AND PEFC CERTIFIED TIMBER

CoNsTRuCTIoN

2

PEFC (Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification) is an international

non-profit, non-governmental organisation

dedicated to promoting Sustainable Forest Management through independent third-party

certification. PEFC is an umbrella organisation. It

works by endorsing national forest certification

systems developed collaboratively by all

interested stakeholders and tailored to local

priorities and conditions. National forest

certification schemes undergo rigorous third

party assessment against PEFC’s unique Sustainability Benchmarks.

PEFC has recognised certification systems in

more than 30 countries. Together these account

for over 247 million hectares of certified forests,

making PEFC the world’s largest forest and wood product certification system. It applies the highest ecological, social and

ethical standards to forest management and is

the certification system of choice for family and

community-owned forests.

At its core is an independently verified Chain of Custody process which tracks certified

material from the forest to the end user enabling

companies to make accurate claims on the

content of certified material. It proves that each

step of the supply chain from the forest to

the end user has been monitored closely with

independent auditing. To date, more than 10,000

companies have obtained PEFC Chain of Custody certification.

ABouT PEFC

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Timber is a material that sits at the heart of

the construction industry. As well as having

the lowest embodied CO2 of any commercially

available building material, it is increasingly

seen as the simple and straightforward way

for contractors and clients to achieve a high-

performance, energy efficient building solution.

With timber species offering dimensional stability

and durability, PEFC-certified timber has

unique sustainability credentials as a renewable

building material compared to concrete, steel,

brick and block or aluminium. PEFC-certified

timber plays an enormous part in many building

projects from structural applications such as

timber frame, engineered woods including

glulam, cross laminated timber (CLT), laminated

ThE CoMPlETE BuIlDINg MATERIAl

PEFC & ClT/glulAM

The use of solid wood solutions, engineered timber systems and products such as Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glulam are an increasingly popular and fashionable way to build strong and stable structures and bring a striking architectural dimension to modern building design. Glulam and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is commonly made

from PEFC-certified Spruce or Larch and acts as a natural and renewable alternative to steel and concrete. Large vertical or horizontal beams deliver huge interior spans without supporting columns with the scope to showcase breathtaking use of space and introduce huge swathes of natural light.

Across the world, the international design community is embracing CLT to deliver high profile, award winning projects from houses, schools and hotels to restaurants, theatres and supermarkets. PEFC-certified timber is at the heart of two of the UK’s groundbreaking multi-storey buildings – Stadthaus, Murray Grove and Bridport House.

veneer lumber (LVL) and structural insulated

panels (SIPs) to key components such as

engineered floor cassettes, attic trusses, along

with basic building items such as staircases,

windows and doorsets. Also included would

be innovative modified wood products such as

Accoya®.

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ChAIN oF CusToDy

It is critical to prove that the timber used on

your project is sustainably sourced and certified.

Chain of Custody documentation proves

that each step of the supply chain has been

monitored closely with independent auditing

and is the key mechanism for tracing certified

material from the forest to the building site.

This unbroken link is transparent proof that the

timber used is sourced from a legally managed

ChAIN oF CusToDy CERTIFICATIoN

4 Certified sawmill

2 Certified logs

5 Certified Merchant

6 Retailer

3 Certified Distribution

7 Contractor

1 Certified Forest

and certified forest. Alongside standard Chain of

Custody certification, there are two other ways

in which those operating in the construction

sector can benefit from PEFC certification.

Project Chain of Custody Certification

Companies can also become involved with

PEFC through Project Certification. PEFC Project Chain of Custody certification

recognises that not all parties involved

in specific projects are certified. This is a

particular form of Chain of Custody where

an individual project is considered to be

the ‘product’ to which the Chain of Custody

process is applied. In practice, the Project

Manager obtains a Chain of Custody

certificate for Project Certification and sub-

contractors working on the project are covered

as Project Members and are not required

to obtain Chain of Custody certification

themselves (although in the long term this

would obviously makes traceability easier).

Group Chain of Custody

For many sole traders and small firms,

having Chain of Custody may be viewed as

a costly option. If company Chain of Custody

certification is not possible, a simple and

cost effective way to achieve PEFC-certified

status is to join or form a Group Chain of Custody Scheme. Generally, a Group

Scheme involves a consultant (or Group

Manager) helping member companies to set

up the procedures and paperwork required

to satisfy the requirements of the Group

Scheme and undertake audits to maintain

the certification. Once your company is

certified, you will be allowed to use the

PEFC logos and labels on your products and

marketing materials.

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PERFoRMANCE MATTERs

PEFC TIMBER – INTEllIgENT CoNsTRuCTIoNFaBriC FirSt

The timber frame approach to low energy building design that allows you to confidently meet SAP targets, achieve Passivhaus standards and deliver high thermal performance without the need for additional renewable energy extras.

PrEFaBriCation

Mass-customised timber components can deliver high levels of onsite efficiency, less waste and more reliable factory-controlled precision, more stable cost model and predictable timescales.

CuttinG Co2

A renewable and green building material with low embodied energy that can be easily recycled or reused. Timber also acts as a carbon sink meaning that when the harvested timber is converted into wood products, they continue to store carbon and reduce overall carbon emissions.

CorPoratE SoCial rESPonSiBility

Clearly demonstrate to clients that you and your supply chain are committed to growing responsible forest management by sourcing PEFC-certified timber for your projects.

CodES & StandardS

Using PEFC-certified timber directly helps achieve Levels 3 to 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and plays a pivotal role in satisfying the acoustic and thermal requirements of Part L and Part E of the Building Regulations and Excellent/Outstanding BREEAM ratings.

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The construction industry is the largest buyer

of timber products – this means the sector

has a huge influence on the type of timber in

demand. This sector can help increase the level

of sustainable products by demanding PEFC-

certified timber at all times. This gives a clear

market signal that only timber from legal and

sustainably managed sources is acceptable. To

comply with some public sector procurement

policies, the use of certified timber is mandatory

and PEFC-certified materials are accepted

by the UK Government’s own timber policy

developed by the Central Point of Expertise on timber (CPEt – see www.cpet.org.uk).

uKCG - demonstrating Environmental Commitment The UK Contractors Group (UKCG) is at

the forefront of promoting best practice in

construction and the sourcing of sustainable

timber for the UK construction industry. It

is the primary association for main building

contractors operating in the UK, representing

over thirty leading companies including Balfour

Beatty, Keepmoat, Galliford Try, Skanska UK and

Willmott Dixon. Between them, UKCG members

account for £33 billion of construction turnover

– a third of the UK’s construction total output.

The UKCG timber procurement guidelines

stipulate all timber products purchased for

either temporary or permanent use on UKCG

member sites should be certified as legally and

sustainably sourced, as defined by CPET.

The UKCG policy commits members to:

“support and give preference to procuring products which are able to demonstrate compliance with a recognised responsible sourcing scheme, certified by a third party”. CPET

currently approves two certification schemes

as providing evidence of legal and sustainable

sourcing – PEFC and FSC (Forest Stewardship

Council).

This UKCG decision gives

clear and transparent

preference to products that

demonstrate compliance

with responsible sourcing

schemes and which are

certified by a third party.

To maintain an unbroken

chain of custody, all

members of the UKCG

have committed to

a common reporting

method which requires

documentary evidence of

certified timber.

INFluENCE youR INDusTRy – PRoTECT ThE ENvIRoNMENT

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EuTR – REsPoNsIBlE souRCINg AND suPPly

the European union timber regulation (Eutr) entered the statute book in March 2013

and prohibits the placing of illegally harvested timber

on the European market. It sets out requirements

that companies within the European Union (EU)

must meet to minimise the risk of illegal timber being

traded. More specifically, the Regulation requires

companies placing timber or timber products on the

European market (both imported and domestic) for

the first time to implement a due diligence System (ddS).

Companies trading wood products within the EU are

responsible for keeping records of their suppliers

and customers to allow for traceability. The EUTR

Guidance document contains criteria that companies

may use to assess the credibility of a third-party

certification system such as PEFC. PEFC fulfils

these EUTR requirements for third-party certification

systems.

the 2013 PEFC Chain of Custody standard with

its integral PEFC Due Diligence System (PEFC DDS)

is fully aligned with the EUTR. (PEFC ST 2002: 2013

Chain of Custody of Forest based Products)

PEFC-certified timber is widely available in

construction grade strengths from an extensive

network of merchants and suppliers with a huge

variety of softwoods and hardwoods available. PEFC-

certified timber offers the widest choice of sustainable

timber available to the construction sector, including

Western Red Cedar, European Larch, Douglas Fir,

European Redwood, Beech, Cherry, European Oak,

American White Oak, American White Ash, Finnish

Spruce and Birch with Dark Red Meranti, Majau,

Mersawa, Merawan and Gerutu for windows and

Balau, Red Balau, Kempas and Keruing for decking.

PEFC’s distinctive ‘green trees’ logo transcends language barriers making it a truly global brand. For further information about the PEFC programme in the UK visit: www.pefc.co.uk

PEFC UK LimitedSheffield Technology ParksCooper BuildingsArundel StreetSheffield S1 2NSt 0114 307 2334e info@pefc.co.ukwww.pefc.co.uk

Printed on PEFC certified paper byHorner Brotherst 01709 372 277www.hornerbrothers.com

Photo credits: A

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art Milne Tim

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EFC

Italia

PEFC/16-33-626