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Select Committee · Environmental Audit Committee

Sustainable timber and deforestation

Status: Closed Opened: 25 Jul 2022 Closed: 9 May 2024 49 recommendations 50 conclusions 2 reports

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 imports. In addition, the inquiry …

Clear

Reports

2 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourth Report - The UK's contribution to tackling global de… HC 405 4 Jan 2024 48 Responded
Fifth Report - Seeing the wood for the trees: the contribut… HC 637 19 Jul 2023 51 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
10 Recommendation Fifth Report - Seeing the wood for the … Rejected

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. These targets should be underpinned by the clear, holistic long-term …

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.
24 Recommendation Fifth Report - Seeing the wood for the … Rejected

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 of the commercial species which need to be planted, and …

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 …
2 Conclusion Fourth Report - The UK's contribution t… Rejected

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 the need to reduce the UK’s overall consumption. We welcome …

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 …

Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions
Date Witnesses
29 Mar 2023 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 View ↗
1 Mar 2023 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 View ↗
7 Dec 2022 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 View ↗
9 Nov 2022 Alexandria Reid · Global Witness, Dr Chris West · Stockholm Environment Institute York, Michael Rice · Client Earth, Sir Ian Cheshire · Channel 4 View ↗
2 Nov 2022 Dr Alan Knight · Drax Group, Professor Michael Norton · European Academies Science Advisory Council, Professor Patricia Thornley · Aston University View ↗
26 Oct 2022 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 View ↗

Correspondence

5 letters
DateDirectionTitle
9 May 2024 To cttee Letter from the EAC Chair to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and R…
13 Jun 2023 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Natural Environment and Land Use, Department for E…
13 Jun 2023 To cttee Letter from the Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Energy, Climate and…
5 Jun 2023 To cttee Letter from the Chairman of the Forestry Commission, relating to the Sustainabl…
27 Apr 2023 To cttee Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Natural En…