Travis Perkins has been awarded the highest timber scorecard rating by WWF UK for responsibly and sustainably sourcing timber products.

The ‘three trees’ performance rating recognises that over 70% of the company’s timber and timber products have been sourced responsibly. The company sources 97% of all their timber and timber fibre from certified well-managed forests, it claims.

The WWF UK report highlights companies’ understanding and engagement of the forest trade, and aims to promote and improve sustainability.

The score is calculated by rating organisations’ policies and their performance on their purchases of timber. This includes issuing transparent, open and accurate reporting on performance related statements publically, which in turn provide an education for consumers and customers alike about the responsibilities of sourcing forest goods.

The scoring system is also reflective of their attempts to measure any claims made about responsible sourcing of timber and what this means to wider global contributions.

Jez Cutler, head of group environment at Travis Perkins, said: "We are delighted to be awarded the highest score that the sustainability industry recognizes, which shows our commitment to a sustainable and responsible supply chain.

“Travis Perkins continually strives to improve environmental excellence and sustainability throughout our organisation and our activities. We will continue to participate in this important process and strive to be market leaders in transparent sustainability; helping to make a difference in the market place as well as contributing to overall sustainable forest management.”

Julia Young, manager of WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network programme in the UK, said: “Travis Perkins has done what we are asking of businesses in the UK that trade timber and timber products, and that is to systematically look into the sourcing of these goods to ensure they are coming from legal and sustainable sources.

"This investment by Travis Perkins and their ongoing commitment to embed sustainability in their business, and be transparent and specific about their progress, is best practice and deserves recognition in the UK market.

“Globally much more needs to be done to ensure a sustainable future for forests, and our scorecard is a way to gain a snapshot of just how well the UK is doing across different sectors in contributing with positive, not negative impacts through trade.

"We hope this work will stimulate pressure for some businesses to do more, and encourage others to share how well they are doing in meeting this agenda.”