PEFC UK Executive Director John Kirkby travelled to Tallinn, Estonia, on 18 March to take part in a market seminar organised by PEFC Estonia. The seminar, which was also run in conjunction with PEFC Belgium, aimed to showcase the market opportunities that are available for Estonian companies involved in the forest and wood industry.
The UK timber sector was also represented by David Hopkins, CEO of Timber Development UK (TDUK) and Dr Paul Newman, Technical Director at the Structural Timber Association (STA), who provided an in-depth evaluation of the market and regulatory landscape in the UK that needs to be navigated by companies wishing to trade here.
Hopkins was keen to reassure the assembled delegates that, despite Brexit, the UK is still very open to business. While there is a move towards using more homegrown timber due to the UK Government’s endorsed Timber in Construction Roadmap, because the UK currently imports 80% of the timber products used, the market for imported products will remain significant.
Hopkins also set out the regulatory framework that products would need to comply with to enter the UK, including compliance with the UK Timber Regulations (UKTR), and how certification under a scheme such as PEFC would be demanded by the majority of customers. This point was the basis for the PEFC UK presentation, as Kirkby set out the changing certification landscape with increasing availability of PEFC-certified products, as well as more companies recognising the certification within their procurement policies.
Newman provided a more specific overview of the regulatory requirements within the construction sector, referring the current Building Regulations, the Future Homes Standard and best practices that are recognised within quality assurance schemes such as STA Assure.
As well as presentations, the event also provided positive networking opportunities with companies who already trade or who wish to trade in the UK in the future.
Speaking about the event, Kirkby said: ‘The seminar has provided a great opportunity for us to show the market potential for PEFC-certified products in the UK and we thank our colleagues at PEFC Estonia for organising the event and hosting us. The number of people who have attended just shows that Estonian companies view the UK market favourably and we are happy to assist them further where we can.”
