Key to the development and growth of the European sustainable tropical timber market is accurate information on the trade. This provides the foundation for and informs campaigns and initiatives to increase sustainable tropical timber procurement, which, in turn can drive uptake of sustainable forest management in tropical countries.
Below you will find details of data provided by STTC and links to other information sources.
Currently only an estimated 28.5% of European primary tropical timber sales are verified sustainably sourced.
That’s according to IDH and STTC partner, forest and timber sustainability analyst and advisor, Probos. So there is, considerable scope for market share growth, even in countries such as the UK and the Netherlands, where there are already high levels of environmental awareness and commitment on sustainability issues.
According to the IDH report ‘The Data Speaks’, these last two countries have achieved 42.5% and 67.5% verified sustainable tropical timber sourcing. Of other leading EU tropical timber importers, Germany has achieved 32.5%, and Belgium 27.5%, while the figure for France is 12.5% and for Italy and Spain a maximum of 10%. Clearly, there is much work to be done.
The STTC’s ambition is to increase the share taken by verified sustainable tropical timber to 50% of the European primary tropical market by 2020. Fundamental to achieving that is to gather and disseminate accurate, current market data. Analysis of the numbers on trade flows, what products are supplied from which sources and where they do and don’t sell, is not only key to shaping policy and targeting market promotion and education initiatives. It is also vital for measuring success.
Data sources
In 2018 the STTC published an initial report, ‘How sustainable are Europe’s tropical timber imports?’, with data to 2016. An update, undertaken in association with the Global Timber Forum (GTF) covering 2018, is nearing completion. Data has been collated and it will be published soon.
There are various other data sources available on tropical timber trade flows, with some including data on verified sustainable timber. These have a narrower focus, but include information on such aspects as national initiatives to demonstrate procurement policies are met (see table below).
| INTERNATIONAL | |
| Sustainable Timber Information Exchange (STIX) | Aims to improve the quality and level of access to global timber trade flow statistics to monitor trade flows and policy implementation. The initial STIX site is available for review at www.stix.eco/shiny/app/stix/. |
| FSC International | An estimate of the share of FSC-certified timber in global wood production . |
| Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) | MTCC includes statistics in their annual reports about the amount of MTCS-certified timber exported to various countries |
| The Borneo Initiative (TBI) | Provides tradeflow data from Indonesian concession holders participating in The Borneo Initiative |
| NATIONAL | |
| UK Timber Trade Federation | Compiles data on procurement by TTF members following its compulsory Responsible Purchasing Policy, including figures for market share of certified hardwoods and country of origin. |
| Netherlands Timber Trade Association | Undertakes analysis by product group of total and per company procurement by NTTA members under its Responsible Purchasing Policy (Dutch only) |
| The Netherlands | Probos has monitored Dutch market share of sustainably sourced timber since 2005. Latest figures cover 2015, with 2017 report soon (summary in English, full report in Dutch) |
| Belgium | Probos and partners have monitored market share verified sustainable timber in Belgium since 2011, with latest figures covering 2016 (summary in French, full report in Dutch) |
