Airtime and accolades

It’s been a recurring refrain over the years that the timber industry lacks ‘profile’. Other sectors get the media headlines. From building to banking, supermarkets to shipbuilding, they’re also consulted for their views on the economic outlook and mentioned in despatches in parliament. But timber has generally been conspicuous by its lack of airtime and absence from the public and political conversation. And this is despite the fact that, if you tally up all aspects of the business, it contributes more to UK GDP (with estimated total sales of £11bn) than many more widely recognised and quoted industries.

But maybe we’re now seeing signs that timber is beginning to win recognition as the key contributor to the country’s economy – and environmental performance – that it is.

Last year we saw extensive media coverage and political debate on the upcoming anti-illegal wood EU Timber Regulation. The Timber Trade Federation and other bodies figured highly in the discussion and gave a strong account of the sector as committed to improving its environmental credentials.

TTJ also covered growing media interest in timber-based building in the UK, notably rising use of engineered wood products, such as cross-laminated timber. This reflects a growing perception of wood, not only as the right stuff for our increasingly eco-conscious era, but as a high-performance, modern material suited to very demanding applications.

Now another area where we see the industry getting its viewpoint across is the increasingly urgent debate on the UK’s push for renewable energy, notably, the use of wood fuel to generate electricity.

Previously the prevailing view seemed to be that, if it was ‘renewable’ it had to be green and good. But now, thanks to the work of the Wood Panel Industries Federation, UK Forest Products Association, Confor and others, the realisation is dawning that subsidising power generators to buy wood fuel pushes up timber prices and potentially leads to shortages for existing users. This came across in recent reports on the issue by the BBC and The Times, which included the sector’s argument that making products from wood that lock in its carbon long term is better for the environment than incinerating it in power stations.

I also don’t think it’s stretching the theme too far to say that growing appreciation of the value of the timber industry played a role in the award of OBEs to two of its leading figures in the New Year Honours. James Latham chairman Peter Latham was given his for services to the wood industry. These are unspecified, but no doubt comprise steering one of the longest established names in the sector to continued success and taking a prominent stance on the sector’s environmental issues, including as UK chairman of the PEFC certification scheme. Roy Wakeman received his accolade for services to joinery, which have included three terms as British Woodworking Federation president, and building up several successful joinery businesses. The latest of the latter is the Performance Timber Products Group which, again, highlights wood as a material for the modern era.

Here’s hoping that the efforts of individual businesses and the industry as a whole can continue to raise timber’s profile in 2012 and reinforce recognition of its role in the success of UK plc. It can only help in what could be a tough year ahead – and beyond.