THROUGH THE SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT POLICIES WE ENFORCE IN THE UK, WE HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON COUNTRIES WE TRADE WITH.
While you may not agree with disruptive political decisions like Brexit, they could represent a huge opportunity for the timber industry. Growing discontent with the way countries, businesses, and industries are run, has created socio-economic upheaval. But, forward-thinking industries can capitalise on this opportunity to become stabilising forces for the country.
2016 was, without doubt, a time of major upheaval and geo-political change as not only Brexit, but the election of Donald Trump to the Whitehouse showed that things were about to change.
Now, Dave Hopkins, the managing director of the Timber Trade Federation, has written an article in the latest issue of the Timber Trade Journal that is a rallying call to the timber industry to highlight their strengths and benefits to society in a new economy.
The economy, as it always has, is playing a huge role in modern politics in Britain, as politicians and industry professionals look to re-assure everyone and show optimism for post-Brexit Britain. This is where Hopkins believes that the timber industry is a perfect fit.
He has outlined a list of reasons why the timber industry could ‘re-introduce itself as a key business sector to policy makers’. He says: “Our credentials are strong. We trade internationally, sourcing product from across the globe. Through the sustainable procurement policies we enforce in the UK, we have a positive effect on countries we trade with.
“We help enshrine best-practice timber and forest sector governance and management policies in-turn supporting sustainable global economic and environmental development.”
The point Hopkins makes is an interesting one, why shouldn’t an industry like timber be at the heart of economic discussion when it provides a range of skilled jobs to the country, from designers to joiners to installers.
Just how the timber industry is able to re-position itself in this new economy is yet to be seen, but it is without question that it is in an excellent position to do so and, of course, we will keep you in the know about any developments.
