STTC Conference – participation and practical value

The free-of-charge European Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition (STTC) Conference promises real value. It will tackle a range of live timber industry issues around sustainable procurement policy implementation and building market awareness and demand for sustainably sourced tropical wood products. And it will also provide an excellent opportunity to network widely on these issues.

Registration for the June 23 Rotterdam event is now open at www.europeansttc.com, and delegate numbers, currently standing at over 75, are growing, drawn from across the trade, NGOs, local and national authorities and the timber research and development sector.

The Conference title is Real Impact Through Timber Purchasing Policies, with breakout sessions following the theme Timber Procurement Policies in Practice for both the private and the public sector.
“Both underline the aim of the event to tackle current relevant topics and deliver information that has genuine application in the marketplace,” said André de Boer, Secretary General of the European Timber Trade Federation, the STTC implementing partner and one of the Conference co-supporters with the City of Rotterdam, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, and local government sustainability initiative ICLEI.

The morning session will comprise presentations from expert keynote speakers, followed by questions and answers. These will focus on various aspects of STTC’s core messages; how trade and specifier procurement policy can drive a vibrant, growing European market for sustainably sourced tropical timber and how this, in turn, can incentivise the spread of sustainable forest management in supplier countries.

Speakers will include EU Green Public Procurement Policy Officer Robert Kaukewitsch, Stéphane Glannaz and Peter Gijsen of STTC participant companies Precious Woods and BAM, environmental policy analyst Duncan Brack, Maja Valstar of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, Léon Dijk environmental coordinator of the City of Rotterdam, Netherlands Timber Trade Association Managing Director Paul van den Heuvel, André de Boer and Lidia Capparelli of Italian national procurement agency CONSIP.

Conference moderator Peter Woodward of Quest Associates will ensure delegate engagement and participation throughout the day, and the afternoon breakout workshops will open up still more participation and discussion around different key subjects.  These will include:

  • The activities of the STTC, implementation of sustainable procurement action plans by members, and trade input on its possible future strategies
  • Barriers to sustainable tropical timber becoming mainstream and  overcoming them
  • Tackling price differences between certified sustainably sourced and non-certified timber
  • Financial incentives and instruments favouring sustainably sourced timber products, with new research from analysts CE Delft
  • Dealing with threats to tropical timber from alternative material substitution
  • Strategies for developing sustainable tropical timber’s market image and perceived value.

Moderators of these sessions will include André de Boer and, also representing the private sector, Eric Boilley, Director of French federation Le Commerce du Bois, and Alberto Romero, General Secretary of Spanish federation AEIM.

Alongside breakout sessions for the public sector will address topics including:

  • Barriers and building blocks in developing sustainable timber procurement policies (STTPs)
  • Developing public sector participation and public-private partnerships in the STTC
  • Linking STTPs to ‘hot topics’, such as climate change
  • Specifying sustainably sourced timber in contracts
  • The status of FLEGT-licensed and recycled timber in STTPs

Moderators here will be STTC Consultant Mark van Benthem, Ulrich Bick of the German Thünen Institute, Peter Defranceschi of ICLEI, and Ms Capparelli.

A final plenary will include breakout session reports, a panel discussion and further questions and answers.

For more information contact Joyce Penninkhof on joyce.penninkhof@probos.nl, or +31 (0) 317-466557.