the trade as a whole to boost awareness, specification and use of this high performance, versatile raw material. But it is a story, that can sometimes be complex to communicate and pitch correctly for different audiences.

The STTC Conference 2017 will explore how to improve the image of sustainably sourced tropical timber and market it as a rich and varied resource that can contribute to forest conservation – and do so in a way that appeals to users and consumers.

Learn about

  • The importance of using sustainably sourced tropical timber – it’s ‘Use it or lose it’;­
  • communicating the benefits of tropical timber use and best practices looking at
    • Life Cycle Analyses,
    • contributions to Sustainable Development Goals
    • and Climate Change Mitigation;
  • marketing LKTS;
  • opportunities for a European timber and pulp and paper covenant;
  • sustainable sourcing promotion by Timber Trade Federations.

Open discussion

The Conference will include many opportunities for delegate input, including interactive plenaries and breakout sessions.