Information note - No. 57

The Forestry Research Co-ordination Committee met on 3 April 2001 at the Forestry Commission’s Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian.

1. Forest Products Research

The Committee received a short report of a recent meeting between Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) – (now DEFRA), Forestry Commission (FC), Scottish Enterprise (SE) and UK Forest Products Association (UKFPA). The meeting followed up points raised in the Options for the Wood Chain which was commissioned by DETR and the FC as an input to the Government’s Foresight Programme (Forests and Forest Products sub-group) in 1999 (see FRCC Information Note 53). Scottish Enterprise are likely to assist the industry with forest products research as part of the Roots for Growth programme of the Scottish Forestry Cluster. Three principal ideas emerged:

The possibility of a managed research programme tailored to the needs of the industry, where the government contribution would be a co-operation between DETR, FC and SE. While recognising that this would not be all new money it was thought that the industry and researchers might respond well to a tailored scheme.
A proposal to challenge the industry to produce a Sustainability Strategy similar to other industries producing construction materials as part of its response to a challenge for improvement laid down by Nick Raynsford the Construction Minister.
Agreement to pursue the idea from the Options Paper of a comprehensive website for the forest products industry and its customers. This would cover the products, general information and design standards, codes and software resources with appropriate links to other sites.

The UK timber sector is also developing a Sustainability Strategy which is likely to cover more materials than those for construction alone as the requirements and products are inextricably linked. The Scottish Enterprise and the Cluster Leadership Group are keen to improve the industry’s strength in research and development. A research working group met the Secretary of the Materials Panel on Foresight and as a result the Cluster Chairman has requested the involvement of the sector in a joint working group of the Materials and Construction Foresight Panels. The research group is also compiling a database of current research and information sources. This will be available on a timber industry website. Scottish Enterprise are funding a number of studies, some in partnership with the FC. These include:-

A review of the research needs of the Cluster;
seminars for the industry and specifiers on LCA and certification;
a digest of standards-related information on glued products;
the case for a centre of teaching and research excellence on structural timber engineering.

2. Conference on ‘Social Sciences and Research into Woodlands and the Natural Environment’.

This conference was co-funded by the Environment Agency, Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department and Forestry Commission and was held on 19 and 20 June 2001. The conference addressed the social aspects of the environment and in particular, forestry, and drew together academics, PhD researchers, government organisations and non-government organisations interested in understanding and discussing people and nature. Initial work done at a smaller seminar on social forestry held at Alice Holt Lodge (December 2000) was followed up and breakout workshops considered -Stakeholder analysis; Public participation in environmental decision making; Environmental values; and Social sustainability. The proceedings of the conference are to be published to ensure wide dissemination of current research and ideas.

3. World Summit on Sustainable Development, South Africa, 2002

An interdepartmental working group (DEFRA, FCO, DFID, DTI, No.10 and FC) is working with business and NGOs in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2002. The FC is leading the UK Government’s contribution on forestry which has been identified as one of five key sectors (along with water, energy, tourism and finance) for which the Prime Minister has invited business leaders, together with NGOs to develop strategies to promote sustainable development. UK forestry has made good progress on sustainability since Rio (e.g certification, the development and implementation of industry standards, links with the consumers of forestry products and with global environmental issues).

A meeting with forestry business leaders and industry associations was held to explore the development of a sustainable programme for the forestry sector. It was agreed that the Forest Industry Development Council would co-ordinate a forestry sector initiative which will cover the UK wood-chain from growing through to processing, with a strong emphasis on the products sector. A meeting has also been held with environmental NGOs to seek their views on initiatives to promote sustainability and to inform them of the industry initiative. There is enthusiasm over the opportunity which the World Summit offers to press the case for greater support for forestry in the UK with an emphasis on forestry’s contribution to rural development and the protection and restoration of our remaining ancient woodlands.

International issues of concern are illegal logging and timber procurement, forestry certification and the UK’s environmental footprint which results from the importation of over 80% of our wood products needs. Government, industry and the NGOs are keen to work together on the sectoral strategy. The UK will also be preparing a Government Statement on Sustainable Forestry which will set out actions taken to promote sustainability in forestry since Rio and will look forward to future challenges.

4. Annual Collation of Forest Research

The results of the 2000 Collation were summarised in FRCC Information Note No. 55 and the full Collation is available from the FRCC secretariat. Details of research projects currently underway have been requested from the principal UK funders of forestry and tree-related research for 2001/02 FRCC Collation. A ‘near complete’ Collation will be presented to the Committee in November 2001 with a view to release early in 2002.

Further details of the Committee’ s work and of FRCC publications are available on this website.

The next meeting of FRCC will be on 8 November 2001 in London.

July 2001

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