Our long term goal is:
'To supply and install wood products, which are independently verified as originating from sustainably managed forests'.
Our short term goal is:
'To actively promote the sale of wood products which are independently verified as originating from sustainable managed forests, over unverified alternatives. To bring to customers attention the uncertainty and potential environmental risk surrounding the supply of tropical hardwood'.
environmental policy background
It easy to make ‘feel good’ statements about being ‘environmentally friendly’. Indeed many of our competitors do just that. Instead we have taken a rigorous approach to this serious issue and, with the assistance of consultants such as ProForest, are working towards a robust and meaningful solution. Below is a discussion of the issues we have discovered to date and the approaches we are taking.
Providing hardwood windows and doors that are manufactured from certified hardwood is a simple promise to make, but it is a much less simple promise to deliver. If you are being offered tropical hardwood (such as Sapele, Mahogany, Meranti or Idigbo) from sustainable sources we recommend you ask to see independent certification. According to the International Timber Organisation less than 5% of the world's tropical forests are being sustainably managed, and the reality is that demand for certified tropical hardwood far outstrips supply.
In the absence of certification, there are few ways to differentiate between critically endangered species and those less threatened. Once the tree is felled and the leaves and branches removed it is often impossible to identify the species.
The problem is compounded by a lack of good governance in source countries (such as Indonesia and many Central and West African Countries) where weak institutions lack the capacity to enforce forest law. Illegal logging is widespread. And illegal logging impacts directly on people, often the rural poor, by denying them the contributions to their livelihoods and by degrading their environment. It is estimated that Britain unknowingly imports illegal timber equivalent to a forest three times the size of Luxembourg each year.
Despite a determined effort, we have to date failed to find a ready supply of independently verified tropical hardwood in sufficiently abundant supply to meet customer demand.
In the absence of certification we have tasked all suppliers to investigate the traceability of the timber used. It is hoped that by tracking the wood from forest of origin through the various manufacturing stages, we shall be able to gradually eliminate unmanaged supplies. Our work on this 'Chain of Custody' approach is ongoing. We are making steady progress. However at this time we cannot guarantee to our customers that all our tropical hardwoods are from sustainable forests. We feel it is better to be honest than make promises we cannot deliver.
It is for this reason that we are asking our customers to consider European Redwood. This is our favoured alternative. The longevity of this strong, knot free, stable timber is well proven in the United Kingdom. It is the material used by British joiners of yesteryear; Most 100 year old British joinery has been made in European Redwood. All of our European Redwood derives from sustainably managed plantations in Northern Europe so that you can be sure that your new timber windows will not cost the Earth.