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Forest source information
Background
To confirm that a wood-based product originated in a legally and/or sustainably managed forest it is necessary to know how the forests it came from were managed. A definition of what ‘legal’ and ‘sustainable’ sources are for the purpose of UK Government procurement of timber and wood products is set out in UK Government Timber Procurement Policy: Definition of Legal and Sustainable, available for download from the CPET webpage or by request.
Legal sources
In the context of the UK Government’s timber procurement policy, legality of forest source refers to legal use rights, compliance with local and national laws, payment of royalties and taxes and respecting CITES requirements.
Because the term ‘illegal timber’ refers to laws that have been broken in the country of origin, it is still possible to import it in to the UK without necessarily breaking any UK laws. However, work is currently being done at the EU level to explore ways to exclude illegal timber from the EU.
In order to provide Category B evidence for legality, forest source information is required. This includes verification that the requirements for legality have been met, and provision of supporting documentation and evidence. This information should be presented in Checklist 2.
Dowload Checklist 2 - Forest source information for legality
A Practical Guide has been prepared to assist completion of the Checklist.
Download Practical Guide: Forest source information
Sustainable sources
In order to demonstrate that the forest source is sustainable, the forest owner or manager must have a definition of ‘sustainable’ in place which they are meeting through their harvesting and management activities. Many people have different ideas of what is meant by sustainable – for some, it is as simple as making sure that trees are replanted after harvesting – however, this alone would not be sufficient under the UK Government’s timber procurement policy.
Under the UK Government’s policy, the definition of sustainable must be based on a widely accepted set of international principles and criteria. The definition itself must have been developed with representation and input from economic, environmental and social interest categories and the decision making process must have ensured that no single interest was able to dominate the process and that no decision could be made without majority agreement of an interest category.
The definition that the forest manager or owner uses must include requirements that the management of the forest must ensure that harm to ecosystems is minimised, that forest productivity is maintained, that forest ecosystem health and vitality is maintained and that biodiversity is maintained.
Currently, demonstrating sustainability of forest sources uses Category B evidence is very difficult. It is possible in theory, and Category B Checlist 3 details the requirements which must be met.
Download Checklist 3 - Forest source information on sustainbaility
Information on sustainable forest sources is also available in the Practical Guide.
