Page 29 Sustainable products


Sustainable timber
John Lewis' timber products are made from 44 different species of timber, including 19 tropical hardwoods, sourced from 48 different countries. Although keeping track of where all this timber comes from and checking it has been legally sourced is a considerable undertaking, we are committed to ensuring that, in the long term, all our timber comes from forests that have been certified as well-managed.

Recognising the importance of the issue, John Lewis developed a timber policy in 2003, which commits us to ensuring that 'all timber used in the course of our business has been sourced with the least possible damage to the natural environment'. We aim never to source from areas where we believe forest management is poor, although sometimes, where necessary, timber may be sourced from regions where certified products are not yet available. Where this is the case, we will help suppliers to work towards forestry certification (see below), in order to raise forestry standards, increase the availability of certified timber and phase out illegal and unsustainable sources.
The application of our timber sourcing policy currently focuses on garden furniture, not least because we have one of the widest selections on the high street. Our target is to ensure all garden furniture is independently certified to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard by the end of 2009.The FSC is an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation that provides standards, trademark assurance and accreditation services for responsible forestry.

In 2008, 78% of the garden furniture we purchase will be FSC certified, and because of consumer concerns over large-scale illegal logging of tropical hardwood timbers, a customer leaflet clearly stating our timber sourcing policy for garden furniture is available in all garden furniture departments. Yet despite our progress, we still have more to do, which is why we will be extending our timber policy to assess all wood-based products from 2008.


Timber assessment system
Working with sustainable forestry consultancy ProForest, our timber assessment system encourages suppliers to move towards using only FSC-certified sources. This process involves independent audits to assess the legal status of all timber used, and helps suppliers to improve their forest management practices through four stages:

1. Origination: Timber of 'known origin' the entry level. The supplier must provide specific information on the source and species of every timber product.
2. Evidence: Timber from verified legal sources the minimum level to ensure continuation as an approved supplier. This requires objective evidence concerning the legality of the forest source, and that it has harvested and traded in accordance with national forestry laws and standards, and may require independent scrutiny.
3. Verification: Verified timber from sources showing active progress towards certification, as demonstrated through approval by or membership of independent schemes such as the Tropical Forest Trust (TFT).
4. Certification: Independently certified FSC timber the long-term objective for all timber purchased by John Lewis.


Risk assessments on our products are based on ProForest's priority lists.
>Red: Timber from countries where forest governance is very poor. John Lewis buyers cannot buy from suppliers using timber on this list, unless there is proof that the timber has been independently verified or certified (stage 3 or 4).
>Amber: Timber from countries where there is a high risk of raw material from illegal sources entering supply chains. John Lewis buyers can buy from these suppliers only if the timber has been evidenced as originating from a legal source (stage 2).
Any suppliers falling into red or amber categories must commit to moving towards independent certification.