Kevin Mason
The European Union’s Deforestation Regulations (EUDR) are set to come into force by the end of this year, but many market participants feel that too many questions remain unanswered. The regulations would apply to seven commodities, including timber (fibre/pulp/paper/board). Producers must be able to prove that their production did not contribute to deforestation at the source (including within Europe) and must include specific geolocation data for raw-material inputs. Participation in existing certification schemes (e.g., FSC, PFEC) can provide some, but not all, of the required documentation and assurances.
There has been a range of reactions to the EUDR deadline across the companies in our universe, from “non-event” to “unworkable,” with far more in the latter camp. Huge hurdles to implementation remain, including the lack of a sufficiently robust European Union IT system to receive information (the test systems crashed with data from a single company!), insufficient auditors and potential conflicts between very granular geospatial data and privacy regulations. One aspect of the regulation has already been pushed back, with all countries initially classed as “standard” risk rather than the ulimate high/standard/low rating system (which will initially disadvantage low-risk countries). Senior U.S. administration officials have asked for delayed implementation, citing “critical challenges” for timely compliance.
Most of our contacts expect some form of the regulation to eventually be put in place, but timing—at least regarding enforcement—is likely to be pushed back. There will be costs for compliance, but there may be benefits too, with spot suppliers and/or producers with a weaker focus on sourcing and documentation simply choosing not to ship to Europe. Given the scope of the regulations, we see an extended (Brexit-like) adjustment period.” [END]
In 2009, Waugh Thistleton Architects oversaw the completion of Murray Grove, a nine-storey residential block with a superstructure of cross-laminated timber (CLT). …However … many argue that structural timber became a perceived risk in the post-Grenfell legislative review. In 2022 the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities ruled – after a period of consultation – that structural timber was approved for use within the external walls of buildings between 11 and 18 metres. …using structural timber has once again become a focal topic. So much so, the task of de-risking the material and changing perception both inside and out of the profession is well under way. …Founder and Director of Waugh Thistleton, Anthony Thistleton-Smith, says there is a huge appetite to building in timber…. And not just for the carbon savings – further potential advantages include speed of construction, safety with deliveries, impact on local environments and – in his opinion – higher quality buildings..jpg.aspx)
We have had a bumpy relationship with trees. Our landscapes were largely treeless at the beginning of the 20th century, with just 1 per cent of Ireland’s land covered by forest. …Forests have increased from 1 per cent to over 11 per cent over the past 120 years, with most of the increase due to plantations of non-native conifer species. One single conifer species from the west coast of North America, Sitka Spruce, occupies 45 per cent of Ireland’s forest area. …We need to plant at least 8,000 hectares of forest per year to achieve 18 per cent of our land area covered by forest by 2050. Our new forests will be around for decades, and they must deliver for climate, nature, wood, people, and economic and rural development. This will require investment in the public and private forestry sectors to encourage and speed up the planting of diverse multifunctional and mosaic forests.
…While wildfires are a natural annual occurrence, rising temperatures and intensified drought periods are creating drier, fire-prone weather that makes them burn faster, longer and more ferociously. In Europe they are becoming more frequent, intense and widespread. …But with rising temperatures expected to increase the risk of wildfires across Europe, is the continent prepared? …The focus of the EU’s fire response so far has been the expansion of firefighting capabilities through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and RescEU program, which lend support to countries dealing with extreme wildfires. …Yet some scientists and policy experts argue the EU could do more to prevent fires starting in the first place. Around 90% of EU funding for tackling wildfires goes into response, and only 10% into prevention, according to one estimate from German EU lawmaker Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg.
Climate change is likely to drive tree species towards colder and wetter regions of their geographical distribution, a new study has shown. The research, led by the University of Alcalá, in Spain, and including researchers at the University of Birmingham, draws together data from across Europe and North America to show that tree species in the Northern Hemisphere are starting to become denser in colder and wetter regions. The study provides the first quantitative evidence that climate change is driving this change in the numbers of trees of each species across temperate forests on a continental scale. The researchers analysed data from over two million trees, representing 73 species widely distributed across Europe and the United States. …Understanding how forest species are responding to climate change through increasing their density in these more northerly regions is essential for planning ecosystem conservation, management and restoration.
The death toll from a massive wildfire that ripped through Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast last week has risen to 15, hospital sources said on Monday as experts pointed to faulty wiring as a possible cause. The blaze, which broke out on Thursday between the cities of Diyarbakir and Mardin, killed 12 people outright and left five fighting for their lives. Three succumbed to their injuries on Sunday, the Anadolu state news agency said. …Hundreds of animals also perished in the blaze that roared across the dry landscape. The government said “stubble burning” was the cause but the Diyarbakir branch of Chambers of Turkish Architects and Engineers said in a report released late on Sunday there was “no stubble” in the area and saying the electric wires in the area were in a state of disrepair. …Turkey has suffered 74 wildfires so far this year, which have ravaged 12,910 hectares of land