According to WWF, more than100 business were assessed to see whether they were transparent and provided enough information when it comes to their sustainable use of timber. The authors of the report found four companies which scored the maximum ratings for sustainable timber use. These include Carillion, Travis Perkins, Saint-Gobain and Mace. The three tree rating suggests that these companies have made a very public commitment to sustainable timber use and there is visible evidence which suggests that they have implemented policies to ensure that only a sustainable amount of timber is being used in their products.
Lots of companies improving
Some large UK supermarket chains did very well in the study including Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s, so did book publishers Macmillan as did Marks & Spencer. There were a number of brands that occupied the middle ground when it comes to transforming their supply chains which indicated their progress has been solid. These companies include Penguin Random House, Boots and IKEA. Whilst this is good news, most companies have a long way to go.
Awareness being raised
The rating systems took into account the various policies and practices of the companies in relation to their use of sustainably sourced timber and related products. The scoring process was able to increase the awareness of bad practices by the companies that were being studied as well as the problem of deforestation which produces habitat loss and is one of the causes behind climate change.
Consumers are concerned
According to the latest WWF-UK research, consumers are concerned with the kind of timber being used and whether it is being sourced from. However there is very little information available to consumers to ensure they know that they are buying products made from sustainable timber compared to fair trade chocolate and coffee for example.
Change is possible
The results of the study do suggest that change is in fact possible and many consumer product companies are moving forward when it comes to the use of sustainable timber. Some companies in fact are making lots of progress however it is behind the scenes and these companies should also make the effort to make consumers aware.
“Some of the companies who didn’t fare so well have engaged with WWF-UK since they were given their scores, to look at how they can improve their policy and communication around sustainable timber. As a result, we have decided to update the scores in the autumn to reflect immediate changes made by businesses.” Julia Young of WWF-UK’s forest team said
