“Responsible Wood an important consideration when selecting timber for construction projects”
Speaking ahead of the Sydney Build’ expo, Responsible Wood Marketing and Communications Officer, Jason Ross, doubled down on the importance of forest certification in supporting responsible forestry.
“More and more timber is being identified as a preferred material on construction projects, which is fantastic, however greater awareness must be placed on verifying the origin of the timber itself,” Mr Ross.
Jason Ross – Forest Certification, a blind spot
Describing forest certification as a little known ‘blind spot’, Jason Ross will be connecting with architects, engineers, developers and building professionals to promote Responsible Wood as an important consideration when selecting timber for construction projects.
“The environmental credentials of timber as a building material are well known, to protect and support responsible harvesting of forests both now and into the future, Responsible Wood in Australia, PEFC globally, is a must.”
“Responsible Wood and PEFC protects our forests and promotes positive sustainable forest management. For builders it’s about ensuring that timber suppliers, merchants and brokers are sourcing timber from forests meeting benchmarks for environmental practice,” Mr Ross said.
For construction professionals, where timber legality is now a legal issue, Responsible Wood and PEFC can be used to meet provisions outlined in Australian Illegal Logging Act and Regulations.
“The Illegal Logging Act is a game changer for the timber industry, the penalties can be sever for professionals that breach the act and use timber that is sourced from an illegal source.”
“Fortunately Responsible Wood and PEFC can be used as a method of verification, if professionals ask for it and they are supplied a claim on the timber, the claim can be used to demonstrate that the timber was supplied from a legal source.”
“For construction professionals it’s simply a case of finding a timber supplier, merchant or broker that can make a Responsible Wood or PEFC claim on the timber materials invoice,” Mr Ross said.
Noting the global movement of timber, where timber is imported to and from, a Responsible Wood or PEFC claim on product can provide professionals with peace of mind that timber products did not contravene the laws of the country in which the timber was harvested.
“By its very nature a Responsible Wood or PEFC claim ensures that the timber is sourced from a forest that meets the national standard for sustainable forest management in the country of its harvest.”
“This is a very important distinction.”
“The business case for timber involves a global trade on timber from countries far and wide. Whether it be engineered LVL, CLT, GLT or pine used for structural application or hardwood and softwood timbers used for architectural finishes, timber is a global business and forest certification is a must,” Mr Ross said.
The Sydney Build Expo will be running from Thursday, the 14th of April 2019 until Friday, the 15th of April 2019 at the Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries in Sydney. For more information about the ‘Sydney Build Expo’ including tickets and the schedule of events please visit the website.
