Scottish Government Policy
Timber is a versatile construction material and, when sustainably sourced, can deliver carbon benefits because timber is a carbon neutral raw material; has low embodied energy when compared to other more energy intensive construction materials; and locks up considerable quantities of carbon for the lifetime of a building.
Scottish Government procurement policy on timber and timber products is set out in Scottish Procurement Policy Note 09/2004
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Procurement/policy/manual/policy-notes/21533
and in Scottish Procurement Policy Note 09/2005
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Procurement/policy/manual/policy-notes/sppn92005timber
More detailed guidance on timber procurement can be found in Appendix 6 of the Forestry Commission Scotland publication "Sustainable Construction timber: sourcing and specifying local timber" which can be downloaded at
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-6b2jfb
Current issues
DEFRA requires, from April 2009, that central departments in England will only purchase timber and timber products that derive from sustainably managed forests or are licensed under a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) agreement. The Scottish Government has not as yet endorsed this approach as consideration is given to ensuring that sustainability criteria do not unnecessarily exclude small woodlands and producers for whom the burden of certification would be high.
Further information can be found at the website of the UK Government's Central Point for Expertise for Timber Procurement.
www.proforest.net/cpet
Contact Details
Cameron Maxwell
Business Development Advisor
Forestry Commission Scotland
Silvan House
231 Corstorphine Road
Edinburgh EH12 7AT
Tel: 0131 314 6138
Email: cameron.maxwell@forestry.gsi.gov.uk