Roadmap sets new directions for STTC

Several key destinations are plotted out in the latest ‘roadmap’ for taking the European Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition (STTC) forward from 2018 to 2020.

These include generating more and more reliable data for the European verified sustainable tropical timber market and developing pan-industry partnerships for its mission to grow that market and incentivise the spread of sustainable tropical forest management to supply it. The goal is also to strengthen industry investment in and ownership of the STTC to make it  increasingly self-sustaining.

The STTC roadmap has developed through consultation with members and partners and grew out of discussions at its successful 2017 annual conference in Aarhus. At the same meeting IDH the Sustainable Trade Initiative also announced extension of its support for the STTC to 2020.

The goal for market monitoring is to produce annual reports on European market share of certified sustainable, verified legal and FLEGT-licensed tropical timber.   The aim is also to include secondary processed timber products, growing volumes of which not covered by the EUTR are reported entering the EU market from China and India.

Data collection and analysis partnerships with bodies including certification scheme owners, trade federations, the IMM, ITTO and FAO will also be explored, as will membership fees and project co-funding with private sector and other partners.

An STTC Technical Committee, including representatives of the FSC, PEFC, ATIBT, the ETTF and key national federations, is also being formed. This will have a range of oversight, communication and strategy formulation roles to facilitate the STTC becoming a ‘platform for shared ambition and agenda setting for key private sector stakeholders promoting sustainability’.

Additionally an STTC Political Committee, comprising government, civil society and market research representation will inform and comment on the annual report and advise follow-up action.

The STTC aims to step up lobbying of European governments,  and disseminate communication tools, technical research and other information to partners. It will also focus on clarification of FLEGT licensed timber’s status relative to verified sustainable material.

In addition the STTC will continue to raise awareness on key topics via its annual conference, website and newsletters.