Softwood constructional timber is one of the greenest building materials known to man! Trees store and lock in carbon. Providing it has been obtained through responsible sourcing practices, the timber will come from well managed forests in which all felled trees are replaced with saplings. Responsible sourcing can make an important contribution towards sustainable forest management and help to increase the market for timber products which have been independently certified as coming from legal and sustainable sources.

As importers and buyers of timber and timber products, we apply every best endeavor to establish and ensure that supplies sold and sourced through our services have originated from responsible, good sawmills and exporters who themselves have adopted a forestry and production program that is in harmony with both our aims for ecologically friendly and sustainable timber trade practices, and who operate under internationally recognised certification bodies.

To achieve this aim we are members of the Timber Trade Federation, and operate chain of custody (CoC) schemes with both FSC^® (Forest Stewardship Council^®) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). Membership of the aforementioned schemes is subject to an independent annual audit conducted by Woodmark – the Soil Association’s certification scheme for Forest Management and Chain of Custody for forest products. Our current environmental certificates can be found here.

Our main supply areas are the well-managed Scandinavian and Northern European coniferous forests that are primarily used for house building, commercial construction, general joinery, furniture and outdoor uses.

Commitments for the Responsible Purchasing of Timber and Timber Products

Jordeson Timber is a longstanding member of the Timber Trade Federation. The TTF provides technical expertise and guidance to support members to implement the RPP (Responsible Purchasing Policy). The RPP conforms to the UK Timber Regulation (UKTR) which makes it illegal to place illegally harvested timber and timber products on the UK market. The RPP includes the following commitments:

1. Management Structure
   The company has appointed a Director to be responsible for the implementation of this Policy and will ensure that relevant environmental issues are discussed regularly at the highest level of management. The company will ensure that all employees associated with timber purchasing are aware of the Policy and its commitments, and are given appropriate education and training to allow its full implementation.


2. Responsibility
   The company recognises that it has a responsibility to the environment, customers, suppliers and staff to base its commercial activities on well-managed forests.


3. TTF Code of Conduct
   The company is committed to the Timber Trade Federation Code of Conduct and applies the Environmental Code of Practice to all wood procurement activities.


4. Legality
   The company is committed to purchasing all timber from legal sources and will seek evidence of compliance from suppliers that they are operating in accordance with the laws of their country. The company unreservedly condemns illegal logging practices and will keep informed of international processes and changes in legislation.


5. Endangered Species
   The company will not trade in timber species prohibited under Appendix 1 of the CITES legislation and will obtain the appropriate documents for trade in all other CITES listed timber species.


6. Traceability and Supplier Monitoring
   The company will perform a Risk Assessment on all Suppliers, as documented by the RPP. The assessment will seek to provide the clearest practicable information regarding the sources of raw material used in the manufacture of wood products. This information will form part of purchasing decisions and will be made available on request to independent verifiers.


7. Timber Certification
   The company supports international efforts to improve forest management, for example, the development of credible timber certification schemes. This company recognises that the independent certification of forests and the process chain is the most useful tool for providing assurances that the timber comes from legal and well-managed forests. The company will only accept, or use labels or certificates that include environmental or sustainability claims – only if they are supported by publicly available standards drawn up in a fully participatory, transparent and objective manner, and are backed by independent inspection.


8. Avoid Boycotts
   The company will not encourage boycotts or bans on specific species of timber. Notwithstanding this, the company will cease to purchase any timber and timber products whose supply is in breach of the Timber Trade Federation Code of Conduct and, in particular, the Environmental Code of Practice.


9. Continuous Improvement
   The company is committed to work with relevant trade organisations, NGOs and governments to develop its purchasing policy. The company is committed to continuously raise the proportion of timber and timber products, in accordance with the stepwise approach, that originate from legal and sustainably managed forests.


10. Reporting and Audit
    The company will report annually to the appointed auditors. The auditors will assess and verify the company’s progress and compliance under the Policy. A copy of the company’s Responsible Purchasing Policy Company Commitments will be available to all stakeholders on request.

Jordeson Timber agrees currently and in the future, as long as the relationship with FSC^® exists, not to be directly or indirectly involved in the following unacceptable activities:

1. Illegal logging or the trade in illegal wood or forest products;
2. Violation of traditional and human rights in forestry operations;
3. Destruction of high conservation values in forestry operations;
4. Significant conversion of forests to plantations or non-forest use;
5. Introduction of genetically modified organisms in forestry operations;
6. Violation of any of the ILO Core Conventions as defined in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work;
7. The use of child labour;
8. Forced or compulsory labour;
9. Discrimination in employment and occupation;

Jordeson Timber respects freedom of association and the effective right to collective bargaining for all emplyees.