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WWF Help LA's To Protect Threatened Forests

Posted: 31/03/2006

More than 65 per cent of London Local Authorities do not check whether their timber and paper products are coming from the world's most threatened forests.

A new WWF report Capital Offence: Is London failing the forests showed that nearly half of all the Local Authorities have no policies in place to prevent them from sourcing illegal forest products and only a third asked for documentary evidence that the product had come from a credibly certified forest. Amongst the worst offenders were some of the richer councils including Kensington & Chelsea and the Corporation of London.

Just under half of the Local Authorities took forestry considerations into account when sourcing timber products. Sutton came top and Hounslow, Hackney and Ealing trailed in last in the report, which analysed the purchasing practices of forest products by London Local Authorities. Only 8 of the 35 Local Authorities chose not to take part.

Beatrix Richards, Head of WWF's Forest & Trade Policy, said: "This report highlights a lack of awareness amongst Local Authorities about illegal logging which robs some of the world's poorest people of vital resources and livelihoods. As Local Authorities account for around a quarter of the UK's total timber consumption they could use their purchasing power to really make a difference.

"WWF is urging Local Authorities across the UK to source only credible, independently certified timber and paper products from well managed forests. The best guarantee of this currently is those products which carry the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) stamp of approval."

WWF is also encouraging all Local Authorities across the UK to join its Forest & Trade Network (FTN), which helps businesses source forest products from well managed forests. Homebase, B & Q and W H Smith are amongst the 61 members of the FTN which accounts for some £11 billion-worth of timber products in the UK.

"WWF is keen to help and support local authorities to purchase responsible timber and paper products. By joining the FTN councils can play their part in helping protect the world's most threatened forests," Beatrix Richards added.

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