Timber schemes pass assessment

The Government has approved five sustainable logging schemes, following an assessment of their effectiveness and credibility.

The Canadian Standards Association, Forest Stewardship Council, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification and Sustainable Forestry Initiative will continue to be accepted as assurance of legally logged timber from sustainably managed forests, after their work was reviewed by the Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET).
According to the World Bank, illegal logging around the world costs developing countries £15bn a year in lost revenue.

“Illegal logging degrades forests and damages the environment, leading to the loss of biodiversity, It hurts many of the world’s poorest people who depend on forests for their livelihoods, robbing poor countries of revenues that should be used to develop their economies,” commented Biodiversity Minister Barry Gardiner.

“We have a responsibility, as major purchasers of timber, to do what we can to ensure that timber is legal and from sustainably managed forests wherever possible.”