NZ Imported Timber Trade Group - NZITTG
Charter 2018
1. Membership and Attendance of Meetings:
- (a) The New Zealand Imported Timber Trade Group (NZITTG) was established in
1992 and comprises representatives of New Zealand's timber importers, timber
retailers, and environmental and conservation organisations. The Ministry of
Primary Industries (MPI - New Zealand Government) is represented as an
observer.
- (b) There is a Task Force of the NZITTG comprising one representative of
each of the timber product importers, retailers and conservation groups. The
Chair of NZITTG and the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) representative are
members of the Task Force ex officio. The Task Force has been established to
actively research and consider particular issues of a technical nature, or to
act in an advisory role, or to comment, as requested by Council or the
Chair.
- (c) The representative decision making body for the NZITTG members is the
NZITTG Council. NZITTG Council representatives shall be limited to individuals
duly elected, invited or appointed to represent their industry sector or
organisations interest. Attendance at NZITTG Council meetings is limited to
NZITTG Council members, except by special invitation of the Council. It shall
be made up of a maximum of 20 representatives: six timber and manufactured
board importers, six timber retailers, four conservation and environmental
NGO's, one furniture manufacturer, two furniture importers, with Ministry of
Primary Industries (MPI) as an observer. A preference shall be given to
representatives of industry or sector organisations.
- (d) Membership of NZITTG is open to all NZ groups and companies with an
interest in the timber trade. Members of NZITTG acknowledge the importance of
active participation by interested groups outside the original founding member
groups. Membership is through invitation with the consensus agreement of the
NZITTG Council. Members agree to abide by the conditions established in the
Charter of Understanding and membership can be revoked by the Council if
conditions are breached. Chair: We don't want members' interests to be
restricted to one specie or a particular single issue. We do want a broad
representation so we get a good context around the discussions and have a true
representation of the New Zealand situation.
- (e) The NZITTG has a chairperson (Chair) who is elected every two years.
The Chairperson is the official representative of the Group unless delegated
otherwise. Decisions of the Council are made by consensus at meeting which are
held at least 3 times per annum.
2. The goals of the Group are as follows:
- 2.1 To ensure that all timber imported into New Zealand is sourced from 3rd
party certified or verified sustainably/responsibly managed forests and
plantations.
- 2.2 To agree on credible certification schemes that provide purchasers with
a reliable assurance of the sourcing of product from a 3rd Party certified
sustainable/responsible source.
- 2.3 To seek understanding of and common ground between members of the Group
on the key issues underpinning both the timber trade and management of forests
and plantations globally.
- 2.4 To demonstrate leadership and innovation towards achieving imports from
a 3rd Party certified sustainable/responsible source.
- 2.5 To promote the findings, decisions and goals of the Group to the wider
NZ timber trade, local and national government, and consumers and other
relevant parties.
- 2.6 To contribute to, and to influence NZ Government policy both within New
Zealand and abroad.
- 2.7 To have the entire imported timber trade in NZ represented on the
Group.
3. Conditions of Membership of NZITTG
The following conditions apply to members of the NZITTG. In addition,
further conditions may be agreed to from time to time through consensus at
NZITTG Council meetings.
- 3.1 All members of the Group agree to use the definition of
"sustainable/responsible management" of tropical forests as determined by the
NZITTG. Guidance for defining 'responsibly and/or sustainably managed forests'
is contained in the NZITTG Criteria, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
Principles and Criteria for Forest Stewardship, and the ITTO Criteria and
Indicators for the Management of Natural Tropical Forest. No claim of timber
'sustainability' by an NZITTG member is valid without a credible third party
NZITTG recognised certification scheme. Where third party legality verification
is necessary it shall be from the list of NZITTG "approved auditors or schemes
(available on the web site www.NZITTG.org) Third Party Legality Verification
(3VL) should be seen as a time-bound step in the process towards
sustainable/responsible sourcing, not as a substitute for same.
- 3.2 All members of the Group agree to not advertise or otherwise promote
tropical timber unless sourced from a 3rd Party certified
sustainable/responsible source. (Refer to Advertising Protocol on NZITTG
website).
- 3.3 Timber trade members agree to actively seek sources of timber from
certified sustainably/responsibly managed forests or plantations, and as such
sources become available, to phase out the importing and sale of timber from
non-sustainable sources. Timber trade and importer members shall develop timber
procurement policies that reflect and implement the NZITTG Charter. Such
policies will be publicly available and progress reports on the implementation
of the policies will be presented to the NZITTG Council 6 monthly. New members
shall agree to comply with these requirements upon application for membership.
Proposal:
- 3.3.1 The Legality Target: Timber Trade Members shall meet the minimum
target of 100% of all imported solid tropical timber products to be third party
verified to a minimum of Verified Legal Origin (VLO) or equivalent,by 1 August
2018.
- 3.3.2 The Sustainability Target: Timber Trade Members shall meet the
minimum target of 85% of all imported solid tropical timber products to be
third party certified sustainable and respoonsibly managed by 1 August 2018.
The sustainability target will be reviewed periodically.
- 3.4 Conservation and environmental non-government (NG0) member
organisations agree not to demonstrate or use media statements against members
of the NZITTG on issues relating to the NZITTG goals while members are abiding
by the conditions of membership of the Group and then only after discussion
through the NZITTG Chairperson.
- 3.5 Conservation and environmental non-government (NG0) member
organisations who are NZITTG members shall publicly recognise (such as through
their website or publications) those companies who adopt wood product
procurement policies that are consistent with NZITTG goals, have clear
timelines for achieving them, and have made significant progress towards the
goal of certified sustainable/responsible sources as per the targets in
First agreed October 1994. Recently revised and adopted August
2018.
Glossary:
Sustainably/Responsibly Managed Forests and Plantations Timber and Timber
Products (including 'conversion timber' - that from forest being cleared for
plantations, and industrial agriculture.) Consensus Credible Certification
Scheme.
"Timber" includes all solid timber wood products, including timber, plywood,
veneer and glulam.
For the purposes of the targets, Verified Legal Origin "equivalent" includes
FSC Mix and FSC Controlled Wood.
The measurement period for the target is based on the in-store stock, each
6-month reporting period for NZITTG.
The Chair has the right to review companies' reports or request further
information on the recommendation of the Task Force.
Third Party certified Sustainable and Responsibly Managed includes 100% FSC
or PEFC sustainable forest management certification only, and chain of custody
must be maintained through the supply chain to the end consumer.
Exclusions
Current exclusions include:
- All Solomon Island timbers provided the timber has NEPCon legality
verification and is purchased from current SITPEA members.
- The exclusion for Indonesian timber expires on 31 March 2019.
- The exclusion for Fijian timber expires on 1 August 2018.