Certified forest management at route to meeting Fair&Precious commitments

Photo: Nicolas Rénac

Partners in the Fair&Precious (F&P) sustainable tropical timber promotion campaign made 10 key commitments to operate sustainably, ethically and legally. Now F&P founder ATIBT has commissioned a report further explaining those commitments and demonstrating how they are met through supporting certified Sustainable Forest Management (SFM).

Initially, Probos’ forest and timber sustainability analysts and advisors from Wageningen, the Netherlands, undertook a literature review to elaborate on the commitments and their value. Subsequently Simon Lhoest of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech at the Université de Liège was commissioned taking into account latest scientific research and data to show the linkages between the F&P pledges and SFM. The resulting report, The 10 commitments of Fair&Precious: the Scientific Arguments, will soon to be posted on ATIBT’s website.

The first F&P commitment made by partners is to support management and protection of tropical forests to help combat climate change. Mr. Lhoest’s report cites evidence showing that SFM helps maintain the forest’s carbon stock, with selective felling and reduced impact logging resulting in the retention of 76% to 92% of the original volume. It then returns to 100% after the harvest cycle, often quite rapidly. Research in the Amazon, showed carbon stocks of a sustainably managed area actually above original levels 16 years after harvest.
F&P supporters also pledge to keep timber harvest levels below forest growth rates. SFM, says the report, adapts felling to specific forest environments, where necessary diversifying target species to ensure regrowth of the timber stock.

Selective felling can also accelerate regeneration, with research showing higher rates of new growth in FSC-certified sustainably harvested areas than in mature, non-exploited forest. F&P partners also undertake to increase knowledge of biodiversity to conserve species. Mr. Lhoest quotes research showing abundance of species is significantly greater in selectively harvested areas than in forest otherwise disturbed by human activity. In fact, he states, research has shown that selective logging ‘energizes the forest ecosystem’. “It creates gaps, such as those that occur in forests naturally, which constitute micro-habitats necessary for development a multitude of tropical species,” he says. By conserving tree cover over large areas, it also allows connectivity between and dispersion of flora and fauna populations

Prevention of poaching is another F&P commitment. Companies implementing FSC and PAFC/PEFC-certified SFM must implement a globally-defined policy of wildlife management. That includes training and awareness raising programmes on the importance of wildlife protection for employees and local communities and anti-poaching strategies. Provision of alternative protein sources to reduce bush meat consumption can also be involved.

F&P commitments address too the social and economic well-being of forest operation employees and local communities. The report cites research showing that, due to the social and ethical obligations imposed on companies by SFM certification, their workforces and their families enjoy better living conditions. They have access to better healthcare, housing and education, while local services and wider infrastructure are improved.

The report also looks at the connection between certified SFM and the other F&P commitments, including the pledges to support value-added timber production local to forest operations, train local people and use of a wider range of tropical timber species to make best environmental and economic use of the forest resource.

“Each of the 10 Fair&Precious commitments is put into perspective, with an explanation of how SFM contributes to them based on latest scientific research,” said ATIBT General Manager Benoît Jobbé-Duval.

New tropical timber trade governance deal proposed at COP26

David Hopkins

Policy makers at COP26 are being urged to back a new deal to strengthen governance in the tropical forest and timber trade. It proposes incentivizing tropical supplier countries to sign up by giving them preferential access to consumer markets globally in return.

The Tropical Timber Accord is described as a call to action from the global private timber sector to global governments, with the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow seen as the ideal opportunity to launch a campaign for its implementation.

The concept has been developed by the UK Timber Trade Federation (TTF), with backing from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in consultation with other trade bodies and government agencies worldwide. TTF Chief Executive David Hopkins, who was given four time slots to present it in the Blue Zone at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, described it as a new way to combat the illegal tropical timber trade and illegal conversion of forest land. “It’s a fresh approach, not simply to maintain forests, but to increase their environmental, social and economic value,” he said.

The Accord opens by stating that the world’s tropical forests are key to climate regulation, but have never been in such danger. The biggest threat comes from largely illegal conversion, primarily to agriculture and mining. Lack of effective governance has also ‘allowed a lucrative international trade in goods from illegally deforested areas’. “Businesses wanting to invest in sustainable production of timber and other forest products find themselves undercut, undermined and disincentivised by illegal operators,” it states. Despite international treaties on climate change and other agreements to protect it, the area of tropical forest has continued to decrease. “Even forest development policies such as UN REDD and REDD+ are undermined, because without strong governance mechanisms, there is no guarantee of permanence in the forest or landscape investments they make,” states the Accord. “We need new policies that incentivise legal and governance reform to ensure long-term forest sustainability and growth. Countries implementing those reforms should be rewarded with enhanced trade benefits, attracting investment to industries that depend on retaining forests as forest.”

Much of the groundwork for such an approach, it adds, has been laid by international Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) conferences and, notably, the UK/EU FLEGT Action Plan. However, the market leverage of FLEGT is limited as it’s only recognised by the UK and EU, when today other countries, such as China, the US, Japan and the Middle East, are such major tropical timber and forest product consumers. “We need a global solution, an incentivising international legal trade framework for tropical forest and forest product supply chain governance and management,” states the Accord.

It proposes a new international forest governance framework that will:
• Set principles and processes enshrined in law by which future international trade could recognise, incentivise, and support strong governance and sustainable forestry
• Be based on each country’s nationally determined norms and standards and define a process for recognizing these to ensure mutual recognition and encourage compliance
• Encourage consumer markets to adopt policies that promote responsible consumption and trade with countries with strong forest governance and discourage trade from those which cannot demonstrate and verify good forest governance
• Incentivise countries to implement effective forest governance by giving their forest products industries preferential ‘green lane’ access to markets and trade, backed by communications and promotion throughout the supply chain.

London festival highlights timber’s climate role

Tree whisperer, one of the TTF Conversations about climate change competition winners

The World of Wood Festival (WOW), a six week event to highlight the contribution forestry and timber can make to combating global warming, is being held in London to coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference. Running from October 25 to December 1, a key focus will be the UK/EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade initiative and sustainability and governance more widely in the tropical timber sector.

WOW, which is taking place in the London Building Centre, was jointly devised by the UK Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and European Confederation of Woodworking Industries (CEI-Bois). It is backed with UK government funding and supported by an alliance of 40 other trade associations, businesses, campaigns and organisations including bodies focused on forest growth and development. On show will be latest developments in engineered/mass timber and other wood products from around the world, including Ghana, Indonesia, China, Australia and North America.

Seminars and presentations will cover a range of forest and timber topics. The core message is that using more wood from responsibly managed forests generally – but particularly in construction – can play a vital role in mitigating climate change. Another emphasis at WOW will be that good forestry and timber governance are key to sustainability and maintaining the world’s forests and their role, both in regulating the climate and maintaining biodiversity. This ties in with the TTF’s launch of its Tropical Timber Manifesto, which is proposing a new global governance framework rewarding supplier countries which implement governance reform with preferential consumer market access (see accompanying story).

The TTF has been a leading supporter of the UK/EU FLEGT initiative since its launch and has been running a government-funded FLEGT Communication Campaign. This has included design competitions, challenging architects and designers to create structures, objects and furniture in tropical hardwoods from FLEGT VPA countries. The latest was titled ‘Conversations About Climate Change’, where the entrants’ brief was to design pieces that triggered discussion about the carbon and wider environmental benefits of using legal, sustainable timber. The winning entries from this competition will feature at WOW and there will be plenty of messaging about the key importance of good governance in the global timber trade.

On November 9, the FLEGT Independent Market Monitor (IMM) will also host a presentation at the Festival, describing its work in tracking timber market legality assurance development and its impact on trade flows. Other WOW events will look at new developments across the international timber supply chain and the Festival will be backed by an extensive digital communications and virtual experience programme.

The organisers say it will highlight ‘international best practices and use its in-person and digital experience platforms for discussion and knowledge-sharing with the aim of strengthening forest governance and trade in wood products globally’. “We want to display wood’s beauty and its role in the climate emergency as a carbon store and to build global recognition that good governance and forest management is the core component of growing forests around the world,” said TTF Chief Executive David Hopkins. “One key message prevails and remains more crucial than ever: that wood equals hope.”

WOW has a dedicated website where visitors will be able to download an augmented reality app for a virtual tour of the exhibition. For more information contact lbedry@ttf.co.uk

Climate role of timber and forests on the map at COP26

Photo: AECOM

The Cities4Forests organisation and UK timber marketing campaign Wood for Good are hosting a range of events in and around COP26 in Glasgow to highlight the vital climate role of forests and timber. Cities4Forests is a global programme to encourage urban centres worldwide to connect with and invest in all types of forests, from urban to tropical, and use ‘nature-based solutions for city infrastructure’. Its events at COP26 include a presentation in the Nature Zone titled ‘How cities are inspiring nations, companies and financiers to embrace forest action’.

On November 3 at the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) at Blantyre near Glasgow it hosts a roundtable on sustainable timber innovation and on November 6, in association with Glasgow City Council, it is hosting a live-streamed presentation on how cities are incorporating nature-based solutions in climate action plans ‘to achieve environmental, social and economic goals’.

Also in partnership with CSIC, Cities4Forests has created the Partner Forest Boardwalk. This will be in place throughout COP26 from November 1-12 and will feature timber from community forest concessions in Guatemala and the Iwokrama community in Guyana. “Our aim is for the Partner Forest ensemble to inspire other cities to invest in faraway forest conservation, which has some of the greatest returns on climate investment,” said Cities4Forests.

Wood for Good is holding a conference on use of timber in construction on November 2 at CSIC as part of the Built Environment at COP26 project (be@COP26). It is also sponsoring the UK Green Building Council’s Build Better Now virtual exhibition. This highlights the ‘role buildings and cities can play as a solution to the climate and ecological emergency’. Wood for Good has also posted an interactive map on its website to show where and when the different activities and events focused on timber take place at COP26.

 

Fair&Precious Partners in the spotlight

In the latest of our interviews with Fair&Precious partners, we ask Paolo Bracciano, Managing Director of Regalis, about its business, its outlook and ethos.

How would you describe your business; who you are, what you do and what you stand for?
Regalis is a trading company, specialised in international wood products supply. We source quality hardwoods and softwoods from West and Central Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and USA. With long experience, we offer verified legal and sustainable wood products to importers and manufacturers worldwide. We engage in constant, regular purchasing programs with our suppliers, to ensure our wood offer is both extensive and available. We support suppliers and often participate in investments with them to further improve and develop their factories’ transformation capacity, to help further develop the local economy and reduce the carbon footprint related to product transport.

Why did you become a Fair&Precious partner?
It gives us the opportunity to help develop market knowledge, especially in those countries not yet familiar with it, of the value of verified legal and sustainable tropical timber.

What do you see as the challenges for tropical timber to retain European market share?
I see more opportunities than challenges. Timber harvested responsibly from well managed forests is the building material of the future.

How important is the European market to the tropical timber industry?
Europe remains the main reference market for tropical timber, especially in terms of wood working practices. It still has a very important role in the development and spread of tropical timber knowledge and of new applications.

In which market or end-product sectors do you see greatest opportunities for sustainable tropical timber?
Regalis has been a pioneer in developing tropical timbers in several markets that were not accustomed to using them. This has taken considerable effort in terms of promotion and training, but has been a success. We see several other potential markets and applications where tropical timber can grow, but only by investing in marketing. In particular, we see potential in areas related to the ‘green building’, both in structural and decorative applications.

Do you see potential for growing market uptake of secondary sustainable tropical timber species?
Regalis has promoted development of lesser known species for some time. It’s not easy, especially in Europe, where the market is strongly attached to its ‘traditional species’. New markets are more open to trying secondary species. But their use will probably increase in the coming years due to the shortage of more commonly used species. They need to be supported with research and application projects to determine their technical, aesthetic and durability characteristics.

What would be your sales pitch for sustainable tropical timber or timber products to a customer?
Thanks to the biodiversity of the tropical forest, you have a wide spectrum of species, all with different technical, durability and appearance characteristics, and they can often be used in their natural state, without the need of preservative treatment chemicals.

Are you optimistic for the future of the sustainable tropical timber sector?
We’re really optimistic about the future. We expect further development of woodworking industries in producer countries, leading to a reduction in the carbon footprint of our trade. And we’re confident the introduction of new forest laws will support sustainable forest management system in the majority of the forests, in turn allowing us to further enhance our tropical timber offer.

 

Science supports sustainable timber supply

World Forest ID’s aim is to enable the use of science-based species identification and traceability techniques to police trade in the top 200 most commercial and vulnerable timber species. This, it maintains, would deliver a significant blow against illegal logging globally and underpin maintenance of the forest resource, its biodiversity and critical role in climate regulation.

To achieve its goal, World Forest ID (WFID) has set out to create a collection of geo-referenced samples of key timber species from around the world. At the same time, partner laboratories are using such techniques as Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis (SIRA) and DART (Direct Analysis in Real Time) mass spectrometry to record the samples’ chemical and structural profiles, each of which is unique to both species and location.

“The main obstacle to using science-based traceability to date has been that existing wood sample collections around the world are not geo-referenced. So, they cannot be used with these techniques to prove timber origin, which is key in prosecuting illegal timber traffickers,” said WFID chief executive Phil Guillery.

Consequently, he explained, a consortium came together to form World Forest ID and address this shortcoming. It comprised the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the US Forest Service International Programs Office (USFSIP), WFID’s main funder to date. Also involved are UK-based SIRA experts, Agroisolab and Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London, designated curator of the wood sample collection.

Samples from all over the world
Now a not-for-profit entity in its own right, the range of WFID’s sample collection program is already extensive. Shown on a map on its website, it ranges across 21 countries, from West Africa, Asia (including China) and the Pacific, to north, central and south America, Europe and Russia.

Collectors gather samples of sapwood, heartwood, cambium, bark and leaves from a number of trees of a specific species in a particular area. Using the WFID app, the trees’ location is then registered via GPS to an accuracy of 8-16m.

While some analysis will be done in the samples’ country of origin, most to date has been undertaken by Agroisolab and the USFSIP’s Wood Identification and Screening Centre. Besides SIRA and DART mass spectrometry, methods used include digital imaging and DNA analysis. The project is also focused on traceability of other forest-risk commodities, such as soy, coffee and biofuels.

Free data for cross reference
The end result of the analysis program is a bank of irrefutable scientific data, effectively chemical and structural fingerprints, identifying the wood samples’ species and provenance. Held in a database at the University of Connecticut, this can be freely accessed by ISO-registered public and private test laboratories to cross reference with traded timber so they can prove it’s what it’s claimed to be and confirm it comes from legal, sustainable sources.

“We’ve created the infrastructure and partnerships necessary to build the only open-source geo-referenced wood and agriculture collection in the world,” said Mr. Guillery. “This will enable us to overcome barriers to increasing mainstream use of scientific analysis techniques to rein in the lucrative and destructive trade in illegal forest products.”

He stressed that WFID’s sample collection and database can also be used to identify ‘good wood as well as bad’. Thus it can be employed by the legitimate trade to assure customers its timber is legal and sustainable and its supply chains are deforestation-free.

In its latest project, WFID is working with the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and other partners. Currently in pilot phase, focused on sample collection and analysis of white oak and tulipwood in Kentucky, the ultimate aim is a species identity and traceability database covering the entire US hardwood forest. This, maintains, WFID could become a model for equivalent nationwide schemes globally.

Thanks to AHEC for its help in writing this article.

First phase of tropical timber EPD project complete

The initial Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data collection phase of the international Dryades project to develop Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Health Declaration Sheets (FDESs) for tropical timber is now complete.

Dryades was launched last year and is a joint initiative of the International Tropical Timber Technical Association (ATIBT), its member companies and French timber trade association Le Commerce du Bois (LCB). Funded by the PPECF-COMIFAC central Africa forest certification programme, plus ATIBT members and LCB, the objective is to strengthen commercial prospects of verified sustainable tropical timber in an international market which attaches increasing importance to environmental performance and validation.

LCA based products’ environmental claims
ATIBT Managing Director Benoît Jobbé-Duval said Dryades was also prompted by increasing governmental demands for proof of construction products’ environmental impacts. “In the case of France, for example, when building product marketing includes environmental performance claims, manufacturers are required to provide an EPD, which gives the product’s complete environmental profile, principally based on life cycle analysis (LCA),” said Mr Jobbé-Duval.

The Dryades project is initially focused on Gabon, the Republic of Congo and Cameroon and the companies engaged in the first phase are Pallisco, IFO-Interholco, Precious Woods and ARBOR. Products covered in the LCI are logs, sawn timber, squares, hydraulic timber and sleepers, profiles (decking, joists, panelling, mouldings), veneers and plywood. It also encompasses strip and plywood siding, solid timber flooring and baseboards. Technical director of the project is consultancy ESTEANA, a French-based specialist in life cycle analysis in timber and sustainable construction. Verification of its findings will be undertaken by an independent auditor.

“Once the results of the LCI are in, the Dryades project team will define the validity framework of the LCI and EPD and develop a procedure for project stakeholders,” said ATIBT Project Manager Alessandra Negri.

Potential for upscaling
The Dryades team is also in contact on their potential involvement with Netherlands timber market development body Centrum Hout, which has extensive experience in timber LCA. ESTEANA has started analysis of the LCI data, with the first outcomes expected October. The resulting LCA will then undergo critical review.

“The data collection phase for the EPDs and FDESs will start in November, with the first results expected by the end of April 2022,” said Ms Negri. She added that currently Dryades has a finite objective and end point, in terms of developing EPDs and FDES for the products currently under evaluation. “However, given the importance of the project and the need to update the data – every five years for EPDs – a follow-up will certainly be envisaged,” she said.

Mr Jobbé-Duval said earlier that requirements for product environmental performance verification are also set to grow at European level. “As part of the strengthening of the EU Construction Products Regulation (CPR), the European Commission has drawn up a draft delegated act to make environmental declarations compulsory within the framework of CE European quality assurance marking of construction products,” he said.

 

Forests are mitigators and victims of climate change

Photo: CIFOR

A report from global forest monitoring network ForestPlots.net concludes that intact tropical forests have been surprisingly resilient to man-made climate change. However, it says, ‘many are now reaching the limits of their tolerance to global heating and drying’.

The report, ‘Taking the pulse of earth’s tropical forests using networks of highly distributed forest plots’, draws on the work of ForestPlot.net’s 2,500 affiliate researchers worldwide who operate in international, national and regional groupings. In total the organisation, which is coordinated from Leeds University in the UK, integrates 24 such networks, monitoring 5,138 plots in 59 countries.

It says these networks, such as RAINFOR in South America, AfriTRON in Africa and T-Forces in Asia, have the ‘power to transform tropical forest science and build understanding of tropical forests and their biospheric role’. “Together we have discovered, how, where and why forest carbon and biodiversity are responding to climate change and how they feedback on it,” it states. “This long-term pan-tropical collaboration has revealed a large, long-term carbon sink [in tropical forest] and its trends, as well as making clear which forest processes are affected and the likely future responses of forests as the climate continues to change.”

Variations across continents
The report looks at monitoring network research into the connection between carbon storage and biodiversity in terms of tree species mix. This has found significant variations across continents. It has concluded that South America’s forests are richest in terms of biodiversity, but store least carbon per hectare. Findings also suggest strong carbon-biodiversity relationships are found only in disturbed and secondary forests, but not old-growth. African forests have been found to have most biomass, while in terms of carbon gains, Borneo’s forests are twice as productive as any other.
From this ForestPlots.net concludes that:
• Global-scale ecological modelling must take biological composition into account;
• Each continent needs its own forest research and monitoring programme;
• Each region likely responds to climate change in its own, individual way.

ForestPlots.net ground measurements show the global tropical forests sequestered over one billion tonnes of carbon annually through the 1990s and 2000s – ‘sufficient to significantly slow climate change’. But its research also reveals the impacts that global warming and other human activity are having on forest health, diversity and carbon sink capacity.

Findings include that:
• Maximum temperature and dry season intensity combine to act on tree productivity and mortality to limit forest carbon storage capacity;
• Forests exhibit resilience to low amounts of warming, but in hottest forests biomass carbon levels drop off rapidly.

“Looking forward, key uncertainties that remain concern the responses [to global warming] of tropical biodiversity itself,” concludes ForestPlots.net. “This includes the extent to which the great biocomplexity of tropical forests – the most diverse, productive ecosystems on Earth – will provide an effective insurance policy in the face of rapidly changing climates. To understand this, forest monitoring must continue.”

 

Netherlands reports further rise in certified imports’ market share

Photo: Wijma

Latest analysis of Dutch timber imports reveals a further rise in the proportion certified ‘from demonstrably sustainably managed forests‘ under FSC or PEFC schemes. There has also been an increase in the volume of FLEGT-licensed timber and sheet materials imported from Indonesia.

The report, commissioned by the Netherlands Timber Trade Association (NTTA) undertaken by forest and timber sustainability advisors and analysts Probos, shows that in 2020 93.7% of the 2.047 million m3 of timber and panel products imported by NTTA members (who account for the vast bulk of Dutch imports) was chain of custody certified. This compared with 91.9% of the 1.76 million m3 imported in 2019.

The proportion of the Netherlands’ 319,000 m3 of hardwood imports certified was 67.2%, up from 62.4% in 2019. Within that figure, the percentage of the 269,550 m3 of tropical imports certified was 65.1%, compared to 61.6% in 2019, while that of the 49,482 m3 of temperate hardwood imports was 78.6% as against 67.2%.

The figures show Dutch FLEGT-licensed imports up substantially; from 26,934 m3 in 2019 to 47,944 in 2020. This gave them a 17.8% share of total tropical timber imports. Probos highlighted that a proportion of FLEGT-licensed imports were also certified sustainable.

Looking at other timber product categories, the certified sustainable proportion of the Netherlands’ 1.09 million m3 of softwood imports in 2020 was 98.8%, while for its 616,462 m3 sheet materials import total it was 98.2%.

Increased transparency through Thémis
After reporting on sustainable timber sourcing in the Dutch and Belgian market for 15 years, Probos is now working on a timber data gathering tool and information portal to help timber trade federations across Europe to monitor, benchmark and promote verified sustainable timber procurement in their countries to support sustainable forest management in producer countries.

Launched earlier this year, Thémis is being developed in association with French trade association Le Commerce du Bois (LCB), Fedustria of Belgium, the UK Timber Trade Federation, the International Tropical Timber Technical Association (ATIBT) and IT company Graphius. Thémis is supported by PPECF and IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative.

By tracking sustainable procurement, says Probos, trade bodies can increase timber trade transparency, monitor progress and target interventions to grow certified timber market share. By highlighting the level of wood sourced sustainably it can also help ‘positively brand the sector and timber generally’. The first round of monitoring amongst members of Fedustria, LCB and ATIBT has taken place.

 

Fair&Precious Partners in the spotlight

In the first of a series of interviews with Fair&Precious partners about their companies, business ethos and ambitions for the sustainable tropical timber campaign, we speak with Vandecasteele Houtimport export manager Geneviève Standaert.

How would you describe Vandecasteele; who you are, what you do and what you stand for?

Geneviève Standaert: Vandecasteele Houtimport is a fifth-generation family-run business importing timber and timber products from over 45 countries worldwide. We’re located in Kortrijk, Aalbeke, Belgium, where we specialise in the import, trading and export of tropical hardwood from Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. The company also supplies Scandinavian and Russian Softwood, Siberian Larch, North American soft and hardwood and European Hardwood.

Established in 1883 by Louis Vandecasteele, the company has been passed down through the generations to current owner Stefaan Vandecasteele. Stefaan took over running the company in 2000 and together with son Louis and daughter Margaux, is keeping the company’s family spirit alive. Strong relationships with customers and suppliers based on mutual trust lie at the heart of the business. Also key is the ability to adapt and react to an ever changing, fast-paced industry, enabling Vandecasteele Houtimport to put customers’ needs first and foremost.

Why did you become a Fair&Precious partner?

Becoming a partner of F&P is a natural step towards our main goal, which is to trade exclusively in certified timber from 2025. We’re aiming to become a European ambassador for certified timber. And we believe all our partners, suppliers, customers and co-workers should share that ambition. The more the merrier!

The European tropical timber sector has battled to hold on to market share in recent years. What would you say are its major challenges?

A major task is to convince our suppliers and customers that certification is the way to go, and key for our business in the long term. So supply and price are challenges, as is raising customer awareness of the issues. Fierce competition from alternative materials, greenwashed with expensive marketing campaigns, is also not helping tropical timber’s image.

Do you believe the tropical timber sector can rebuild its presence in Europe?

Yes, if two goals are met. One is that all forest risk commodities should meet the same regulatory requirements as timber. The second is that all building materials should meet equally strict criteria in such areas as carbon impact and circularity. Virgin plastic and recycled plastic should absolutely not be considered a sustainable, green building material.

In which market do you see greatest possibilities for growing sustainable tropical timber sales?

The building materials market offers most potential. Within this sector, architects and building developers make the key specification decisions and should be the prime target for sustainable tropical timber promotion. Governments can also play a role in driving use of natural, sustainable construction materials and curbing use of non-sustainable products.

Do you see new applications opening for sustainable tropical timber in the future?

We can and must recover construction market share lost by timber due to misinformation about fire resistance, often emanating from other materials sectors. In the past, timber formed a core element of even very large buildings, from cathedrals to major industrial units. It may be difficult to persuade some people of the merits of building with wood, but global growth in timber high-rise, which meet strictest fire safety regulations, shows it can be done.

How can the timber sector grow demand for lesser known sustainable tropical timber species?

We can emphasise that it makes better use of the forest and reduces pressure on more popular species. It’s better for supply and for price. To grow sales, we should sell timber by durability, or even by grain structure and colour rather than species. So, we would sell a durability class I product rather than Padouk, or a chocolate brown durability class 3 product rather than American walnut.

What would be your sales pitch for sustainable tropical timber ?

It’s all about selling the right timber for the right purpose. Tropical timbers, in particular, should be sold on their superior durability, class I and 2, which means they can be used externally without potentially harmful chemical treatment. We should also sell it on the basis that using sustainably sourced tropical timber incentivises uptake of sustainable forest management in tropical countries.

Are you optimistic for the future of the sustainable tropical timber sector?

Yes. We have opportunity and momentum – it’s time for our whole industry to engage in promoting certified tropical timbers.