Greenpeace’s two-year investigation questions the legality of some of the ipé decking products being exported from the Brazilian state of Pará to Europe, claiming that builders merchant Jewson is relying on the same verification system (DOFs and GF3s used in Brazil) that the logging industry uses to launder illegal timber.
Greenpeace is calling on Jewson and its supplier, International Timber, to stop selling Amazonian wood until the situation is brought under control. It also wants the National Measurement Office, which enforces the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) in the UK, to conduct in-depth checks on UK companies – something the TTF has welcomed.
“Our position is that these links to the UK are highly circumstantial,” the TTF said. “There is no proof of illegal wood entering the supply chain.”
However, it is advising members to be “extra diligent” about sourcing from the Amazon and to treat timber from Pará or Mato Grosso as high risk.
“UK operators need to make absolutely sure that they are doing all possible checks on their suppliers and the products they source and getting behind the documentation to ensure a legal source of timber, prior to purchase,” it added.
In an earlier statement released by International Timber, the company said it was committed to ensuring legality of its timber and took extensive steps to gather all necessary evidence from suppliers.
