We have analysed and evaluated these important issues to determine how best to contribute to an overall positive impact, while at the same time delivering you the beauty of nature:


• We encourage the USE OF WOOD as being one of
   the TRULY RENEWABLE RESOURCES on earth;
• We promote LONG TERM forestry and encourage
   increasing overall forest cover;
• We offset TWICE the carbon stored in our products,
   even if it will only be released years to come;
• We all gain TWICE as wood IS a renewable resource;
• We reduce travel and transport by OPTIMIZING
   modern communication, logistics & IT;
• We offer, via our VIRTUAL SHOWROOM, guidance
   and products, reducing your need to travel;
• We ensure WoodTrend is CLIMATE NEUTRAL by
   offsetting our CO2 emissions, incl. final delivery;
• We make investments, amounting to 25% of our
   annual profit, in REGENERATION & REPLANTING.


We promote and encourage the use of wooden flooring, decking, cladding and tiles because studies have shown that this truly renewable material has a reduced impact on our environment, compared to most traditional building materials . Though already in favour of wood, reduced impact is not just based a direct comparison or extended “cradle-to-grave” comparison. But it also includes its ability to regenerate itself and its overall sustainability. Finally it must include the possibility of re-using the product after it has served its main purpose, possible several generations from today. To us, there is no doubt about wood’s environmental credentials!


Most of us can remember a favourite tree, not only because of some memorable event, but also due to its beautiful and majestic appearance, its fruits, flowers or nuts, the wildlife for which it provided a habitat or food – and not least for its lovely shade.


A tree like our English Oak, a symbol of strength and endurance, carries thousands of acorns during its lifetime. But to maintain its population, only ONE of the acorns actually needs to grow into a mature tree. But as the tree is still standing, it will not happen in the darker undergrowth! Fortunately nothing is wasted as acorns – as well as small seedlings and saplings – are some of the most important wildlife foods. A forest naturally regenerates as when old trees either fall – or are moved – new seedlings and saplings obtain the vital space and light for them to flourish. Over time, one of them grows into the beautiful mature tree we all praise.

An Oak tree only starts to carry acorns after about 20 years, with a peak from 50-80 years. Then, after 80 years, the production gradually decreases and tapers off in quantity. The change from an old tree to a new tree happens naturally. In our beautiful old-growth forests, however, the older trees actually no longer provide the same food for its wildlife.


In a sustainable managed hardwood forest, temperate as well as tropical, only mature trees are selected providing new-growth to take place. This is obtained as during the recommended 30 years between harvests, seeds/nuts will turn into saplings and then grow into small trees. After the 1st cycle, the young trees will be left to flourish. After the 2nd cycle, 60 years on, the trees are now big and strong but still, only mature trees are selected. Only after the 3rd cycle, 90 years on, the now mature trees – at the end of their peak but providing the very best of lumber – will be selected. By then a new cycle will commence.

Some have undoubtedly listened to 30 seconds of noise, illustrating a tree being selected. And that was it. But ALL should have been recorded – including the subsequent 30 years of silence and undisturbed forest. Unfortunately, we can’t afford ads that long!


A natural forest exists in equilibrium with the atmosphere, including in relation to sequestration and release of carbon dioxide. When a tree grows, it stores carbon but when it dies and starts to rot, it releases the stored carbon again.

Sustainable forestry delays this process by selecting mature trees which, instead of being left to die and rot and thus releasing the stored carbon again, are transformed into beautiful wood products we all know. And as long as the wood stays as a product, it does not release its carbon back again – another reason to choose high-quality, durable wooden products. This, all the same time a new tree is growing and coming up, in the space and light left behind by the selected, mature tree.


In the UK, we have unfortunately only a forest cover of 12.0% (9.0% in England, 12% in Wales and 16% in Scotland). This must be compared to the fact that other non-EU European countries have more than twice as much; the world has, on average, 2.5 times as much; the EU countries have on average 3 times as much whereas the Russian Federation and South America have 4 times more forest cover than the UK .

At about 3000 BC, Britain had an estimated forest cover of 50-60%.

In the 1st century AD, Romans controlled most of Britain and they brought with them new building techniques and sophisticated weapons of war which would have been new uses for British timber. However, most importantly, though native population of Britain would have been just around 1.5 million, tree cover was rapidly diminishing due, mainly, to the use of wood for fuel and building and the clearance of forests by farmers rearing livestock or planting crops. As little as 25-30% of the land may have been covered in trees and people were already turning to stone as a building material.

During the next 1,000 years, until the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 and the Domesday Book in 1086, the English forest cover dropped to only 15%. This period also included great church building while Christianity was spreading throughout Britain as from 597; and it included centuries of Viking raids in the midst of The Middle Ages.

During the next 250 years, when castles were built and with the Magna Carta, land ownership confirmed in favour of the church or noblemen, the forest cover was reduced to only 4-5%. Population also doubled to about 3 million and their sheep was well established along side with other grazing animals, stopping woodland regenerating naturally. The result was the continuous decline.

Still, over the next 500 years, even though planting was encouraged and new woodland could be protected against grazing animals, forest was cleared and converted. It was a time during which the printed press was invented; wood for charcoal was increasing; it was a time of great house building; boatbuilding became important at the end of the 16th century; the steam train was invented and rail network developed at the end of the 17th century, about the same time as the Industrial Revolution started in Britain – all leading to the UK reaching an all time low forest cover at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 – while the population had increased to about 15 million people .

It is only during the last 50 years, after the 1st and 2nd World Wars, that our forest cover significantly increased, from a level of 6% to current 12% - even though population quadrupled to 60 million the last 200 years. Efficient agricultural and farming techniques have ensured that less land is needed to supply an ever increasing demand. But in respect to forest cover, we still have a long way to go before we can compare ourselves with most other countries in the rest of the world - therefore 80% we consume is imported.

Lesson to be learned is that we must ensure there is a stop of land conversion, of productive as well as protected forest, into idle land, agricultural land or farm land.

Instead, replanting should take place by converting idle land back into forest, ensuring more trees will grow, added carbon sequestration can take place and increased forest cover will form to provide better conditions for wildlife habitat. If we can ensure this happens on a global scale, and especially at home, we are all much better off.



• We encourage the USE OF WOOD as being one of
   the TRULY RENEWABLE RESOURCES on earth;
• We promote LONG TERM forestry and encourage
   increasing overall forest cover;
• We offset TWICE the carbon stored in our products,
   even if it will only be released years to come;
• We all gain TWICE as wood IS a renewable resource;
• We reduce travel and transport by OPTIMIZING
   modern communication, logistics & IT;
• We offer, via our VIRTUAL SHOWROOM, guidance
   and products, reducing your need to travel;
• We ensure WoodTrend is CLIMATE NEUTRAL by
   offsetting our CO2 emissions, incl. final delivery;
• We make investments, amounting to 25% of our
   annual profit, in REGENERATION & REPLANTING.