BAM signs covenant with FSC Nederland for the use of socially responsible timber
Bunnik, The Netherlands, 3 December 2007 - Royal BAM Group nv will sign a covenant with FSC Nederland on 4 December 2007. As part of the agreement, BAM will commit itself to do all it can to use FSC timber in all the projects being developed by the Group. In addition, BAM will push for the use of FSC timber in orders involving third parties. Timber with the internationally recognised FSC mark meets the most stringent requirements in terms of nature-friendly socially and economically responsible forestry management. The covenant is to be signed on behalf of FSC Nederland by its director Sandra Mulder, while Nico de Vries, vice-chairman of the Executive Board, will sign for BAM.
BAM regards the use of socially responsible timber as one of the results of the policies formulated by the company in the area of sustainability and socially responsible business. The conclusion of the agreement between FSC Nederland and Royal BAM Group will encourage the use of FSC timber, while the process of certifying large areas of forest can be extended further. At present, more than ninety million hectares of the world's forests (an area twenty times the size of the Netherlands) have been certified.
FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council. Timber and timber products bearing the internationally recognised and independent FSC mark are guaranteed to have come from forests that have been managed responsibly, with an emphasis on ecological, social and economic aspects. FSC Nederland expects the market share of timber with an FSC mark to be seventeen per cent in 2007. In 1999, the proportion was just four per cent. For 2008, FSC Nederland is aiming to increase the level to 25 per cent.
As well as using timber and timber products for building projects, BAM is aiming to change over to FSC paper within a few years. BAM is making every effort to gain increased support for the use of FSC certified products within the company and to work with FSC Nederland at transferring knowledge of FSC products. The covenant has been drawn up with a view to the activities of BAM in the Netherlands, but the Group is seeking to extend the agreement to its international activities.
Further information: Arno Pronk, +31 (0)30 659 86 21.