Marketing verified sustainable tropical timber
The tropical timber sector has long had an image problem in consumer markets, with an embedded popular perception that it is implicated in deforestation. The STTC supports marketing and communication to demonstrate that sourcing timber from sustainably managed tropical forest actually supports long-term maintenance of this precious resource.
Below is an overview of tropical timber promotional tools, many of which have been developed with support from the STTC. Feel free to use them to promote verified sustainable tropical timber and contact the provider for more information.
| LIFE CYCLE ANALYSES ON TROPICAL TIMBER | |
| Executive summary LCA sheet piling study Infographic LCA sheet piling (Dutch and English) (by EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services) | The LCA pile planking highlights that use of verified sustainable wood in sheet piles leads to lowest environmental impact compared to pvc, recycled pvc and steel. |
| Eleven Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), with LCA data for tropical hardwood, commissioned from Dutch institute NIBE, have been posted at www.houtindegww.nl/LCA by Centrum Hout. | The EPDs are for African and South American species used in various dimensions for pile planking, for road safety barriers and decking. They incorporate LCA summaries (Dutch only), with the full data available from helpdesk@centrum-hout.nl. (Dutch only) |
| Click the summary or full report (Dutch) (by BECO) | The LCA for bicycle bridges demonstrates that verified sustainable timber bicycle bridges have a very low environmental impact, compared to those in concrete, steel and composites. |
| USING FSC TIMBER IN CONSTRUCTION | |
| English, Spanish and Dutch | National FSC offices have developed manuals for consumers and architects explaining the importance of using verified sustainable timber in construction and how it can be integrated into contract. |
| STTC ON YOUTUBE | |
| www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo4fcHAotgARMMREisUeKheUyVKSPmD0B | You can find out more about the about the STTC, its objective and partners, the tropical timber sector and specifying and using certified tropical timber on the STTC YouTube channel |
| SUSTAINABILITY MARKETING RESOURCES | |
| opslagco2inhout.nl/en | Calculate how much CO2 is captured in your wood products in two steps (available in EN, NL, FR, DE) |
| www.isealalliance.org/sustainability-news/breaking-through-barriers-communicating-impact-sustainability-standards | The Iseal Alliance’s Value and Impacts Analysis (VIA) is focused on developing new methods for interpreting and communicating existing evidence on performance and impacts of FSC and improving practices going forward |
| www.fair-and-precious.org (ATIBT, English, French, Spanish) | Targeting a broad audience, Fair & Precious aims to grow the market for certified sustainable tropical timber. Among the multiple benefits of sustainable forest management, it includes the livelihood and well-being impacts for forest communities. It provides a public relations and communications kit |
| Together we are FSC marketingtoolkit.fsc.org/togetherwearefsc (FSC International) | This FSC campaign highlights the contribution of verified sustainable tropical timber to delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) |
| FSC Impact Calculator | The FSC Impact Calculator gives the impacts on forests of using FSC-certified and non-FSC-certified tropical timber. It shows the necessary costs of maintaining environmental impacts at a sustainable level |
| Timber Trade Portal | The Portal is a central information point providing producer country, timber industry and legislation profiles. Covering mainly tropical Africa, Asia and Latin America. |
| TIMBER AVAILABILITY, PROPERTIES AND REGULATIONS | |
| www.lesserknowntimberspecies.com (FSC Denmark, English, Spanish, French) | This FSC site presents guidance, inspiration, technical information and pilot projects for use of lesser known timber species. |
| www.tropicaltimber.info (ITTO, Portuguese, English, French and Spanish) | ITTO Lesser used species provides user and retail buyer information on the properties, uses and availability of lesser-used tropical timber species. It supports SMEs and promotes responsible forestry |
| www.mytropicaltimber.org (ATIBT) | This is B2B site set up by ATIBT, in seven languages, shares information and identifies suppliers of verified sustainable tropical wood |
| www.boistropicaux.org (Le Commerce du Bois, French) | This site provides tropical timber species technical information and lists suppliers. Please note to choose verified sustainable tropical timber only |
| www.houtdatabase.nl (Full website in Dutch, with 30 reference projects using lesser known timber species in English) (managed by Netherlands Timber Trade Association) | Houtdatabase provides information on over 200 timber species and related factsheets. Covering physical and mechanical properties, uses (including reference projects) and suppliers. It also gives availability of timber with a certificate of SFM that meets the Dutch government procurement criteria. |
| www.timbertradeportal.com (ETTF and ATIBT) | The Timber Trade Portal is a central information point providing producer country, timber industry and legislation profiles. Covering mainly tropical Africa, Asia and Latin America. |
