The James Latham Group is committed to ethical practices in timber production, management and distribution. Our activities and policies support this commitment, which is embedded within our business strategy and values.
We are extremely proud of our history of positive engagement and active management of supply chain lines. Past CEO and Chairman, Peter Latham, received an OBE for his services to the wood industry in the UK in 2012, based on our commitment to sustainable practices.
We are FSC® (FSC-C007658) and PEFCTM certified. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council®) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) ensure good forest management as well as considering social, economic and ethical obligations. As early members of both of these bodies, we place great value and importance on these certifications. We became FSC certified in 2001 and when PEFC was established in 2003, we were amongst the first 10 UK companies to be certified by them.
In 2023 our percentage of sustainable certified products was 91%. The remaining 9% of our products are sourced from suppliers who operate under 3rd party legal verification schemes (6%) and 3% operate outside of these certification zones. In these cases, we actively seek evidence of commitment to continuous improvement, information on the source of wood products and evidence of good forest management practice. James Latham will only source materials from those suppliers who are operating within the laws of their own country.
We are members of Timber Development UK (TDUK) – previously the Timber Trade Federation - and were the first signatory to its Responsible Purchasing Policy. We adhere to the high business and environmental standards contained in their Code of Conduct. Membership of TDUK can be verified at www.timberdevelopment.uk
Our sustainability story continues to develop and our robust due diligence systems are managed by a dedicated compliance team who continually seek ways to reduce our climate impact. Our Pathway to Net Zero is being drafted in accordance with the Carbon Trust’s Greenhouse Gas Protocol and we have set up baselines for carbon scope 1, 2 and 3 which cover Direct Emissions, Indirect Emissions (Purchased Energy) and Indirect Emissions (Value Chain).
In 2024 our cladding and mouldings division, Dresser Mouldings, achieved an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for our signature Accoya® cladding range.
In addition to these certifications, the James Latham Group adopted environmental standards ISO 14001 to integrate environmental considerations into its decision making in such areas as transport, energy usage, treatment plants and waste disposal. This commits us to consider energy efficient options for lighting, heating, ventilation and transport before making purchasing decisions. Our company car fleet includes over 50% energy efficient cars, including plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, and 17% of our Combilifts are electric.
To support our customers in managing their own carbon responsibilities, in 2021 we partnered with the Bio-Composites Centre at Bangor University to produce an award-winning Carbon Calculator. The calculator provides Carbon Footprint and Biogenic Carbon data on our entire range of timber based products and is displayed on quotes, invoices and other documentation upon request.
To view our certificates and policies click here.
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