Wednesday 31 January 2007

Illegal logging: Cut it Out shows that only China and Japan import more illegal timber than the UK, which brings into the country 3.2 million m³ a year - an area the size of Belgium. More than 65 per cent of this timber goes into the construction sector and the majority of it originates from or comes through Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia & Latvia.

Currently there is no legislation to prevent illegal timber coming into either the UK or the EU. WWF is calling on the UK government to urge the European Commission to introduce new legislation to do so.

"Illegal logging robs local communities of invaluable funds, exacerbates corruption and devastates forests around the world", said Beatrix Richards, Head of WWF's Forests Programme. "The UK is a major player in fuelling this illegal trade and has a responsibility to do all it can to curb it. Deforestation has huge implications for the people and wildlife that depend on these forests, and is also a significant economic loss to many countries already affected by poverty."

The report showed that the breakdown of illegal timber entering the UK is: softwood sawn wood (1.7 million cubic metres), the paper sector (800,000 cubic metres), plywood (220,000 cubic metres), hardwood sawn wood (170,000 cubic metres), furniture (100,000 cubic metres) and particleboards (15,000 cubic metres).

Central government - including local authorities and private finance initiatives - is responsible for purchasing 40 per cent of timber in the UK so it plays a key role in shaping demand. Besides calling for new EU-wide legislation, WWF wants the government to introduce measures to monitor how much legal and sustainable timber and wood products it sources and set clear targets and deadlines to increase this.

Beatrix Richards added: "The UK government has been aware of the problems with illegal timber for years but we are still waiting for them to take effective action. Progressive companies within the timber industry have actually set a better example through some of the voluntary initiatives they have underway. However only through new legislation will we force the changes that are necessary across both government and industry to tackle the illegal and unsustainable trade."