Responsible Timber Sourcing: working with WWF Forest Trade Network

The production and manufacture of timber-based products has significant environmental and social impacts. The world’s forests support an extensive number of species and billions of people depend on them for survival. Not only do they provide food and shelter, they also act as a carbon ‘sink’, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during growth.

Timber is a core material within the construction industry. Consistent with our values and goals, it is essential that we support sustainable forestry practices through our procurement policies and supply chain. Through our purchasing power we can influence our supply chain and in turn help to improve the way forests are managed. In doing so we are reducing our risk of purchasing illegal timber and sending a positive signal to the market.

At a group level we have been specifying sustainable timber since 2006, and a review in 2007 showed that 78% of our group suppliers have FSC certification and can demonstrate chain of custody.

The WWF Forest Trade Network work in partnership with business to ensure that timber and paper supplies come from well managed forests and do not contribute to forest destruction and illegal logging practices.

To ensure Crest Nicholson purchases no illegal or "high-risk" forest products we worked with WWF FTN to develop a Sustainable Timber Procurement Policy. To support delivery of the policy the Group Sustainability team will be working alongside the operational buying and surveying teams to develop systems and processes for implementation during 2009. To demonstrate our commitment and to support implementation of the policy Crest Nicholson plan to formally join the Forest Trade Network, signing up to membership commitments and publicly reporting progress annually.

Our first audit on 2008 supply of forest products achieved an encouragingly high response rate which covered 58% of supply by expenditure. The remaining supply is automatically classified as high risk, and the suppliers will be subject to detailed audit.

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