Mining isn’t perhaps generally associated with environmentalists. Not unless they’re chaining themselves to equipment to throw a spanner in the works.
But it’s where Julia Young, manager of the WWF UK’s Global Forest Trade Network (GFTN) and core contributor in its new Forest Campaign, spent the first 13 years of her career; initially with Rio Tinto, who she went on secondment with to Zimbabwe, then De Beers in Botswana and South Africa.
Nor did she leave the sector on ecological performance grounds. Not every mining company was an eco paragon, but she moved on convinced most people in the industry would not do wrong by the planet wilfully, or knowing there was a viable alternative approach. It’s a view she takes of other businesses too, including timber.
Consequently, while the latter may regard the stance of some NGOs as ‘our way or the high way’, Julia, and indeed the wider WWF are seen as more pragmatic voices albeit unbending on core issues. They’re greens the industry can talk to – hence in part the success of the Forest Campaign, which pledges supporters to target 100% sustainable timber sourcing by 2020.
"I’ve only ever met a few businesses, and just one via GFTN, which persisted with existing practices knowing they were wrong," she said. "Most haven’t changed because they don’t know how or ‘always did it that way’.
Given the tools, options, support and strategy for changing their impact, they’ll do it. Why wouldn’t they? That’s why WWF believes collaboration rather than confrontation is usually more constructive."
While her different careers might seem poles apart, they also had a common appeal; both being often physically active and outdoors.
"We were an outdoorsy family, and from childhood in St Ives in Cambridgeshire, I walked, cycled, swam or rowed."
The latter, in fact, took a serious turn when Julia started rowing competitively with local clubs and, aged 17, was selected for the GB junior squad.
"Women’s rowing received minimal sponsorship in those days and we won some European silvers," she said. "It was a tremendous team effort and we were incredibly proud."
The cycling also became pretty serious, culminating in a 50kmh crash on a mountain. "I’d fractured my femur and eventually ended up with double hip replacements." she said. "So I still off-road bike, just not down mountains."
Julia went on to study geology at Kingston Polytechnic, then took a masters at Reading University in sedimentology, her passport to Rio Tinto.
"I started with them in 1991 in geographic information systems software (GIS), focused on satellite imaging analysis and sample drilling, then became their Zimbabwe head of GIS," she said. "At De Beers I was involved more in exploration analysis."
Environmental issues were also a growing mining preoccupation at the time.
"There was increasing focus on pollution, and social considerations – with one of my employers perhaps more proactive than the other," she said. "Working in the field, hearing people talk about the effects of mining, also really got me thinking about land use and its environmental impact, including through agriculture."
This interest was deepened by joining a special team to evaluate diamond resources in South America, with field visits encompassing legal and illegal workings, and seeing illegal logging in tandem with the latter.
"At the time I was also thinking of what to do next, and this was focused by a potential posting to a mine in remotest Namibia," said Julia. "I’d become interested in legal issues surrounding land and resources, as well as environment, so decided to return to the UK to study law and started an environmental law policy masters degree at Dundee University’s specialist law centre."
Following her studies, Julia picked up some environmental policy experience volunteering for the RSPB and Campaign to Protect Rural England. Then she spotted a WWF advert. She applied and started with them in spring 2007, aged 38.
"The advert was for forest researcher, but they suggested this other job – the GFTN," she said. "I think they saw a good fit; with my industry stakeholder experience and knowing how business works on the ground and internally. Perhaps coming from another quite conservative, male dominated industry was a factor too! Overall it seemed the right combination for the GFTN role, engaging businesses on the forest and timber trade agenda."
Mining colleagues, ‘who were all also pretty outdoorsy’, saw the fit too.
Nevertheless, the ‘poacher turned game keeper’ tag did arise.
"To an extent it was true," said Julia. "But that strengthened my belief that we could make a change. My eyes were opened by my industry experience, so why not others’ when they saw options for change and contributing in a different way?"
GFTN had been going 15 years and Julia’s role was to ‘reinvigorate the programme and underline its role ‘making change in a comprehensive way’.
Trade participants today range from retailers and publishers, to big construction companies, plus the DIY sector, including B&Q.
"Through transparency, setting targets for eliminating unwanted material from supply chains, and learning about better choices, together we’ve reduced timber coming into the UK from unknown sources, something to be really proud about," said Julia. "More recently we’ve focused on companies understanding the agenda even better, so they become more confident in assessing supply chains themselves."
GFTN signatories undertake to source ‘credibly certified’ timber and here the WWF sticks with FSC being its top-ranked certification scheme.
"We have good relations with PEFC, but don’t believe they’re there yet," said Julia. "However we see scope for improvement in all schemes, including FSC."
Another key focus for the GFTN, and WWF’s wider forestry activities is of course the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). Julia endorses it.
"It adds a new level of seriousness to tackling forest product supply chains," she said. "Ultimately it’s EU law. There’s no more saying it’s fine to put illegal timber on the market. That’s game-changing."
There was though, considerable room for improvement.
"The UK timber trade has done well in meeting EUTR obligations, notably the Timber Trade Federation with its Responsible Purchasing Process and obligatory due diligence for members," said Julia. "But we need more rigorous policing. In UK enforcement there’s been too much time spent warming up, not enough cracking down, while in the wider EU we need uniform implementation."
She’d also like to see end user sectors taking the issue as seriously as the trade, notably furniture, which ‘lacks transparency and has no volume [compliance] targets among big players’.
Critically she wants to see the 2015 EUTR review resulting in extension of its product category coverage, which currently amounts to under 50% of EU timber imports by value. Key for inclusion is printed paper.
"The fact that buyers and end users are lobbying against inclusion is shocking," said Julia.
Her other focus, the Forest Campaign, is progressing well too, with 50 companies, plus trade associations including the TTF, signed up since its late 2014 start.
"It’s a hub for driving sustainable sourcing, and other actions such as a lobbying for EUTR product category extension, which links to a wider European industry effort," said Julia. "It’s also about transparency in companies’ sourcing achievements, producing biannual industry sustainability scorecards."
How many of the Forest Campaign’s 2020 targets will be met remains to be seen, but Julia wants more companies to join and supporters making ‘extra commitments and working out how to motivate change’.
Given industry reaction to the initiative’s call for market-wide commitment to sustainability, hot on the heels of the EUTR’s enforcement of legality, it’s clearly caused a stir. In fact it’s prompted some of the ‘worst abuse’ directed at her in Julia’s time at the WWF, but also most enthusiastic support.
She and the WWF also urge the trade to continue backing the wider EU Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEGT) initiative and its goal to deliver EUTR-exempt FLEGT-licensed timber, legally assured in the FLEGT- signatory supplier country.
"Licensed timber is a long time coming, but can’t be rushed. It has to be credible," said Julia. "We should also understand more about what it’s achieving on the ground in supplier countries in terms of stakeholder engagement and transparency. Effectively implemented, it can capture so many supply chains."
Looking at the wider forestry NGO sector, Julia believes it has to work together, but given the resources needed ‘each in their own space’.
At the same time, she’s not uncritical of other NGO approaches.
"If any believe things can change without [industry] collaboration, I’d really question that view."
Overall she feels timber and forestry sectors are making headway in environmental performance, but more needs doing quicker.
"Without more transparency in delivering sustainability more rapidly, we are accepting forest loss," she said.
The passions that inspire Julia’s work life obviously don’t switch off at the office door either.
"Wherever I am in the world, I try to get out into all our incredible landscapes and habitats and am reminded how much they recharge you," she said. "It makes you realise the values we’ve lost and need to recover and fundamentally that we don’t need to impact these amazing places so much."
