TIMBER SCORECARD 2017: SUSTAINABILITY PROGRESS AMONG BUYERS OF TIMBER AND WOOD PRODUCTS © nat U repl.com / a Cover photo n U © WWF / Simon Rawles p Shah / WWF At A GLANCE: Design WWF’s foresT CAMPAIGN madenoise.com Our campaign aims to: June 2017 • galvanise businesses and governments to take action to Timber scorecard 2017: sustainability progress enable the transition to a market in among buyers of timber and wood products sustainable forest goods by 2020. This is WWF’s second timber scorecard. It measures We’re calling on UK businesses to and records the progress of companies towards support our call to action by: sustainable timber procurement – to help secure a resilient future for global forests. • pledging to buy timber products from sustainable sources by 2020; We will produce a further scorecard in 2019 to monitor further progress and present a clear • calling for the EU to close the picture for the public of just which businesses loopholes in its Timber Regulation; are doing their part for a better future for forests, • supporting the transition to a 100% people and nature. sustainable timber market by 2020. We offer support for UK companies, with tools and guidance to help them improve their policy, procurement and reporting, to ensure responsible At A GLANCE: forest management and trade in the places they source from. WWF’s TIMBER SCORECARD During this scorecard process we: At WWF, we want a world enriched by extensive, resilient forest landscapes that benefit • assessed 128 companies on their biodiversity, people and climate. The business progress towards sustainable timber; community can play a vital role in ensuring forest resources are well-managed. • captured key sectors such as construction, home builders, paper/ You can contact us about this work area by emailing printing and publishing, general [email protected] retailers and furniture retailers; • reached out to companies during About WWF-UK January and March 2017 on their We want a world with a future where people and wildlife can thrive. So we’re finding ways to help performance during 2015 and 2016. transform the future for the world’s wildlife, rivers, forests and seas in areas we regard as particular We reviewed each company and priorities. We’re pushing for a reduction in carbon assigned a tree index rating of emissions that will avoid catastrophic climate between 0 and 3 according to what change. And we’re pressing for measures to help is publicly available in terms of: people live sustainably, within the means of our • timber purchasing policy and one planet. what it says; Find out more about our forests work at • performance statements, and what wwf.org.uk/forests they say; About the consultant • claims made about responsible Jon Grayson has supported WWF with a number of sourcing of timber or similar, scorecards since 2011, most notably around the soft and what they say. commodity space (oil palm and soy). Since 2006, his work has included aspects of forestry finance and supply chains. TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 5 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WWF’s Timber Scorecard measures the biennial EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................5 progress on sustainability made by buyers of timber and wood products. It supports our campaign to prevent 1 BACKGROUND: A VALUABLE COMMODITY ......................................................................... 6 unsustainable timber from entering the UK market, with the aim of a sustainable forest products market by 2020. 2 TIMBER SCORECARD METHODOLOGY ................................................................................ 10 3 HOW THE COMPANIES SCORED ..............................................................................................16 To achieve this, we have called on many • More than half of the 30 companies UK businesses to pledge to buy timber in the scorecard that scored zero Score definitions .......................................................................................................................... 18 and wood products from sustainable were furniture retailers. There are Company performance ..............................................................................................................19 sources and make public their support many ways these companies could of our campaign to transition to a 100% improve their performance and how Individual company results: company tables .................................................................19 sustainable UK market. To measure the they communicate their sustainability progress companies are making towards credentials to consumers. 4 ANALYSIS: AN OVERVIEW OF SECTOR PERFORMANCE ..............................................26 this sustainable future, we reviewed 128 companies trading in the UK. This is our • The larger UK companies, Construction and timber .........................................................................................................29 second such review, the first was published multinationals and those that rely on timber as an essential raw material are Home builders ..............................................................................................................................30 in 2015. more likely to have robust policies and Paper, publishing, card, and paper hygiene companies ............................................31 The review focuses on each company’s performance monitoring in place and General retailers..........................................................................................................................32 policy for sourcing sustainable timber, score well. There is an important role their claims on purchasing sustainably for trade associations to support their Furniture retailers .....................................................................................................................34 verifiable timber or wood products, and members proactively at the smaller Musical instruments .................................................................................................................35 their performance measured against their scale by offering technical assistance Overall ..............................................................................................................................................36 stated commitment. Our scorecard awards and capacity building. each company a score from ‘zero trees’, with no apparent progress on sustainable That said, 50% of all companies reviewed 5 TRADE ASSOCIATIONS ...............................................................................................................40 timber or wood products, to ‘three trees’, scored either three or two trees, which awarded to companies that source more demonstrates they are making good 6 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................44 than 70% certified sustainable wood and progress. These companies were generally have policies and control systems in place. a lot more responsive in responding to our requests on the Timber Scorecard this 7 ACT NOW TO IMPROVE YOUR IMPACT ..............................................................................48 This scorecard shows that: year. Many are taking proactive steps to Recommendations for businesses .......................................................................................50 • 27% of companies reviewed – those update their annual performance and are Recommendations for government and regulators .....................................................51 scoring ‘one tree’ – are still only taking fully supporting our forest campaign. limited action to guarantee that the Recommendations for consumers ......................................................................................52 Among the companies that achieved top timber or wood products they sell scores are: Carillion, Kimberly-Clark are not contributing to deforestation Europe, Marks & Spencer, Penguin APPENDIX: FURTHER INFORMATION ..................................................................................53 or illegal logging. They may have Random House, Redrow and Travis a policy, but they do not indicate Perkins. A few companies that we included progress against it, or at least not in a for the first time this year scored three meaningful or context-based way. trees, including Bellway, Hachette UK, and • 23% of companies reviewed – those Bensons for Beds (Steinhoff). scoring ‘zero trees’ – are entirely Overall, many companies must transform failing to disclose their policies and their approach if they are to stand any performance. chance of securing a 100% sustainable • Sectors such as construction, UK market for timber and wood products homebuilding, and printing/publishing by 2020. are visibly ahead of other sectors. They demonstrate a strong ongoing commitment to sustainable sourcing with year-on-year performance improvements. © GreG armField / WWF-UK GROUND K BAC TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 8 TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 9 IMPACTS OF UNSUSTAINABLE TIMBER AND THE CARBON CYCLE A VALUABLE COMMODITY FOREST MANAGEMENT Timber can contribute significantly to Sustainably managed forests can help to tackling climate change thanks to the reduce carbon dioxide levels and support carbon sink effect of the forests, the carbon The world’s forests perform many critical functions both globally forest-dependent communities, as well storage of the timber