Sustainable timber and deforestation

Environmental Audit Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 25 Jul 2022 Closed: 9 May 2024 Parliament page
The Environmental Audit Committee is launching a new inquiry into sustainable timber in the UK and the UK’s contribution to global deforestation. The inquiry will investigate how the UK, which imports most of its timber, can best scale up a sustainable, resilient domestic timber sector and reduce its reliance on … Read more
49 Recommendations
50 Conclusions
2 Reports
6 Oral sessions
5 Letters
6 Events
Activity timeline 21 events
9 May
2024
Correspondence
26 Mar
2024
Report published
4 Jan
2024
Report published
15 Dec
2023
Report published
19 Jul
2023
Report published
13 Jun
2023
Correspondence
13 Jun
2023
Correspondence
5 Jun
2023
Correspondence
27 Apr
2023
Correspondence
29 Mar
2023
Oral evidence
29 Mar
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
1 Mar
2023
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 6 sessions
29 Mar 2023
View on parliament.uk
panel one; panel two
Maggie Charnley · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Sir William Worsley · Forestry Commission The Rt Hon. the Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Trudy Harrison · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
1 Mar 2023
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panel one; panel two
Andrew Howard · Schroders Danielle Carreira · Tropical Forest Alliance, World Economic Forum Dr Constance McDermott · University of Oxford Duncan Brack · n/a Helen Bellfield · Global Canopy Ligia Baracat · Forest Peoples Programme
7 Dec 2022
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panel one; panel two
Ben Goh · Maelor Forest Nurseries David Hopkins · Timber Development UK Dr Andrew Weatherall · Institute of Chartered Foresters Dr Mike Morecroft · Natural England Graham Clark · Country Land and Business Association Justin Mumford · Institute of Chartered Foresters Professor David Coomes · University of Cambridge
9 Nov 2022
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panel one
Alexandria Reid · Global Witness Dr Chris West · Stockholm Environment Institute York Michael Rice · Client Earth Sir Ian Cheshire · Channel 4
2 Nov 2022
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Panel 1
Dr Alan Knight · Drax Group Professor Michael Norton · European Academies Science Advisory Council Professor Patricia Thornley · Aston University
26 Oct 2022
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Andrew Carpenter · Structural Timber Association Dr Alan Knight · Drax Group Ian Tubby · Forestry Commission Nick Phillips · Woodland Trust Professor Michael Norton · European Academies Science Advisory Council Professor Patricia Thornley · Aston University Stuart Goodall · Confederation of Forest Industries UK
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
Clear
10 Recommendation Rejected
Fifth Report - Seeing the wood for…
Divide overall tree planting targets into sub-categories for specific goals
In order to give the forestry sector greater clarity, we recommend that following the development of the Land Use Framework, the Government divide its overall tree planting targets into sub-categories for the types of woodland needed to achieve different goals. … Read more
Government Response
The government rejected dividing statutory tree planting targets into sub-categories, citing delivery confidence, but stated a 2028 review would provide an opportunity to reconsider non-statutory sub-targets. They affirmed using policy and incentives to encourage a range of woodland types.
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24 Recommendation Rejected
Fifth Report - Seeing the wood for…
Set realistic long-term target for domestically produced timber, informed by comprehensive land use analysis.
We recommend that the Government set a realistic long-term target for the amount of timber to be produced domestically. This target should be informed by: • the analysis being undertaken to produce Defra’s Land Use Framework; • a comprehensive analysis … Read more
Government Response
The government has rejected setting a specific long-term domestic timber production target, citing challenges due to market factors, but notes its existing woodland cover target. It is, however, working with industry on forecasting, a Timber in Construction Roadmap, and identifying priority species for breeding.
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2 Conclusion Rejected
Fourth Report - The UK's contribut…
Unsustainable UK consumption patterns require reduction, lacking a committed global footprint target.
Consumption patterns in the UK which rely on the current global supply chain are unsustainable. Addressing these patterns is essential to the UK’s contribution to the alleviation of global biodiversity loss. The first step in addressing them is in recognising … Read more
Government Response
The government will continue to explore how the monitoring, measurement, and reporting of global environmental impacts can be further developed but states it will not consider setting a global footprint target until a robust evidence base is established to avoid unintended consequences.
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Government Response AI assessment · 99 of 49 classified
Accepted 43
Accepted in Part 10
Acknowledged 23
Deferred 16
Not Addressed 4
Rejected 3
Total 49 recs + 50 conclusions
Correspondence 5 letters
9 May 2024 To committee Letter from the EAC Chair to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, relating to the Government's response to the EAC report on 'The UK’s contribution to tackling global deforestation', dated 8 May 2024
Parliament page
13 Jun 2023 To committee Letter from the Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Energy, Climate and the Environment, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, relating to the 'Status of UK International Climate Finance (ICF) International Forests Provision', dated 30 May 2023
Parliament page
13 Jun 2023 To committee Letter from the Minister for Natural Environment and Land Use, Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, relating to the 'Sustainable timber and deforestation' inquiry, dated 1 June 2023
Parliament page
5 Jun 2023 To committee Letter from the Chairman of the Forestry Commission, relating to the Sustainable timber and deforestation inquiry, dated 11 April 2023
Parliament page
27 Apr 2023 To committee Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Natural Environment and Land Use) at DEFRA, relating to the 'Sustainable timber and deforestation' evidence session of 29 March 2023, dated 17 April 2023
Parliament page