Will report on UK's timber woes prove watershed moment?

RECENTLY, Forestry Journal had a colleague from another part of the business join us for the day to help film some content. There we were, exhibitor hopping at the Royal Highland Show, when the conversation turned to forestry's struggles. Dangling the bait and hoping for a typical kind of response, we asked: "How much of the wood used in the UK do you think comes from abroad?" 

Chewing on it for a moment, they finally offered up an answer. "Eh, 20 per cent?"

READ MORE: 'Little evidence' of clear vision for UK's timber industry

Revealing the real figure – 81 per cent by the most recent statistics – is always like delivering a great fact during an awkward dinner party. You hold onto it for as long as you can, savouring the moment when you knock someone's socks off. 

That less than 20 per cent of the timber used in the UK isn't news to anyone in forestry, but is the kind of truth that never fails to amaze people beyond the sector. "But ... there are so many trees here," is how our colleague responded, and that seems about par for what you'd expect to hear. 

The report backed the need for softwood in the UK's forests (Image: Czernin Kinsky Scottish Company)

There are a lot of trees – although we really could do with many, many more of them – but we clearly aren't using them well enough. Once again, that's been thrust front and centre in a damning new report by MPs. 

The cross-party Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) found there was "no clear vision" for the timber sector in England/UK, and called on ministers to do more to ensure the nation's woodlands are adequately contributing to reducing our reliance on imports (imports, which, aren't exactly going to continue to be ready in such ample supply going forward).

Acknowledging how important timber production can be in reaching net zero – mainly by increasing the use of timber in construction – the report went on to say softwood planting should be a major part of the nation's forests in the future. 

This might all sound like old news to the industry, but, as that fact always proves, it might not be to the nation's policymakers and the public at large. 

“This needs to be a watershed moment that puts timber production at the heart of policymaking in England, where it belongs," said Stuart Goodall, the chief executive of Confor, in the wake of the report. "Confor has been heartened by the actions of the current forestry Minister, Trudy Harrison MP, and I’d call on her to respond positively and constructively to this report.

Trudy Harrison, the forestry minister (Image: Stock image)

"We need to remove the outdated stigma once and for all from softwood planting and deliver the modern forests that society needs."

Whether or not this can be done – and if we need to dig out another fact for parties – remains to be seen. 

This piece is an extract from our Forestry Features newsletter, which is emailed out at 4PM every Wednesday with a round-up of the week's top stories. 

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