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AEIM, the Spanish timber importers federation, has cemented its reputation as one of the most active promoters of the European Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition (STTC) and its message.

This year it has spread the word about the Coalition and took its message to new audiences through a range of events and initiatives.

At the Maderalia, Spain’s premier timber trade exhibition, it brought the STTC to the attention of some 3,000 people, the number which visited its stand.

The AEIM’s display featured STTC posters  and it handed out hundreds of copies of a special brochure it has produced in Spanish English versions. This outlines the Coalition and its goal to increase European sustainably sourced tropical timber sales.

AEIM General Secretary Alberto Romero confirmed that the promotional material received “great interest”.

“Many visitors commented  on the importance of spreading the message that consuming sustainably sourced tropical timber incentivises sustainable forest management and forest conservation, ” he said.

The AEIM has also included a special section on the STTC in its new Timber Directory, considered the ‘bible’ of the Spanish timber sector. This describes the Coalition’s activities and highlights  its  goal to increase European certified tropical timber sales by 50% over 2013 levels by 2020.

AEIM officially launched the Timber Directory 2016 at a presentation attended by 200 people and distributed 2,000 copies  at the show.

André de Boer,  Secretary General of STTC principal partner, also presented the work of the STTC to 70 AEIM members at its 2016 Annual General Meeting. He detailed its funding for business, federations and local authorities to implement sustainable procurement Action Plans and other projects to boost sustainably sourced tropical timber sales.

A new report from the WWF underlines that supporting sustainable forest management through sustainable procurement, is not only good for the forest and the environment, it’s increasingly good for business.

The report, ‘100% Sustainable Timber Markets the Economic and Business Case’ focuses on the UK timber market, where the WWF’s Forest Priority campaign is pressing businesses to achieve this level of sustainability by 2020.

Report author Charles Dean, says that the global forest is key for the environmental health of the planet, estimating its total annual value, including ‘forest service benefits’, at $17.6tr, or 10% of global GDP.

This, it’s acknowledged, is an intangible figure. But now, as environmental issues play an increasing role in business and investment, and rising global consumption pressurises timber supply, companies are increasingly assessing the value of forest maintenance and sustainability to bottom lines.

The timber sector in the UK and worldwide, said the report, is now facing rising demand competition and increasingly constrained availability.

“To secure supply and keep prices affordable and stable in the medium to long term, sustainable timber markets are vital.”

It also highlights that environmental performance and image is increasingly important across the timber market place.

“By publicising support for sustainable timber markets, companies can differentiate themselves and gain immediate benefit by creating opportunities with new, concerned clients.”

Committing to sustainable timber also brings benefits in terms of future-proofing regulatory compliance and has increasing business investment implications.  An   Ernst and Young survey of 900 shareholder proposals, says the report, found that increased disclosure on sustainability was one of the most sought after changes in company activity.

It concludes that there is more research to be done in analysing the true business impacts of timber sustainability, but maintains they can only grow.

“There are strong ethical arguments for committing to sustainable timber, but there’s also a strong business case that permeates timber-dependent organisations. It starts with securing supply to keep costs low and ensure ability to create future value. It extends to all stakeholder relationships which make a business, from complying with regulatory authorities, to satisfying expectations of shareholders, finance providers, employees and customers.”

Na Amsterdam en Leeuwarden neemt Rotterdam maatregelen om het gebruik van duurzaam geproduceerd hardhout te stimuleren. De Maasstad doet dat onder meer met een uitgekiend inkoopbeleid. Dergelijke initiatieven zijn hard nodig, want het gaat niet goed met de (verdere) verduurzaming van tropische bossen. Integendeel zelfs, bleek tijdens het recente netwerkevenement van de European Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition (STTC) in Rotterdam

Article: Perceptie van duurzaam hout klopt niet

Houtwereld | Nr.17 | 2016 |

The European Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition (STTC) Conference in Rotterdam came to resoundingly positive conclusion when the host city itself officially joined the organisation.

The theme of the June event, co-organised with the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment (MIE), was ‘Real impact through timber purchasing policies’. It centred on the STTC’s core view that creating market demand for certified responsibly sourced tropical timber is key to incentivizing sustainable forest management in supplier countries.

The STTC launched in 2013 to deliver this message across Europe, where tropical timber sales had been in long-term decline.  Founded and funded by Dutch government-backed IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, with the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, it now has 80 members and rising; including timber traders, federations, end-users, specifiers, retailers, local and national government bodies, certification organisations and NGOs. Their initial aim is to boost certified timber’s European tropical market share to 50% over 2013 levels by 2020.

Among the STTC’s latest developments is a €2 million funding programme, managed by Principal Partner the European Timber Trade Federation (ETTF), to support businesses, federations and local authorities implementing sustainable timber procurement policies (STPPs).  It is also increasing communications activities, with the Rotterdam Conference among the outcomes.

The event attracted nearly 100 people from across the STTC membership, plus delegates from associated areas.

Opening speaker Hannie Vlug, MIE Sustainability Director, highlighted the impact government and private sector STTPs could have together.

“Governments can lead by example and use procurement policy as leverage, incentivizing companies to bring sustainable products to market,” she said.

The Netherlands’ procurement system, she added, had contributed to a rise in sustainable timber market share from 13.4% in 2005 to 74% in 2013.

IDH Programme Director Hans Stout described his organisation’s leading role in supporting tropical forest certification, but stressed that a viable market for the resulting timber was equally critical. “That’s why the STTC is focused on stimulating demand Europe-wide,” he said.

Researcher and Chatham House Associate Duncan Brack further emphasized the power of government working with industry to shape procurement. “In most developed countries, government buying accounts for 10-12% of GDP, but its impact on wider business procurement can increase that to 20-40%,” he said.

Encouragingly, he added, the number of government STPPs has risen from eight ten years ago to 33 now.

Robert Kaukewitsch, EU Green Public Procurement Officer, said the EU aimed to ‘create an enabling environment’ for industry and governments to establish STPPs, including allowing environmental criteria in tender procedures.   It was also now focused on how STPP’s could accommodate FLEGT licensed timber.

Stephane Glannaz, Chief Commercial Officer of tropical supplier and STTC participant Precious Woods, said that to encourage implementation of STPPs, in turn, the tropical timber sector must highlight the wider values of sustainable forest management. In particular that included linkage with climate change mitigation.

A presentation on the Netherlands’ Green Deal, the country’s public/private sector alliance to further boost certified sustainable timber’s market share via STPPs, was given by Maja Valstar, MIE Sustainable Timber Advisor, and Paul van den Heuvel, Managing Director of the Netherlands Timber Trade Association. Core to its success, said Mr van den Heuvel, was clear messaging on the sustainable timber market’s role in forest maintenance. “We put it simply,” he said. “Use it or lose it.” He added that the project’s various partners were now working on Green Deal II.

Peter Gijsen, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager of global construction giant Royal BAM Group, said his sector was increasingly focused on sustainable materials procurement as it reached the limits in improving environmental performance through building energy efficiency.

The conference also featured lively workshops tackling a range of private and public sector STPP issues; including designing procurement policies, financial instruments for driving sustainable timber markets, STPP’s and contracts and tropical timber’s image.

Concluding ETTF Secretary General André de Boer said there were early signs that efforts to strengthen the sustainable tropical timber market are having an effect.

“But more needs to be done to make it mainstream,” he said. “So we urge more companies and organisations to join the STTC.”

Subsequently the City of Rotterdam marked becoming the latest body to add its name to the Coalition, with Senior Procurement Officer Bill Sahetapy Engel ceremonially signing a section of tropical timber.

“We aim to be the world’s most sustainable port city and see joining the STTC as integral to that,” said Léon Dijk, Sustainable Procurement Specialist at the City Council.

Other Conference speakers included Eric Boilley, Managing Director of French Federation Le Commerce du Bois; Alberto Romero, Director of Spanish Federation AEIM; Nils Olaf Petersen, Foreign Trade Department Head at the German Federation GD Holz; Ted van den Put, IDH Executive and Programme Director; Mark van Benthem, Probos Senior Consultant and STTC Advisor; Ulrich Bick Thünen Institute procurement and certification specialist; and Peter Defranceschi, local government sustainability organisation ICLEI’s Brussels Office.

For more information: André de Boer, a.deboer@vvnh.nl; Mark van Benthem, mark.vanbenthem@probos.nl