Council signs green pledge to promote sustainable timber

Renfrewshire Council has signed up to a new scheme committing the local authority to buy sustainable timber.

The scheme, operated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), discourages the illegal harvesting of timber products and the destruction of large parts of forest with no replanting taking place.

The council has pledged to support events that spread the message about sustainable timber and to train its own purchasing managers in responsible buying of timber products.

Figures from the WWF show that 1.5 million cubic metres of timber imported into the UK each year comes from illegal sources. New EU regulations to be introduced in 2013 will require anyone introducing a forest product into the UK to show where it’s come from and prove that it isn’t illegal.

Cllr Allan Noon, Renfrewshire Council’s finance spokesperson, said: “Last year, the council spent £95,000 on timber products for various services. And the public sector as a whole is responsible for 20% of all the timber purchased in the UK.

“As significant buyers of these products, we want to do what we can to influence and encourage responsible purchasing.

“We’ve all got a part to play in protecting our environment and a greener Renfrewshire is a major commitment of ours.”