TIMBER SCORECARD 2017: SUSTAINABILITY PROGRESS AMONG BUYERS OF TIMBER AND WOOD PRODUCTS - WWF
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Timber scorecard 2017: sustainability progress among buyers of timber and wood products
© naturepl.com / Anup Shah / WWF
Cover photo
© WWF / Simon Rawles At a glance:
Design WWF’s forest campaign
madenoise.com Our campaign aims to:
June 2017 •g
alvanise 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. •p
ledging 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 • c alling 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, • s upporting 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 •a
ssessed 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. • c aptured key sectors such as
construction, home builders, paper/
You can contact us about this work area by emailing printing and publishing, general
gftn@wwf.org.uk retailers and furniture retailers;
• r eached out to companies during
About WWF-UK
We want a world with a future where people and
January and March 2017 on their
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
one planet.
• t imber purchasing policy and
what it says;
Find out more about our forests work at
wwf.org.uk/forests
•p
erformance statements, and what
they say;
About the consultant • c laims 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
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................5 WWF’s Timber Scorecard measures the biennial
progress on sustainability made by buyers of timber
1 BACKGROUND: A VALUABLE COMMODITY.......................................................................... 6 and wood products. It supports our campaign to prevent
unsustainable timber from entering the UK market, with
2 TIMBER SCORECARD METHODOLOGY................................................................................. 10 the aim of a sustainable forest products market by 2020.
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 •T
he larger UK companies,
Construction and timber. ........................................................................................................ 29 second such review, the first was published multinationals and those that rely on
in 2015. timber as an essential raw material are
Home builders...............................................................................................................................30
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’,
5 TRADE ASSOCIATIONS. ..............................................................................................................40 with no apparent progress on sustainable
timber or wood products, to ‘three trees’,
That said, 50% of all companies reviewed
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
7 Act now to improve your impact...............................................................................48 This scorecard shows that:
our requests on the Timber Scorecard this
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
APPENDIX: FURTHER INFORMATION................................................................................... 53 or illegal logging. They may have
Europe, Marks & Spencer, Penguin
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
BACKGROUND
TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 8 TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 9
A VALUABLE COMMODITY IMPACTS OF UNSUSTAINABLE
FOREST MANAGEMENT
Sustainably managed forests can help to
TIMBER AND THE CARBON CYCLE
Timber can contribute significantly 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 and when timber is
and locally. They are fundamental to regulating the Earth’s climate, as protecting vital biodiversity and other used instead of carbon intensive materials.
preserving rich levels of biodiversity and providing prosperity for ecosystem services. But the advantages Using wood from sustainably managed
offered by timber and wood products can be forests reduces carbon dioxide emissions,
many local communities. as the carbon dioxide stored by the forest
undermined where forests are managed in
an unsustainable way that has detrimental and in the timber product outweighs
Today many of the world’s natural forests If companies source all their timber and social and environmental impacts: any carbon dioxide created during the
have been lost. The majority of losses wood products from well-managed forests, production of the product. Each tonne
have occurred over the last 100 years. they can be confident that they are working • O ver-harvesting of forest resources of timber used instead of other building
Although there are a variety of reasons towards this widely shared zero net reduces the value of forests and the goods materials – such as steel or concrete –
for the continued destruction of natural deforestation goal and not contributing to and services they provide, jeopardises saves around a tonne of carbon dioxide.
forests, illegal logging poses a significant deforestation or unsustainable harvesting people’s livelihoods, and threatens the
long-term availability of a wide range of Carbon, and especially CO2 emissions,
threat to global forest resources. It – and the negative impacts these have on
products that we use daily in our homes are recognised as a key factor in climate
contributes to deforestation, causes loss people, nature and climate.
and businesses. change. In the UK, 40% of all carbon
of biodiversity and erodes the rule of
emissions come from buildings, split evenly
law. It undermines responsible forest UK Timber supply and demand • Deforestation and unsustainable forestry between domestic and commercial.
management, encourages corruption and practices fuel climate change by depleting
Higher demand for renewable materials,
tax evasion, and reduces the income of carbon stores and releasing carbon Industry drivers such as corporate social
whether driven by technology, legislation,
producer countries. Cheap imports of dioxide into the atmosphere. responsibility, brand management and
policy or personal choice, leads to greater
illegal products also distort market pricing ethical trade are now an integral part of
use of timber-based products. There is a
and investment prospects. And they have • Irresponsible forest operations may the way we construct buildings in the UK.
strong and vibrant forest industry in the
social implications, threatening the jobs violate people’s rights around labour Timber-based construction products are
UK, but it cannot supply the domestic
and livelihoods of people who depend on issues, land ownership and access, ideally placed to deliver on such aims.
demand for timber and forest products.
forests for their survival. including the rights of indigenous Timber can be sourced responsibly; it is a
The UK is the third-largest importer of peoples – some 60 million of whom flexible and adaptable material that can be
At WWF, we believe that if companies live in forests1.
forest products in the world. It is important used efficiently; and at the end of its life
practise sound forest management and
for UK companies that import timber it can be reused, recycled or the energy
responsible wood sourcing, it is possible to • I ndiscriminate timber harvesting can
and wood products to know where these within it recovered.
supply the world’s timber needs as well as have a significant impact on biodiversity
come from.
maintaining biodiversity. – over half the world’s terrestrial
The majority of softwood timber material biodiversity is dependent on forests.
forestry has 2020 TARGET: ZERO NET DEFORESTATION is imported from Scandinavia, eastern
AND FOREST DEGRADATION, AND OUR
• I llegal logging deprives developing
a key role in Europe and Russia. The vast majority of
countries of an important source of
FOREST CAMPAIGN hardwood timber and timber products
maintaining the originate in south-east Asia and parts of
revenue and future income.
planet's natural
We advocate zero net deforestation and central and western Africa, with significant •W
ater cycles that are disrupted as a result
forest degradation (or ZNDD) globally
capital
quantities of temperate hardwood of deforestation can lead to localised
by 2020. This means no net forest loss imported from the US and Russia. flooding and droughts.
through deforestation and no net decline in
forest quality through degradation, while
allowing for some limited and carefully
controlled clearing for agriculture and
settlements across the developing world.
We believe that the projected demand for
food, fuel and fibre can be met without
further net forest loss by improving forest
stewardship and making land use more
productive. As part of this, we are running
a forest campaign that is encouraging UK
businesses to shift 100% of their trade
in timber and timber products to legal,
sustainable sources by 2020.
1
N http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2015/05/what-role-do-indigenous-people-and-forests-
U
have-in-a-sustainable-future/
© Brent Stirton / Getty Images / WWF-UK
METHODOLOGY
TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 12 TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 13
TIMBER SCORECARD
The scorecard seeks to assess what has While we did our best to contact the
been purchased across a company’s entire companies to ensure that they were aware
METHODOLOGY
business footprint, not just whether a the review process was under way, there
supplier has a chain of custody certificate for were a few cases where the communications
part of it. were not passed on internally to the person
responsible and companies were not able
How we assessed the companies to respond in time for the review. There
were also cases where we dealt directly with
Why do a scorecard? What the scorecard measures We notified companies of their inclusion
companies that confirmed they would send
in January 2017 and did an initial review
This Timber Scorecard rates a wide Our Timber Scorecard reviews and information, but failed to do so.
in February. In early March, companies
selection of UK retailers, manufacturers and rates how companies demonstrate their
were sent a copy of their draft score and
traders that buy timber and wood products. overall commitment to sustainable timber
were invited to respond with additional Our scoring system
procurement, and how this commitment to
This is our second Timber Scorecard, information to complete the review process, We awarded companies a numerical score
action and performance has evolved since
and we hope it helps to continue the highlighting any information that had been for each aspect of their policy, reporting
2015. By ‘sustainable’ we mean timber and
momentum among companies towards overlooked that points to their policies and performance. Each company was then
wood products that have been verified as
procuring responsible timber. It also charts and practices, with a four-week window assigned a ‘tree rating’ of between 0 and 3,
coming from forests which are managed in
progress for some companies against their for responses. We used contact details we according to what is publicly available in
an environmentally responsible, socially
performance in our previous scorecard. had for specific individuals, or called each terms of:
beneficial and economically viable manner,
business to ascertain this where we didn’t. • timber purchasing policy and what it says
and that meet legal requirements.
Selecting the companies As a last resort we wrote to chief executives
• performance statements, and what they say
Our review process looked for: for some companies about the scorecard,
We identified 128 companies that depend where we felt we did not have reliable email • claims about responsible sourcing of
significantly on wood in the products • The existence, availability and quality
contact information. We sent reminders timber or similar, and what they say.
they use or sell, or that are brands whose of the content of a business’s policy on
throughout the period, and used a certified
sustainability actions should extend to timber and wood product sourcing; We recognise and support voluntary
email tracking service to help confirm the
these products. They represent a wide • Statements on having a system in place mail delivery and mailbox receipt of emails certification schemes, in particular FSC,
cross-section of UK companies – from to trace the timber and wood products sent to reach the company contacts. so companies that reported on sourcing
construction companies to high street used/bought to ensure legality and materials with a high FSC proportion
retailers; from publishers to musical sustainability. Once we had received any incoming overall scored highly. Low scores were
instrument manufacturers. They also vary information, we assigned a final score given to companies that failed to publicly
• Statements on a commitment to comply
in size from medium-sized companies to and communicated this individually share specific policies or procedures on
with the EU Timber Regulation.
UK majors and multinationals. to companies. sustainable sourcing, or relevant policies
• A current statement or claim of a that clearly encompassed the issue in lieu of
In total, 98 companies (77%) also featured company’s performance in timber We did our utmost to be consistent in a specific sourcing policy.
in our 2015 scorecard. This allows us and wood product sourcing vis-a-vis how we approached company searches,
Disclosure and confidentiality –
to shine a spotlight on the actions these responsible, ethical, sustainable or to assess the availability and accessibility
companies have taken. We have extended of information on policies, sourcing,
how we scored differently in 2017
verified purchasing or procurement
the list of retailers to include 22 additional undertaken by their business. This would monitoring and performance. We reviewed
furniture retailers, following our ‘Are typically be verified confirmation of both retail and corporate websites and In contrast with our 2015 Timber Scorecard,
you sitting comfortably?’ report on the the volume of certified timber or wood carried out browser searches based on in the 2017 scorecard we did not plan
furniture sector in October 2016. We’ve products that have been purchased in the keyword information. We reviewed annual to undertake a review that would allow
added the home builders sector, with most recent complete year (2015). reports, sustainability and corporate social companies a period in which to first share
five further companies. Finally, we’ve responsibility reports. undisclosed information, and then make it
• A current statement on sourcing
added three more companies from the public in time for review. So we did not award
performance, comparable to, or using the Where a company was part of a larger group,
paper, printing and publishing sector. intermediary scores, or * scores, for materials
same criteria as used for participants of we tried to obtain information on group
We decided to omit the majority of the shared confidentially with WWF, for example
WWF’s Global Forest & Trade Network policies that applied. For multinationals, we
smaller companies that were reviewed but suggesting that a 1 tree * would have been a
(GFTN), such as the percentage of timber/ were particularly looking for performance
not publicly rated in the 2015 scorecard 2 trees score if undisclosed information had
wood products purchased which are: that applied to the UK market.
to focus on major brands and add new been made publicly available.
companies in other sectors. - recycled material
In this scorecard review, we have not
- FSC certified (with full chain of custody) On this occasion, given that the majority of
awarded points where information was
- PEFC or other credible certification the companies reviewed had been through a
not published on the company website. We
scheme (with full chain of custody) previous timber scorecard engagement, we
have also taken a stricter approach with
decided to focus on rating full transparency
- legal and traceable companies where there has been no visible
and public disclosure. Transparency in
- a mix of any of the above. reporting since 2014 or where the reader is
supply chains and sourcing and clear, public
• Confirmation of what proportion of left in doubt over the actual performance.
reporting are important steps in developing
the company’s total supply chain use of and demonstrating sustainability.
timber and wood products was certified
and/or recycled.
© Edwin Giesbers / naturepl.com TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 We also only considered very recent and current information, so we only took into account verified performance information for 2014 or later (for complete years and with an indication that this covers the total or what proportion of purchases made, and only current policies and communications). It is possible that some companies may be performing well in sourcing sustainable timber and wood products, but failing to share this information publicly. But because this scorecard only focuses on information that is publicly available, their score potentially reflects this. A note on the EU Timber Regulation As part of our review we checked whether companies had a public statement of compliance with the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). The EUTR only considers the legality of the timber, rather than wider sustainability risks that are assessed as part of a responsible timber sourcing policy, so a statement of EUTR compliance is not a substitute for a robust policy. Companies that trade in products which fall outside of the scope of the EUTR are not legally obliged to carry out due diligence to ensure their products are legally sourced. The regulation seeks to eliminate illegal timber from the European market and requires compliance for certain timber products. However, not all products are within scope. For example, while some furniture items are covered by the regulation, others are not; and printed materials including books are currently omitted. Musical instruments are also not covered. These loopholes allow illegal sources to continue to make it unchecked on to the market. Our next scorecard Sustainability is a journey: the only way to assess how far companies have travelled on that journey is by continuing to measure and review performance. To encourage companies to improve their scores, we will repeat this research in 2019. It is well overdue that poor performers step up and take urgent, targeted action to demonstrate they are taking responsibility for their footprint on forests.
© Kate Holt / WWF-UK HOW THE COMPANIES SCORED
TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 18 TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 19
Score definitions Company performance
As in our previous Timber Scorecard, we apply a tree index rating The overall response rate was considered good – 73 companies
using the following definitions, which gives an indication of a (57%) of the 128 companies we contacted replied to our
company’s performance: correspondence with a range of additional supporting information.
Among non-respondents, 14 had previously scored 3 trees, so
3 trees perhaps felt no need to provide additional responses to the process.
These companies are performing well against the requests WWF makes to
However, at the 0 trees end, there were also 19 non-respondents.
businesses regarding the purchasing of timber and wood products. Most have public
commitments specifically indicating that they give priority to using FSC
and recycled timber and wood products, and put this in context with the role and Of the 128 companies, 25 (20%) improved for global forests. Sadly, 30 (23%) scored
PERFORMING WELL requirements of the EUTR. They have set up policies and control systems. They their score during the review 0 – and 15 of these had also scored 0
report openly and accurately about their performance against their policy commitment, process, taking into consideration new in the 2015 scorecard – showing they
and have a good understanding of the source of all their timber and wood products. They published materials. have kept their heads in the sand over their
are sourcing over 70% certified material, with high proportions of FSC and responsibilities in this area.
recycled timber and wood products. These companies are well along the journey to The 2017 scorecard review paints a split
complete the transition to 100% sustainable timber and wood products by 2020. picture – exactly half the companies As a sector, retailers (both general retailers
They are showing their competitors that it is possible to act responsibly when it comes (64) scored either 2 or 3 trees, which is and furniture retailers) make up the
to forest trade. good news and shows these brands and lion’s share (53%) of companies reviewed,
sectors are taking action to move to more followed by print and publishing (25%),
2 trees sustainable supply chains for their timber construction and timber combined (12%)
products. But the other half are lagging and home builders (5%).
Companies in this category have made a start on the journey to sustainable timber and
behind on the pressing need to take action
wood products – and in some cases they have made good progress. These companies
have made commitments to sourcing FSC, PEFC or recycled products and have
Individual company results:
established control mechanisms over their use of timber and wood products. They report
GOOD PROGRESS openly and accurately about their performance against their policy commitment.
They are sourcing 20-60% material from a mix of certified and recycled sources.
1 tree
These companies are only just starting to address the sustainability of their timber
and wood products. Some have the bare bones of policies and systems in place but
company tables
they have yet to put in the work needed to transform their businesses. They have limited Companies in the following tables are These ratings are a snapshot in time and
publicly available information on their actual purchasing practices or the proportion presented alphabetically based on their we strongly recommend that readers
of certified or recycled timber and wood products being sourced. Given that FSC and final tree score. As we do not have access should visit company websites to check for
JUST STARTING recycled material and other certified timber and wood products are readily available in to, or have not reviewed, detailed data sets more of recent information, performance
the market, we urge these companies to engage much more actively with the issue than in this exercise, we cannot rank companies disclosure and accessibility.
they have to date – and quickly. according to performance within each
tree level. We have highlighted which
0 trees companies appeared in the first Timber
These companies have not yet shown real progress on sustainable timber and Scorecard in 2015 and how they have
wood products. They have communicated little if any useful information as to improved their score.
their purchasing policies, and the proportion of certified or recycled product purchased
or the source of their timber products. These companies urgently need to change their
timber and wood product sourcing and reporting practices if they are going to keep up
NO REPORTED ACTION
with their competitors and become responsible corporate citizens. There is no excuse
for inaction.TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 20 TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 21
40 Companies that scored 3 trees 24 Companies that scored 2 trees
These ‘3 tree’ companies are the top performers, according to their publicly available The companies scoring 2 trees are continuing to make progress on the journey to
information. They can be characterised by the clarity and simplicity with which sustainable timber and wood products. They have made commitments to sourcing FSC,
they report their timber and wood product purchasing and performance. PEFC or recycled products and have established control mechanisms over their use of
Most of them declare the proportion of certified timber they purchased, with a strong timber and wood products. They are likely to be sourcing between 20% and 60% of their
preference or purchasing performance for FSC, and most indicate how this performance material from a mix of certified and recycled sources, and will have begun to report on
has changed and progressed in recent years following the review in 2015. quantities and the source of their timber products.
Company Category responded Company Category responded
Companies that maintained B&Q UK (Kingfisher) Retailer Companies that maintained Argos (Sainsbury's) Retailer ✱
their 3 trees position from 2015 Boots UK Ltd Retailer their 2 trees position from 2015 ASDA Retailer ✱
Brooks Timber Timber ✱ Cambridge University Press Paper, printing and publishing ✱
Carillion Construction ✱ Crest Nicholson Construction
Danzer Timber ✱ IKEA Furniture ✱
Immediate Media Paper, printing and publishing ✱ John Lewis Retailer ✱
Sainsbury’s Retailer McDonald’s Restaurants ✱
James Latham Timber Network Rail Infrastructure ✱
Kimberly-Clark Paper hygiene ✱ Pearson Paper, printing and publishing ✱
Kingfisher Retailer Pureprint Group Paper, printing and publishing
Lend Lease Construction Tesco Retailer ✱
Mace Group Construction ✱ Timber Link International Timber ✱
Marks & Spencer Retailer ✱ Companies that improved Bauer Media Paper, printing and publishing
Mondi Paper, printing and publishing their score to 2 trees Forest Enterprise, Forestry Commission Timber ✱
Office Depot UK Furniture ✱ Harveys Furniture (Steinhoff) Furniture ✱
Penguin Random House Paper, printing and publishing ✱ Companies rated for first Barratt Development Home Builders ✱
Redrow Home Builders ✱ time and gained 2 trees Berkeley Group Home Builders ✱
Saint-Gobain Building Distribution UK Timber Bramblecrest Furniture ✱
SCA Hygiene Paper hygiene ✱ Nobia UK (incl. Magnet) Furniture ✱
Sofidel Paper hygiene Time Inc. Paper, printing and publishing
Steinbeis Papier Paper, printing and publishing ✱ Companies that slipped back BSW Timber Group Timber
Tetra Pak Paper, printing and publishing ✱ from 3 trees in 2015 Hallmark Cards Paper, printing and publishing ✱
The Co-operative Retailer Macmillan Publishers Paper, printing and publishing ✱
The Solid Wood Flooring Company Timber ✱ Williams Lea Paper, printing and publishing ✱
Travis Perkins PLC (incl. Wickes) Construction ✱
Waitrose Retailer ✱
Willmott Dixon Construction
Morrisons Retailer
Companies that improved Antalis Paper, printing and publishing ✱
their score to 3 trees Balfour Beatty Construction
HarperCollins Paper, printing and publishing ✱
Haymarket Media Group Paper, printing and publishing
IG Design Group plc (prev. International Paper, printing and publishing ✱
Greetings plc)
SKY Media ✱
UK Greetings Paper, printing and publishing ✱
WH Smith Retailer ✱
Companies rated for first time Bellway Home Builders ✱
and gained 3 trees Bensons for Beds (Steinhoff) Furniture ✱
Hachette UK Paper, printing and publishing ✱
Homebase (Bunnings UK) Furniture ✱TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 22 TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 23
34 Companies that scored 1 tree 30 Companies that scored 0 trees
These companies are potentially only just starting to address timber These companies show little or no progress on sustainable timber and wood
sustainability. There is an absence of performance information being publicly products. They communicate very little (if any) information about their purchasing
shared (or at least in a way that would enable meaningful appraisal of their business policies, quantities purchased or the source of their timber products. For companies
performance). It is likely that though some have the bare bones of policies and systems in whose score has fallen since 2015, this is due to a lack of visible public information to
place, none are yet using an appropriate level of certified or recycled timber. Information reference, and a lack of response.
is often scarce and they lack disclosures on their actual purchasing performance.
Company Category responded Company Category responded
Companies that maintained Bloomsbury Publishing Paper, printing and publishing Companies that maintained A. Share & Sons Ltd (SCS) Furniture
their 1 tree position from 2015 Debenhams Retailer their 0 tree position from 2015 Brissi London Furniture
Early Learning Centre (Mothercare) Retailer Cath Kidston Retailer ✱
Feather & Black Furniture ✱ Dreams Furniture
Furniture Village Furniture Fender Musical Instruments GBI Musical instruments
House of Fraser Retailer ✱ Foyles Paper, printing and publishing
Laura Ashley Retailer ✱ Harrods Retailer
Matalan Retailer ✱ Hearst Paper, printing and publishing ✱
Next Retailer ✱ Liberty Retailer
The White Company Retailer Oxford University Press Paper, printing and publishing
Yamaha Musical instruments ✱ Roset Furniture ✱
Companies that improved Clinton Cards Paper, printing and publishing Tanglewood Guitars Musical instruments
their score to 1 tree Finnish Fibreboard Timber ✱ The Entertainer Retailer
Hamleys Retailer The Sofa Workshop Furniture ✱
Jansen International Furniture Waterstones Paper, printing and publishing ✱
Muji Paper, printing and publishing ✱ Companies rated for first time Blackwell's Paper, printing and publishing ✱
Oak Furniture Land Furniture ✱ and gained 0 trees Harvey Nichols Furniture ✱
Paperchase Paper, printing and publishing ✱ Hilliers Garden Centres Furniture
Sportswift (Card Factory) Paper, printing and publishing ✱ made.com Furniture ✱
The Great British Card Company Paper, printing and publishing Mole Country Stores Furniture ✱
Companies rated for Bovis Homes Home Builders Multiyork Furniture Furniture
first time and gained 1 tree DFS Furniture Nest.co.uk Furniture
Dobbies Furniture Selfridges & Co Furniture ✱
Gardman Furniture Sharps Furniture
Klondyke & Strikes Furniture The Kitchen Depot Furniture
Notcutts Furniture Wren Kitchens Furniture
Persimmon Home Builders Wyevale Garden Centres Furniture
Ryman Furniture ✱ Companies that slipped back Heals Retailer ✱
Staples Furniture ✱ from a higher tree rating Simon & Schuster Paper, printing and publishing
Companies that slipped Dunelm Group Furniture ✱ Toys R Us Retailer
back from a higher tree Guardian Paper, printing and publishing
rating in 2015
Skanska Construction ✱
Warren Evans Furniture
Woodscape Furniture ✱© Edward Parker / WWF
TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 25
Figure 1: Number of companies that achieved each category, and change in status
SCORECARD COMPANY PERFORMANCE
3 trees
2 trees
1 tree
0 trees© © Adam Oswell / WWF-Greater Mekong
analysisTIMBER SCORECARD 2017 28 TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 29
An overview of Construction and timber BSW perhaps deserves a better ranking:
it dropped back from a 3 tree rating in
We have provided a snapshot of both the
sector performance
2015. Its timber directory and group
construction and timber processing sectors policy states it sources all logs from
together as these are predominantly FSC-certified sources, but we could
business to business organisations not find a clear annual statement of
supporting the UK construction industry. performance to corroborate this claim,
We include construction companies such highlighting the importance of clear
The chart below shows the breakdown of all 128 companies as Balfour Beatty, Carillion – and the public communications. Similarly, Forest
reviewed by sector, with their corresponding tree score. timber suppliers that source timber to Enterprise, Forestry Commission
these markets such as Danzer, James could distil some of its many extensive
Latham and Saint-Gobain and builders reports into a more accessible format for
• The construction sector leads on Approximately 20% of companies merchants like Travis Perkins.
overall performance with all but one of reviewed in each of these sectors have no the public to interpret. Communications
its constituent companies being awarded score, which should be concerning given No new companies were added into need to be precise and, should a business
3 trees. these are all household brand names. the scorecard this year and only minor be asked by another stakeholder, verifiable.
• For the musical instrument The lack of visible concern over key adjustments have been noted, which is The construction and timber industry is
companies we did review, a lag on overall sustainability issues could be damaging more a reflection of the maturity of the well supported by active trade associations.
performance is still suggested, with the in the long term, given their influence industry and its increased and improved For example, Brookes Bros, Danzer,
highest performer only scoring 1 tree. on consumption. engagement on the agenda for sustainable Finnish Fibreboard, James Latham
•O
f the 30 companies in the scorecard forest trade. The companies that scored and The Solid Wood Flooring
• The paper, printing and publishing least well are UK operations of overseas
sectors and general retailers (both with no score, more than half (16) Company are all members of the Timber
were furniture retailers. There is companies, where the lack of disclosures Trade Federation, which is one of the
consumer-facing sectors with many is more an indication of how they disclose
recognisable household brands) show an opportunity for these companies to most active associations encouraging
improve and be better at communicating information on their UK websites. and supporting the trade on sustainable
an even spread of performance. In both
cases more than a third of companies their sustainability credentials. This is a sourcing, and asking for transparency
Only a handful of the companies surveyed
reviewed in each sector are providing sector that WWF has only recently tried on due diligence for timber as part of its
provided an update to their policy
peer-leadership scoring 3 trees, and to engage – with training, a report, and membership requirements.
statements in line with their strategic
over 50% scoring 2 trees and above. ongoing contact with brands.
plans and targets. Brookes Bros, for
example, gave a year-on-year narrative
alongside its annual performance tables.
Figure 2: Summary of the performance within 11 different sectors
This all helps in providing transparency
Sector scores
to the sourcing of timber products and
Number of demonstrating the company is actively
companies that managing its supply chain.
responded
KEY Construction timber
▲ Improved Score Company Change Score Company Change
▼ Slipped Balfour Beatty ▲ Brooks Timber ■
■ No change Carillion ■ Danzer ■
1st First score Lend Lease ■ James Latham ■
Mace Group ■ Saint-Gobain Building ■
Distribution UK
Travis Perkins PLC ■
(Incl. Wickes) The Solid Wood Flooring ■
Company
Willmott Dixon ■
BSW Timber Group ▼
Crest Nicholson ■
Forest Enterprise, Forestry ▲
Skanska ▼
Commission
Timber Link International ■
Finnish Fibreboard ▲
Overall response
rate and as a %
The side bar showing the number of companies that responded indicates the level of responses and engagement we had
with companies in each sector during the review process. This represents correspondence with companies in the sector,
not necessarily the return or addition of new information.TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 30 TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 31
Home builders Most of the top scoring companies Paper, publishing, card, publishers to promote better data on the
This year we added further home builder
communicate their policy to their
suppliers and regularly review their timber
and paper hygiene companies legality and sustainability of paper sources.
The scheme could be improved if it were
businesses to the timber scorecard, which procurement policy. Promoting responsible For this sector we reviewed a diverse group tied more into tangible commitments by
enables us to review them more clearly as a forest management is a core part of of paper manufacturers and suppliers, member companies to progressively move
separate sector. their strategy and they publish annual card companies, book publishers and to better papers.
sustainability performance data and KPIs bookshops. Over 60% of companies
Redrow and Crest Nicholson, which Publishers’ commitments to progressive
across all aspects of their operations. For scored either 3 or 2 trees. Three further
both featured under the construction paper purchasing are a way of reinforcing
example, Redrow openly communicates companies have been added to the list,
sector in the 2015 scorecard, are reviewed to retailers and printers that these issues
its purchasing actions having actively which include Hachette UK, whose
here alongside five other known operators are important and are being addressed.
participated in the GFTN programme since brands were previously assessed, but now
which include Bellway, Barratt, Maybe surprisingly, the booksellers and
2003. It is perhaps the most transparent achieved a first score of 3 trees as a group.
Berkeley Group, Bovis Homes bookstores like Foyles, Waterstones
when it comes to publishing its forest Antalis, HarperCollins, Haymarket
and Persimmon. and Blackwell are still lagging behind,
product purchasing performance year Media Group and IG Design Group
Performance across the sector, according on year, reporting both volume and all appear to have stepped up on their with no visible public commitments to
to their public reporting on timber, is proportions, with clear alignment with commitment to responsible sourcing in ensure the books or other stationery and
strong. Bellway and Redrow lead on WWF-UK GFTN categories. this review. Companies in this sector paper items they sell are manufactured
overall performance in the 'three trees' generally have a high proportion of timber from sustainably sourced materials. This
category. Bovis Homes and Persimmon But some published performance metrics fibre in their supply chain, which often is likely to be because of sourcing from
have the most opportunity to improve could be better explained to the public. limits the influence a company can have other brands. However, given their clear
their disclosures to ensure it is clear what For example, Barratt publishes its on paper sourcing and production, due to dependence on forests as a resource for
percentage of timber for the homes they annual timber sourcing performance co-production. their business, they should be actively
build and use on their site developments as 100%, based on PEFC and FSC looking to confirm the brand commitments
‘Group Agreements’ with suppliers A third of all companies reviewed in this for the products they source and sell, to
is responsibly sourced, to improve their
which themselves hold chain of custody sector have improved their score from the ensure sustainability long term and to
performance and market parity on
certificates – but this does not in itself 2015 review. Five improved to a '3 trees' ensure their customers are supporting
sustainability compared to peers before
guarantee that the actual timber supplied rating. Among these, HarperCollins forests too.
our third review in 2019.
is certified. There is a risk that some shows a higher percentage of FSC certified
companies are being overly simplistic with paper in use and states that it now reviews, The greeting card manufacturers have
KEY home builders their statements and need to improve their fibre tests and approves all material improved as a group this year, with both IG
Design Group (previously International
reporting especially for the general public. excluding high risk fibres and sources.
▲ Improved Score Company Change Together with Penguin Random House Greetings) and UK Greetings scoring
▼ Slipped Bellway 1st Some of the companies reviewed did not and Hachette, it is also one of the few that 3 trees. The latter is the largest direct to
appear to have substantially updated has a clear target to print 100% of its books retail greeting card publisher in the UK.
Redrow
See table
■ No change ■
their policies or performance reporting. on FSC-certified materials by 2020. It was Hallmark Cards slipped back: long-
Barratt Development 1st
1st First score
Berkeley Group 1st
Crest Nicholson is one such company: it overleaf also one of the first major trade publishers term technical problems with its website
retained the same position in the scorecard to take its operations carbon neutral. Even appeared to hamper its ability to provide
Crest Nicholson ■ from 2015. Crest Nicholson still has the in an age where publishers are doing more any public information in the review period.
Bovis Homes 1st clearest example of a sustainable timber and more online, print is still a crucial Both Clinton Cards and The Great
Persimmon 1st procurement policy of all those reviewed part of the industry. So, for publishers, British Card Company scored 1 tree.
in home builders sector, and a model climate change and its impact on forests
policy to follow. But putting it into practice Among newspapers, the Guardian states
is hugely significant.
is important, and by 2019 companies a commitment to embed sustainability into
in all sectors need to be increasing the It is encouraging to see one of the worst its day to day activities, with the majority
percentage of the certified timber in their performers in 2015, Clinton Cards, of newsprint sourced from recycled fibre.
supply chain. has upped its game by sharing policy However, the lack of public disclosures and
information, moving to a 1 tree rating. statements meant we were not able to score
Non-respondents such as Bovis Homes it on its performance.
have a reasonable sourcing policy where Among the publishers, Oxford
it states it requires timber supplies to University Press, Simon & Schuster A small number of the previously good
be FSC or PEFC – but we were not able and Hearst all failed to register a score. performers such as Williams Lea and
to confirm its performance to award a While some like Hearst told us it has a Macmillan Publishers have slipped
better score. Transparency over year-on- commitment to buy paper from sustainable back. Macmillan Publishers did not
year performance is essential to monitor sources, it does not publish its policy or appear to have updated its policy or
performance on hitting 2020 targets. performance. performance figures since 2015.
Some publishers have a history of working We have separately reviewed three paper
together on responsible paper purchasing. hygiene companies. Kimberly-Clark
The Publishers’ database for Responsible fibre procurement policy remains one of
Environmental Paper Sourcing (PREPS) the most progressive in the tissue industry.
2
2015 UK greenhouse gas emissions: final figures - statistical summary https://www.gov.uk/government/up-
loads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/589602/2015_Final_Emissions_Statistics_one_page_summary.pdf
was set up as a joint initiative betweenTIMBER SCORECARD 2017 32 TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 33
KEY paper hygiene General retailers KEY retailer Toy manufacturers supply ranges of
wooden toys, so it is disappointing to see
▲ Improved Score Company Change Performance among general retailers has ▲ Improved Score Company Change both The Entertainer and Toys R Us
▼ Slipped
been static, with very little change among ▼ Slipped without any clear policies on sustainable
Kimberly-Clark ■ B&Q UK (Kingfisher) ■
the top performers since 2015. There was sourcing – compared with major retailers
■ No change SCA Hygiene ■ ■ No change Boots UK Ltd ■
no change in the scores of 22 (81%) of the like Tesco which has a very clear policy
1st First score Sofidel ■ 27 companies. Half (48%) of the companies 1st First score Sainsbury’s ■
statement on own-branded toys. Toys R
scored 2 trees or above. The top performers Kingfisher ■
Us states it has a responsible sourcing
include many big consumer brands such Marks & Spencer ■
paper, printing and publishing
philosophy, but fails to document what this
as supermarkets like M&S, Sainsbury’s, The Co-operative ■ is to its customers.
Co-op, Morrisons and Waitrose and
Score Company Change consumer-facing DIY stores such as B&Q.
Waitrose ■
Some of these companies are champions
Antalis ▲ WH Smith ▲
These companies are all reporting sourcing on wider sustainability issues. When global
Hachette UK 1st more than 80%. Morrisons ■ forest issues became prominent in the
HarperCollins ▲ Argos (Sainsbury's) ■ media due to illegal and unsustainably
WH Smith has improved its performance logged timber making it onto the UK
Haymarket Media ▲ ASDA ■
Group
and disclosure on its own-brand product market, B&Q among others worked closely
John Lewis ■
lines. Many companies look at the with WWF and other environmental
IG Design Group PLC ▲ Tesco ■
(prev. International sustainability of their own brand product organisations to help develop what would
Greetings PLC) lines as these are the ones they have direct Debenhams ■
become the FSC, and has transformed its
Immediate Media ■ control over, and report on these, but also Early Learning Centre ■ timber supply chain since.
offer familiar brands in parallel to provide (Mothercare)
Mondi ■
consumer choice. A grey area remains here: Hamleys ▲ Many of the retailers are members of
Penguin Random House ■
who should take ultimate responsibility for House of Fraser ■ the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF),
Steinbeis Papier ■ the sustainability performance of a branded committing them to achieving zero net
Laura Ashley ■
Tetra Pak ■ product, sold by a well-known retailer? deforestation in their supply chains by
Matalan ■
UK Greetings ▲ Retailers may feel they lack the necessary 2020. CGF members have resolved to work
leverage to influence other major brands Next ■ towards excluding deforestation from
Bauer Media ▲
that they stock – but to what extent should The White Company ■ their supply chains, although to date this
Cambridge University ■
Press they be actively seeking to influence (and Cath Kidston ■ commitment has not led to comprehensive
assess) the sustainability performance of Harrods ■ performance reporting across the board.
Hallmark Cards ▼
branded products being sold through their
Macmillan Publishers ▼ Heals ▼ Leading retailers recognise their pivotal role
businesses? This highlights an area to focus
Pearson ■ on in our next scorecard – the procurement Liberty ■ in the supply chain. Own brands make up
Pureprint Group ■ of third-party products. The Entertainer ■ a major part of products they sell, offering
1 st Toys R Us ▼ them the ability to influence directly the
Time Inc.
The four companies that scored 2 trees way these are sourced and manufactured.
Williams Lea ▼
continue to show steady progress. These They also interact with millions of their
Bloomsbury Publishing ■ include well-known brands such as Argos consumers daily so they know what
Clinton Cards ▲ (now part of Sainsbury’s), ASDA, John their customers want and can help them
Guardian ▼ Lewis and Tesco. make more informed choices over the
Muji ▲ sustainability of the products they buy.
The six companies that are lagging behind
Paperchase ▲ in the sector had no visible sustainable
Sportswift (Card ▲ sourcing policies and need to start taking
Factory) quick action on sourcing responsibly –
The Great British Card ▲ these include the London retail stores
Company Harrods, Heal’s and Liberty. Cath
Blackwell's 1st Kidston told us it has policies for its
Foyles ■ suppliers but it has no web page or public
Hearst ■ compliance statement.
Oxford University Press ■
Simon & Schuster ▼
Waterstones ■TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 34 TIMBER SCORECARD 2017 35
Furniture retailers Often the presence of wood is obvious, such Musical instruments It is disheartening to see that very little
as in garden furniture, but it can be hidden progress, if any, has been made since 2015.
The UK furniture industry is a behind other materials. Wherever the wood Many musical instruments sold each For both Fender Musical Instruments
major importer and user of timber, may be found, the furniture industry has year are made from rare timber. Thanks GBI and Tanglewood Guitars we
whether directly as a raw material a responsibility to ensure that it sources it to musicians’ bias for tropical woods – were unable to locate any statements
for manufacturing, or indirectly in legally and sustainably. particularly mahogany, rosewood and supporting sustainable sourcing policies.
components or in finished products. ebony – for their tonal qualities, this is a The Yamaha Corporation, which
Furniture retailers are the public face of We added 22 further furniture companies market in which the illegal timber trade communicates that it prides itself on its
the furniture industry, wielding substantial to the Timber Scorecard this year, can potentially flourish if left unchecked. commitment to work in partnership with
brand influence and purchasing power. following our ‘Are you sitting comfortably?’ The musical instrument industry has an society and contribute to a sustainable
report on the industry published in especially high risk of sourcing endangered environment, has a sustainable timber
October 2016. The sector still includes well- or poached wood because of its reliance
KEY furniture known companies such as IKEA, DFS, on traditional exotic tone woods for
procurement policy in place but it does
not provide disclosures on performance.
Furniture Village and Oak Furniture instruments parts, such as guitar backs,
▲ Improved Score Company Change Furthermore, musical instruments are not
Land – but now we also have others such sides and fret boards. We reviewed three within the scope of the EUTR at present,
▼ Slipped Bensons for Beds 1st
as stationers that sell office furniture as companies that are importing musical leaving companies without obligations
(Steinhoff)
■ No change well, such as Ryman. instruments into the UK.
Homebase (Bunnings UK) 1st to carry out due diligence to ensure their
1st First score products are legally sourced.
Office Depot UK ■ Performance among the sector is lacklustre,
Bramblecrest 1st with only seven companies scoring 2 KEY musical instruments For consumers, choosing instruments
trees or higher. These include IKEA,
Harveys Furniture ▲
Homebase, Bramblecrest, Nobia UK
▲ Improved Score Company Change such as guitars that are certified as
(Steinhoff) sourced from FSC certified timber is one
(incl. Magnet), Office Depot and two of ▼ Slipped Yamaha ■
IKEA ■ way to guarantee that set standards of
the Steinhoff subsidiaries, Bensons For ■ No change Fender Musical ■ environmental and social sustainability
Nobia UK (incl. Magnet) ■ Instruments GBI
Beds and Harveys Furniture. are met, including that the wood used is
DFS 1st 1
st
First score
Tanglewood Guitars ■ legally harvested.
Dobbies 1 st The other 30 companies (representing 80%
Dunelm Group ▼ of the sector) scored 1 tree or lower, with
16 companies scoring zero. Many of these
Feather & Black ■
companies had little or no information
Furniture Village ■
on their website about the sustainability
Gardman 1st of the timber or wood products they sold,
Jansen International ▲ and often statements were quite broad or
Klondyke & Strikes 1st generic. These were often lacking even
Notcutts 1st the most basic reference to responsible
sourcing on their website. Well-known
Oak Furniture Land ▲
brands such as SCS, Dreams, Harvey
Ryman 1st
Nichols, Multiyork Furniture, Sharps
Staples 1st and Sofa Workshop are among these.
Warren Evans ▼
It is worth noting that some furniture
Woodscape ▼
(such as chairs) is currently exempt from
A. Share & Sons Ltd (SCS) ■ EUTR requirements; other items (such as
Brissi London ■ tables) are not. It is surprising that such
Dreams ■ well-known customer-facing companies
Harvey Nichols 1st completely fail to communicate the
Hilliers Garden Centres 1st
sustainability or source of their key
raw material.
made.com 1st
Mole Country Stores 1st A number of companies such as Dunelm
Multiyork Furniture 1st and Wyevale Garden Centres were
Nest.co.uk 1st either not in a position to respond or
contacted us after the scorecard was
Roset ■
completed. We look forward to reviewing
Selfridges & Co 1st
their progress in 2019 as at present, on
Sharps 1st the basis of their public information, it
The Sofa Workshop ■ appears more action is needed by them
The Kitchen Depot 1st on this agenda.
Wren Kitchens 1st
Wyevale Garden Centres 1stYou can also read
