Suppliers Charter

Saint-Gobain Building Distribution in the UK and Ireland Responsible Purchasing Timber Policy (2015)

Timber and timber products form a very significant part of the activity of the Building Distribution Sector of Saint-Gobain. We therefore consider it imperative that we take an informed approach to ensure responsible procurement and sales.

We purchase timber materials from around the world. Our policy is to purchase from well managed forest sources positively participating in the protection of biodiversity of forest lands and the habitats of forest reliant peoples. However, we do recognise that some areas of the world represent greater environmental risk than others with respect to the timber trade.

Procurement:
Saint-Gobain Building Distribution in the UK & Ireland is committed to sourcing all timber and timber products from legal sources. We will require clear evidence of good forest management practice at the original source, and give preference to those suppliers who can provide such evidence. Where customer demand dictates that we procure timber from areas of greater risk, our approach is to only work with suppliers who can demonstrate to us an improving program of sustainability in their timber related activities and can provide evidence that product has been legally sourced.

Saint-Gobain Building Distribution in the UK & Ireland acknowledges the importance of auditable independent certification throughout the supply chain process and has introduced relevant schemes where appropriate to the business. We are firmly committed to a stepped approach, through the risk assessment of products by Species, Country, and Supplier, to the sourcing of timber from legal and certified sources. This includes the elimination of wood originating from non-certified High Conservation Value Forests, including those species recognized as endangered, using references including the IUCN Red list, and from inappropriately cleared or converted forests.

Sales:

We actively market to our customers “Legal and Sustainable” timber products through external and internal communication, training and the use of Chain of Custody certification. We will work in partnership with our suppliers to facilitate the provision of clear information about the sources of our wood products and will make this available to our customers when required.

We are members of the WWF’S Global Forest and Trade Network in the UK which we joined in 1998, find out more about our performance at: www.saint-gobain.co.uk/
In summary we have defined three areas of action directly inspired by the Group’s Principles of Conduct & Action.

You can view the Suppliers Charter here