Sustainability and legality of wood and wood-based products

The Government’s procurement policy for wood and wood-based products currently requires an indication of sustainability and legality of the wood. The vast majority of wood used in New Zealand is sourced from New Zealand plantation forests, which are regulated through the Resource Management Act process. WPA in conjunction with Forest Owners Association and merchants are working with government to prepare a process that will allow the use of a chain of custody linked to the source of wood and wood-based products that come from New Zealand plantation forests, as an indication of sustainable and legal wood supply. The Government has encouraged the industry to progress with this development and the industry is currently working on it.

Illegal Logging Accord

The industry and the environmental NGOs signed an illegal logging accord in Wellington on 14 August 2008.  Eliminating illegal forest products in New Zealand is a joint objective of the forest industry, wood product sector and conservation groups.  Trading in illegal products contributes to deforestation biodiversity loss, poverty and other adverse social effects, and undermines the viability of legal forest products.

Prohibition of the import of illegal products will benefit New Zealand's legal forest products industries; assist in improving the producer countries' social, environmental and economic well being; and show that New Zealand is responsibly addressing the problem.

We are committed to sustainable forestry - illegal logging is not sustainable and thus eliminating illegal logging is an important step towards achieving sustainable forestry globablly.