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UK Government Procurement Policy

The UK Government is committed to seeking to procure products made from timber that has been legally felled and grown in a forest or plantation managed to sustain biodiversity, productivity, vitality and to prevent harm to other ecosystems and indigenous or forest dependent people. In 2000 the UK Government announced that is was to implement a timber procurement policy as part of its commitment to address illegal logging and mitigate climate change.

“Sustainable” and “legal” timber are complex concepts and difficult to define. International protocols broadly agree on the principles for sustainable forest management (SFM) – but these are too vague for contractual purposes. In order to support government procurement officers, DEFRA set up the Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) in 2004. This function is administered by ProForest, an internationally recognised consultancy.

CPET are responsible for assessing evidence for legality and sustainability and advising government procurement officers. The evidence is split into two types; Category A evidence is certification schemes and Category B evidence is any other evidence, e.g. Government Licence, verified legal programmes, etc.

 

The UK Government’s policy has had a profound effect on the UK timber trade and its supply chains. Meetings and seminars reveal a growing awareness among suppliers and a significant increase in positive action.  More suppliers and traders are seeking to supply certified products and in some cases have their own operations certified.  For further information, including details of how it all began and guidance for buyers and suppliers see the documents below and the CPET website.

The TTF, CPET and WWF recently produced a Local Authority Timber Guide called, 'Where does your timber come from?' giving advice on setting up and implementing a timber procurement policy which is in line with the UK Government policy. As Local Authorities are major buyers and users of timber this is an important initiative which can further strengthen efforts to ensure responsible timber sourcing throughout the UK.