Last month Timber Development UK published an updated Green Claims Policy as part of our commitment to the Anti-Greenwash Charter, to best practice and to setting a benchmark for transparent practices in the timber industry.
Now, TDUK Sustainability Director Charlie Law explains why TDUK is committed to above-board communications and ensuring all timber sustainability claims are backed by thorough evidence.
Charlie said: “We wanted to ensure that any claims we made were backed by robust data and a structured process. Joining The Anti-Greenwash Charter gave us a framework to ensure we were always above board in our communications.”
TDUK was an early signatory of The Anti-Greenwash Charter and we have already embedded responsible communication practices into our work. However, renewing our signatory status in 2025 brought valuable additional benefits, including strengthened internal processes for verifying sustainability claims, and introducing dedicated training on the Green Claims Code. This ensures all team members can verify and reference sustainability claims correctly, and reinforces our reputation as a trusted, third-party-verified source of sustainability information.
“Joining the Charter has given our own team greater confidence in what we say,” Charlie explained. “It reassures both us and our members that everything we put out is fully evidenced and responsible.”
From an industry perspective, responsible sourcing and embodied carbon reporting remain the biggest greenwashing challenges. Misinformation around timber certification and carbon neutrality is a key issue, and TDUK’s involvement in the Charter ensures it remains at the forefront of tackling these issues.
Looking ahead, Charlie sees the Charter as an essential tool for helping the construction industry clean up its sustainability messaging. “The biggest challenge ahead is ensuring that carbon reporting is done accurately and that businesses understand what they can—and can’t—claim,” he said. “We need more industry-wide awareness of The Anti-Greenwash Charter to help drive better practices.”
TDUK is keen to support further education and collaboration, ensuring timber remains at the heart of a responsible, evidence-driven approach to construction sustainability.
