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Local Authorities and sustainable timber procurement

Nick Moss, from the Central Point of Expertise on Timber Procurement, discusses the UK Government policy on timber procurement, why sustainable timber procurement is important for Local Authorities, and help and resources available to Local Authorities to develop and implement a sustainable timber procurement policy.

Illegal and unsustainable logging threatens to deplete and severely degrade vital forest resources which are of enormous importance to biodiversity, indigenous communities and national economies. More recently it has also become clear that forests play a vital role in climate change mitigation with deforestation accounting for up to 20% of annual global emissions of carbon dioxide, more than the transport sector.

As the world's 4th largest importer of timber products, the UK has the responsibility and capability to ensure that the timber it uses comes from legal and sustainable sources. With the UK public sector accounting for about 30% of all timber consumption in the UK, public procurement policies play a central role in incentivising changes in practice and management at the forest source. The UK government has recognised the importance of this issue and since 2000 has had a timber procurement policy in place.

The UK government timber procurement policy requires that central government departments, executive agencies and non departmental bodies procure timber products originating from:

Legal and sustainable sources
FLEGT* licensed timber or equivalent sources.

The policy applies to all timber products including paper, furniture and timber used in construction. Recycled products are also accepted under the policy. The policy is mandatory for central government departments, executive agencies and non departmental public bodies (NDPBs). Local authorities and other autonomous publically funded bodies are strongly encouraged to adopt sustainable timber procurement policies in line with government policy.

The Central Point of Expertise on Timber has been established by Defra to aid the implementation of the policy across the public sector.

The policy is also part of the UK government's wider initiative to facilitate the implementation of sustainable procurement across the public sector. Defra has developed a set of sustainable specifications for a range of commonly-purchased products, such as IT equipment, white goods and paper, called the Government Buying Standards. The Government Buying Standards (GBS) are comprised of both a set of mandatory minimum standards at the market average level and best practice specifications. The timber procurement policy is referred to in GBS for paper, furniture and wood used in construction. GBS are mandatory for all government departments and advisory for Local Authorities. Ensuring compliance with the timber procurement policy will ensure compliance under the relevant GBS.

Local Authorities and sustainable timber procurement

Increasingly Local Authorities recognise the importance of the decisions that they make in buying products and the impacts on environmental and social aspects throughout the world. Many already buy fair trade and have sustainable procurement policies. However a recent ENDS report (2008) found that only 7.5% of Local Councils have a sustainable timber or paper procurement policy, and even less of that proportion actually implement or enforce the policy. Given the significant buying power of the public sector and increasing pressure on forests around the world, there is a need for Local Authorities to adopt timber procurement policies which can incentivize and stimulate the market for sustainable timber products.

Compared to other materials, wood and paper-based goods produced in a sustainable manner is the wise choice. These products come from a renewable source, they capture carbon and store it over a long period of time and such products are recyclable and can be reused or converted into other products.

Local Authorities are beginning to recognise the importance of procuring timber from sustainable sources. In the North East, CPET has been working with the North East Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (NEIEP) to develop and introduce sustainable timber procurement policies into local authorities in the region. This forms an important part of NEIEP's wider programme of work on sustainable procurement, but is also linked to their work on climate change as the maintenance and sustainable management of forests is a key component of global climate change strategies. For example, NEIEP is particularly keen to ensure that local authorities recognise the need to assure the sustainability of their biomass supply chains.

The initial pilot of the initiative was conducted with Durham County Council who developed a policy in line with the UK government timber procurement policy. The success of this initial endeavour led to a roll out of the policy across the region with the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) and several other Local authorities now all moving towards adopting the policy. CPET is now working with the NEIEP and Local Authorities in the region to train personnel in checking and assessing evidence of compliance with the policy and helping to develop systems to monitor implementation.

Additionally, CPET is working with WWF and the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) to encourage Local Authorities to adopt sustainable timber procurement policies and together offer a range of services and toolkits to aid implementation. Together we are able to offer significant free support to assist local authorities to move forward on this agenda. The development of sustainable timber procurement is supported by the timber trade and for the majority of products it affects does not entail additional expense. As such it is a quick win.

CPET, WWF and TTF offers a variety of services which are available to public sector organisations, their suppliers and contractors free of charge. CPET runs a website (www.cpet.org.uk) which has a section dedicated to Local Authorities and contains case studies and model policies. CPET also runs a helpline which is free of charge for public sector buyers or suppliers of timber or timber products to the public sector. You can contact CPET by email (cpet@proforest.net) or phone (01865 243766) with all your questions. CPET also runs regular training workshops at various locations throughout the UK. Again, these are free of charge to public sector buyers and their contractors and suppliers. Please check the CPET website for further details and to download a booking form.

For further information:

Contact Nick Moss, CPET Policy Awareness Coordinator, nick@proforest.net or 01865 243766.

* FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) is an EU initiative to support countries to address illegal logging. A key component of FLEGT will be a licensing scheme between producer partner countries and the EU which verifies legal origin of timber. FLEGT licensed timber is expected to become available by the end of 2010, after which more detailed guidance will be available on the CPET website.