21 INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2024 ENVIRONMENTAL Many timber growers prioritise sustainable forestry practices, which not only ensure the long-term viability of their operations but also contribute to the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity. By adhering to sustainability standards and promoting responsible land management, timber growers demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship, which positively impacts both present and future generations. Thus, the social impact of timber growers extends beyond economic considerations, encompassing community development, environmental conservation, and the promotion of sustainable practices. Certification NCT manages Forestry Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) group schemes to facilitate forest management certification. These groups are open to NCT members to enable them to grow certified timber. These two schemes are audited annually by an independent certification body. The last audits proved challenging with some issues raised as major findings. These have been closed out. NCT-owned farms provide an essential portion of FSC-certified timber for the co-operative marketing requirement. More than one third of NCT’s FSC timber is supplied from NCT-owned farms. Without this timber NCT would not be able to meet its market requirements for certified material. To streamline forest management certification, at least for PEFC, NCT has now moved its PEFC group to the AES Landscape Certification Programme. This move should allow some economies of scale, a reduction in audit intensity and for the identification and treatment of risks at a landscape level. NCT was audited on a main assessment for a combined PEFC and FSC Chain-of-Custody (CoC) certificate. This was successful and NCT now holds a dual FSC / PEFC CoC certificate. This CoC certificate enables NCT to market timber grown on the forest management certificates, as certified material. Research and Development The NCT Forestry research programme has been integrated into the Tree Farming Department. This is a logical restructure as the NCT farms play an important role in providing sites and resources for research trials. Many of the ICFR seed orchards are located on NCT estates. These orchards supply the bulk of the seed to nurseries for producing seedlings for members. A third generation E. smithii grafted seed orchard is being established on the Enon plantation for future improved seed production. NCT manages a clone programme that supplies clones to private nurseries. Most of the clone screening trials are planted on our land, this is an important service because it allows material to be thoroughly tested before it is commercialised for members to plant on their farms. Acacia clones are a recent innovation from this programme, and they are proving to be very successful both in terms of improving tree growth and resilience to pests. Many of the farms are also used by various research partners for implementing trials or for monitoring pests. This work
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