Barriers to certified timber and paper uptake in the construction and paper industries in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Whilst forest management certification emerged in the early 1990s as a potential market-based solution to the problem of forest loss and degradation, certified timber has not yet taken a significant share of timber and wood product markets. Although the lack of supply of certified timber is acknowledged as a problem, market barriers to the uptake of certified products are poorly understood. This study sought to identify and compare barriers to the uptake of certified wood and wood products in the UK's paper and construction industries. Findings indicate marked variation in barriers between individual companies and between the industries. Key barriers identified include: organizational constraints -strategic commitment, inadequate systems, staff skills and financial provision; supply constraints -material availability, supply chain complexities, entrenched supplier relationships; and demand constraints -lack of knowledge, weak demand, price sensitivity, traditional expectations and availability of substitutes. Ways to overcome these barriers are discussed.

Corporate responsibility and sustainable competitive advantage in forest-based industry: Complementary or conflicting goals?

“…The market situation for certified wood products has steadily improved during the 2000s, but with occasional exceptions in the case of tropical hardwoods in the European market, achievable price premiums tend to remain negligible (UNECE/FAO2009). Three types of barriers have been identified by Werndle et al (2006) as the major constraints on certified timber and paper product uptake; first, supply barriers, which include lack of certified timber available, supply chain complexities, entrenched supplier relationships, and a currently low or non-existent price premium on certified forest products; second, demand barriers, which include lack of certification knowledge on the part of final consumers, price sensitivity, weak market demand; and third, organizational barriers, which include lack of strategic commitment, inadequate management systems, staff skills and financial provision. Since industrial consumers form the main customer base in the forest industry, Werndle et al (2006) suggested that educating subcontractors about certification and tightening control over procurement by large contractors could be one solution on the demand side.…”

Process-based analysis of added value in forest product industries

“…From a value-added perspective, a societal strategy of universal certification of forests with no certification-related price distinction between products would be vastly different from selective certification of forests leading to price differentiation between certified and noncertified products. In any event, the former is currently precluded by widespread unsustainable forestry practices in many parts of the world, and the latter is subject to a host of market barriers (Werndle et al, 2006).…”

Navigating tensions in a cross‐sector social partnership: How a convener drives change for sustainability

“…To this end, it has taken various initiatives in many countries (van Kooten, Nelson, & Vertinsky, 2005;Werndle, Brown, & Packer, 2006), among which the Netherlands. FSC-International is a multistakeholder initiative founded in 1993, with the ambition to improve sustainable forestry worldwide through certification.…”

“…FSC-International is a multistakeholder initiative founded in 1993, with the ambition to improve sustainable forestry worldwide through certification. To this end, it has taken various initiatives in many countries (van Kooten, Nelson, & Vertinsky, 2005;Werndle, Brown, & Packer, 2006), among which the Netherlands. FSC-NL is not a standard-setting organization (as FSC-International) but manages the FSC-standard for Dutch forests and supervises FSC certification in the Netherlands.…”