Timber certification schemes (Category A evidence): methodology for review
The approach that will be taken by UK government in the 2025 forest certification scheme review.
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Defra is currently reviewing the UK government’s Timber Procurement Policy (TPP), including assessing certification schemes.
Stakeholders are invited to submit evidence of certification schemes’ compliance with the TPP. Comments can be submitted using the online survey until 30 March 2025.
Companies supplying timber and wood-derived products to government must provide evidence that they meet the required standard for sustainability and legality.
One acceptable form of evidence is compliance with an acceptable timber certification scheme (Category A evidence). UK government has developed a set of criteria to assess which timber certifications schemes are acceptable. The methodology used to assess this was updated in February 2025.
Evidence of an independently verifiable legal and sustainable timber source can also be supplied through:
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a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licence
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other forms of credible evidence other than timber certification schemes – this is known as Category B evidence